Germany - Reichenbach im Vogtland

Lubitsch already gave you the name of the station you have to look for on the Bahn website ("Reichenbach(Vogtl) ob Bf" is the one).

To be honest, I was wondering the same thing. Do you have any West German destinations you are particularly interested in, or why aren't you focussing on East Germany altogether? You'll be near amazing towns like Dresden, Meißen, Erfurt - seems like a shame not to visit those.

You might also consider visiting Berlin and Prague if you want to add some larger cities to that. (Editing to add: Within ten days, make that an "or" instead of an "and". Can't comfortably do both big cities plus the smaller ones within that time.)

For ten days only, I think you'll enjoy your trip so much more if you don't waste too much time on traveling long distances for things you might as well see nearby.

Reichenbach im Vogtland lies on the railway line between Hof (Bayern/Bavaria) and Zwickau (Sachsen/Saxony). There is an RE (Regional Express) train every hour in either direction. Near Reichenbach is the Göltzschtal Brücke (Göltzschtal Viaduct), a wonder of the early railway age. You cross it by train when coming from Hof. There are 52 Reichenbachs all over Germany, so it is very important to specify which Reichenbach you mean. The Vogtland is a region in the former DDR (East Germany) on the border to Bavaria.

Sachsen with neighbouring Sachsen-Anhalt is indeed an underrated region in Germany, where you can easily spend your 10 days. Close to the already mentioned Erfurt you'll find Gotha and Weimar. Naumburg, Weissenfels and Merseburg make a good day trip from Leipzig, which would make an excellent base. Leipzig is a nicer city than many imagine, and it's only 1,5 hrs on an hourly train from Reichenbach.
Correction: I forgot the state of Thüringen. Erfurt and surroundings are situated there.

"...an underrated region in Germany...." How true! Certainly off the North American tourist radar. I heartily recommend too Naumburg an der Saale and Weimar, two of Germany's numerous great cultural cities. In 2009 I spent a week-end in Magdeburg...interesting, worth it.

The North American tourist radar which for many seems to be limited to Munich, Neuschwanstein, Rothenburg and the castles along the Rhine. The country has so much to offer.

The North American tourist radar which for many seems to be limited to
Munich, Neuschwanstein, Rothenburg

... * great big sigh * ;-)

How true that the North American tourist radar is limited to those places! Admittedly, I went to see Rothenburg od Tauber, once, mainly because everyone was going as it was free when I went as a day trip from the the DJH hostel in Nürnberg in 1973 but never to Füssen and Neuischwanstein...not interested.

No need to be ashamed of having visited those places. I've been to Rothenburg myself (... with Japanese friends whose guide book told them to go there. Talk about Japanese tourist radar!), and sure, it's a picturesque town and everything, though I could do without the crowds and without a torture museum.

What we don't appreciate is that all American tourists crowd to Rothenburg and Neuschwanstein and then think they've seen Germany. Well, they haven't. They have seen the originals of what Mr. Disney has been showing them as "Germany".

Also, what we don't appreciate is reading "Germany" all the time when what people really mean is "Bavaria". Guess where I first heard of Oktoberfest as a teenage kid: on my first visit to the U.S.. Had never heard of it before here in Northern Germany. (Things have changed since... even Northern German towns are celebrating some kind of Oktoberfest nowadays...) For 90% of all posts, you might as well rename this forum section.

Not meaning to hijack this thread, but since we have done our best to answer the OP's questions, and the OP hasn't shown up again yet or posed any more questions, I would think this small detour is o.k..

First of all, thank you all so much for the information you've provided...including the questions regarding my plans. It made me look into this further, as I knew I would need to, and determined that in fact, I did have the wrong Reichenbach. I believe someone mentioned there were more than one, and in fact, there are 58 according to a website I found.

It turns out that the Reichenbach I am interested in is Reichenbach an der Fils in the Baden area just east of Stuttgart. Having said that, my question remains, is anyone aware of public transportation to this somewhat small village?

Again, we are just starting to make plans but the flight has been scheduled. We arrive on September 9 and leave on September 18 (late). We definitely plan on using trains. Our interests lay primarily in historical buildings, sites and scenery. We are not into shopping though we do enjoy good meals. I appreciate the suggestions provided so far and look forward to other suggestions. I will also be doing my due diligence and researching both this forum and other sources to help me get this trip planned.

