Weekend trip from Stuttgart
 

A friend (in Stuttgart) has offered to take me somewhere in Italy, France or Germany for a weekend while I visit next summer. So many times I have come home from somewhere only to hear, "Oh, why didn't you go and see----? You were so close!" What would your suggestions be?
Thank you for your help.

And don't forget Switzerland, the Gridelwald area, the high point of the Swiss area, is just a few hours by road or rail from Stuttgart.

If you must have an alternative to the many superb destinations that the Black Forest beckons with, then I would strongly recommend the region SW of Strasbourg.

There are two pre-ordained itineraries for you to follow, each doable in two days if you just want to get a taste of what is on offer:

The Route du Vin Alsace takes you from Saverne somewhat NW of Strasbourg down to just short of Mulhouse...

The Route des Vosges runs from Strasbourg down to the mighty area around Ribeauville and then hooks up with the Route des Cretes, which, as the name suggests, takes you through the high country of the southern Vosges.

Harzer

Hi,

We lived in Stuttgart for a couple years, and our favorite long weekend was to Amsterdam.

But since you and your friend want to travel more in a southern direction, I would recommend the two weekend trips our visitors would always enjoy most.

Older guests (50's-60's always loved to go to the Swiss border and Lake Constance (Bodensee). We would stay in Konstanz, and always do a visit to the isle of Mainau for the gorgeous gardens.

Younger guests (teens and 20's) loved the Bavarian Alps. I'd start with Augsburg and Munich, and then head down to Berchtesgaden. See the Eagle's Nest, tour the Salt Mines, visit the castles, etc. (If you are in your twenties, and were traveling in winter, I'd say a ski resort instead!)

You're in for a great time! Enjoy!

Thanks for your great ideas.

The weekend in question will be after a 2 1/2 week bus tour which touches Swiss Alps, Montreux,Venice, Florence and Pisa, Salzburg and a little of Bavaria. I think my friend wants to show me something different. The Wine Road in Alsace sounds very interesting. So does Lake Constance and the salt mine thing. This is becoming more difficult rather than easier.