Alsace/Black Forest - Base Camp (Obernai) vs.Moving Bases?

In June the sun will be up at 0500, and it will be light out until 2200. I think you can do this, but the days will be long. What I don't understand is why you're driving halfway across Germany (4+ hrs each way) to Rothenberg. There are towns between Gegenbach and Heidelberg that are just as attractive; Freinsheim, Deidesheim, Annweiler, Wissembourg, Grosskarlbach, Neckargemund, etc. From RodT it makes more sense to go north towards Wurzburg and then follow the river into Frankfurt vs. going back to Heidelberg.

Do not plan your driving based on Google maps. In June you have to deal with higher tourist traffic and peak road repairs.

I don’t understand spending two back-to-back days in and near the Black Forest, but spending the night in Colmar or Obernai. Why not spend that night in Gengenbach or Freiburg? I’m sure KGC knows what they’re talking about in terms of Rothenburg.

It all sounds a bit rushed to me. “Do-able” with those changes, but still rushed. Too much car time and not enough being there time.

I’d think you would want 2 or 3 full days BF and 3 or 4 full days Alsace to see those two regions alone. But your two days BF include a lot of driving outside of it. And you have just two full days in Alsace. You only have 5, since days 1 & 7 are travel days.

If you can’t add a day or two … What about

3 nights Obernai. (Days 2 and 3) One day for Strasbourg. One day for Route de Vin. Skip Colmar, unless you keep Colmar and skip Strasbourg. (I have the sense you really want to photograph Strasbourg’s cathedral in good light or at night.)

Day 4 - leave Obernai in morning for 2 nights in Gengenbach. One full day in BF (Day 5) and one day (Day 6) from Gengenbach up through more BF and then to Heidelberg or wherever you spend the night before your departure day #7.

One more thought - If you can leave on a Friday afternoon or eve and arr FRA Saturday as Day #1 and leave a week later on Sunday, then your departure day is Day #9. If that works for you, you gain a lot. You can enjoy visiting more and rushing around less.

LATE NOTE. KGC is certainly right about drive times. This past September, we drove from Mainz to Geislingen-an-der-Steige (between Stuttgart and Ulm) at autobahn speeds that ranged from -0- km/h to 140 km/h. Probably averaged about 70 km/h.

Option 3: Stay in Obernai 5 nights; lots to do and see from there. Take the direct train to Strasbourg.

I'm a big fan of Rothenburg but it's a few hours out of the way, and Heidelberg is not unmissable for me. On day 6 catch a couple of the smaller locations KGC mentions; Wissembourg and Freinsheim would be my choices, then make your way closer to FRA.

Another idea is to leave early and head straight to Eltville, a lovely little spot on the Rhine – Kloster Ebernach up the hill, Rudesheim close by. It might add 15 minutes or so to your drive that day but you'll be close to the airport on day 7.

I’d change hotels every couple days to cut down on day trip driving to and from. You’d be closer to the places you want to photograph giving you more time for the right light or whatever. It’s all personal preference.

I agree with those who say you should be spending more days in the Black Forest. It makes no sense to do all of your commutes from the Alsace. Option 1, Day 4 just makes me cringe. It would be a very long day. My vote would be to use Gengenbach as a Schwartzwald base, just because it's such a charming town and I love it, but really it depends on where you want to go in the Black Forest as to what you should make your base. Freiburg might work better.

To reiterate, stay in the Alsace and see everything you want to see there, then move to the Black Forest and explore that area, and then head up to Rothenburg or whatever other place you like. 😊

Thanks for all wonderful and useful comments.
Let me see, what I can change as per suggestions. Appreciate your efforts.

I'm glad you're planning on visiting the Black Forest and are interested in photography-- Golden Hour light on the Black Forest is something really special. The reason the Black Forest is "black" is because it's almost exclusively a conifer forest. As the light shifts from the golden hour to the blue hour, the slopes take on almost an opalescent quality as the firs absorb or reflect the light, going from a shimmering brightness to sort of an inky deep cobalt hue. I live on the outskirts of the greater Freiburg area, I can see the Black Forest from my window, and every day the mornings and evening light on the mountains fills me with awe.

Here is what you are going to do.

You are going to spend one or more nights in a small town called Waldkirch which is located near Freiburg, but sits right on the edge of the Black Forest. Waldkirch itself is a very affluent town, past and present, and you'll find plenty of beautiful architecture and nice shops and good restaurants and bakeries. It's completely walkable, and there's a train that runs direct to Freiburg if you want. There's a hotel there I've used before called Zum Storchen-- it's relaxed and modern and homey and reasonably priced, and it's where my relatives stay whenever they come visit me.

In the Black Forest not far above the city, there's a ruined castle called Kastleberg. You can start out at your hotel and walk up to it in half an hour. From there you have panoramic views of the Black Forest, and the rest of the region. Hike there in the morning, hike there in the evening. If you like hiking, you can continue on with the Four Castles Trail: https://www.blackforest-highlights.com/poi/detail/der-vierburgenweg-152f9c9506

For more Black Forest nature opportunities in the vicinity, you'll be staying at the town which has the best access to Kandel, one of the tallest peaks in the Black Forest, and it has panoramic views from its peak and many, many hiking trails. This is where everyone from Freiburg goes to do their winter sports, and there's plenty of parking, signage, etc.

Anyway, enjoy!

Strasbourg to Obernai is fine for a day trip. But Colmar deserves its own evening light. The old town at dusk with the canals is half the reason photographers go. Don't shortchange it.