My husband and I will be traveling to France in March to visit our daughter who is studying in Strasbourg this semester. We will have a car and would like to take her with us into Germany for 3 days/2 nights. I am very familiar with France but I'm at a loss on what is realistic to see in Germany in this short amount of time. Ludwig's castles are a definite thought. My husband collects Black Forest carvings and wants to at least drive through there. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
According to ViaMichelin, the drive time from Strasbourg to Füssen is almost 4 hours each way. So it's eight hours RT to see the castles. There are better things to see close by.
Although some people pan it, I really like the Black Forest, especially the northern part. I'm not particularly fond of Baden-Baden, but there are some spa towns deeper into the Black Forest that are worth visiting. The Schwarzwaldbahn, the rail link from Offenburg to Donaueschingen (better viewed from a train) is very scenic.
I'm not real enthusiastic about Heidelberg, but some people like it, and it is a short distance from Strasbourg.
The middle-Rhein is not far and very much worth the time to visit.
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
"Ludwig's castles" - the best known (Neuschwanstein) is a late 19th-century palace with a faux castle exterior; all are palaces a LONG drive from Strasbourg. Amazing palaces can be found much closer to Strasbourg and the Black Forest.
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg on Tripadvisor
Schwetzingen (near Heidelberg)
Schwetzingen on Tripadvisor
Hohenzollern
Hohenzollern website
Hohenzollern on Tripadvisor
The Black Forest has some really nice old-world towns:
Schiltach
Haslach
Gengenbach
Gutach and the Vogtsbauernhof Open-air Museum
Calw (near Stuttgart)
Other great places:
Tübingen
Bad Wimpfen (Neckar River, near Heidelberg)
Burg Guttenberg Castle (falconry show, on the Neckar River)
With 3 days a travel loop to several of these places might interest you.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you for the suggestions! This is very helpful and definitely gives me some direction in narrowing down where we will visit and explore. There's never enough time, but there's always the next trip!
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA, USA
419 posts
If your husband likes wood carvings, make sure you go to Oberammergau.
Many shops with fantastic carvings.