Any suggestions for charming towns to visit on a day trip from Strasbourg France? Looking for a place that will have charm, shops, a good lunch spot, and let me travelling companion get a German feel. As this will be their first trip to Europe, spending an afternoon in Germany is on their wish list. I know it's not much time, but it's what we have to work with. Positive suggestions?
Posted by
Paradise
7072 posts
Gengenbach is an old-world town near Offenburg at the edge of the Black Forest with partially intact wall and towers and plenty of half-timbered buildings.
http://www.staedte-fotos.de/1200/gengenbach-schoenes-fachwerk-am-marktplatz-57082.jpg
http://www.der-ortenauer.de/ortenauer_bildarchiv/gengenbach/gengenbach_082008_022.jpg
http://www.reiseerlebnisfuehrer.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Gengenbach-Engelgasse.jpg
I would suggest combining a visit there with an outing to the Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum in Gutach, where the history of the Black Forest comes to life.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
I was about to suggest somewhere on the "route du vin d'Alsace", then I read "German feel. .... afternoon in Germany".
The obvious choice is then Freiburg im Breisgau. Easy to get to from Strasbourg. A train gets you into the centre, by car you need to find parking, probably a "park and ride".
Strasbourg, and Alsace in general, has a certain German feel. It was originally German speaking and different parts have changed back and forth at different times. Strasbourg itself was German until 1681, French until 1870, German until 1918, French until 1940, German until 1944 and French since then.
Posted by
Columbus, USA
346 posts
About 35 mins north of Strasbourg France is a little village in France calls Soufflenheim. There is some of the most beautiful pottery I have ever seen. I know it is not Germany, but I wanted to throw it out there too. Links to our favorite stores are: http://www.alsace-poterie.fr/ and http://www.alsace-poterie.com/. We only had a little time there. It won't take you long to go through. I want to go back in the worst way!