Danke!

determined that in fact, I did have the wrong Reichenbach

Oh my goodness, how fortunate that you found out in time!

is anyone aware of public transportation to this somewhat small
village?

Well, sure, the Bahn website lists it as "Reichenbach(Fils)", plus a million other stops in that town, probably bus stops. Your easiest way to find out which one you need would probably be asking at your hotel or your hosts.

Since you're not telling us where you are coming from, it's kind of difficult to get the correct connection for you. Just for the fun of it, I entered Stuttgart as a starting point, and the Bahn website comes up with a 30 or 45 minute connection by train or by train and bus.

ya, just as well to find out now. The new location is really easy to get to by train. Where are you flying into?

There's all sorts of neat stuff in that part of B-W.

If you like historical sites and scenery it might be worth staying in Esslingen an der Neckar, which is the nearest largish town to Reichenbach an der Fils. Stuttgart is the nearest big city, but it's almost entirely rather unattractive modern buildings due to the level of destruction during WWII.

If you have learned a bit of German, btw, don't be surprised if you don't understand much of what people say in that part of Germany. They have a strong dialect (Swabian), and it gets worse as you move away from Stuttgart up the Alb. Even we Germans from other parts of the country struggle when they speak fast among each other.

Nice area for tourism and sightseeing though.

So - Reichenbach(Fils) has a train station. You intend to explore by train. I would be sure to visit Esslingen and Tübingen. Stuttgart may have certain attractions that interest you as well. The Neckar River towns are interesting and easy to reach by train. Besigheim, Bad Wimpfen, and several other towns also offer up the sort of architecture you sound interested in.

Besigheim: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Besigheim-altstadt.jpg
Bad Wimpfen: https://www.orte-bw.de/grafik/uploads/1842_2010_1040.JPG

You will want this map of the train lines that surround you in the state of Baden-Württemberg:

https://www.bahn.de/p/view/mdb/pv/deutschland_erleben/baden-wuerttemberg/regionales/baden-wuerttemberg-ticket/2016/mdb_214079_20150622_sk_badenwuerttemberg_a2.pdf

One way to get around locally is to use the "MetropolTagesTicket" day pass. The 2-person pass costs €27/day. Travel on local/regional trains and buses is unlimited (with a weekday restriction that you travel after 9 am.) It covers the 9 travel zones on the green map you see on this page: https://www.metropolticket.de/die-metropolregion/

If you travel beyond these zones within Baden-Württemberg (see rail map above), get a different day pass (same trains/buses, same weekday 9 am rule.) Current price is €30/day for two:
http://www.v-s-b.de/en/tarife/bw-tickets.html

Do not pre-purchase these tickets online - the aren't refundable. Just buy them at the station on the day of travel from a ticket machine.

The Canstatter Volksfest (Stuttgart area Oktoberfest) opens Sept. 28 and will draw huge crowds into the Stuttgart area, FYI.

Thanks so much for all the advice and suggestions for travel. Particularly for Stuttgart versus Esslingen. I thought it might be easier to use Stuttgart as a base for a few days but I have already re-thought that. My husband is interested in the 2 car museums however, so we will spend some time there.

I know very little German but am hoping to pick up a bit more by the time we leave. Hopefully, it will be enough to get us around. I have friends from Germany who said most people speak English but I'm thinking its because they are from bigger cities.

We fly into Frankfurt, arriving at 6 AM. I know with jet lag, it won't be a long day but hoping to get the train to at least a good destination and do a bit of sightseeing that first day. Again, suggestions would be very much appreciated. I had thought Heidelberg but after reading some posts on this, not sure if that is the right choice.

Also, we had originally thought about taking one of those popular river cruises but felt that we wouldn't get a real taste of Germany but having said that, we would really like to take a scenic cruise somewhere for a few hours, evening or whatever. Ideas?

Russ, I plan on exploring all those links today too.

I cannot thank all of you enough for the bounty of information you've provided already. I actually was getting a little nervous about this wondering if I could put it together "on my own" but you all have given me confidence that I can do it. Thank you.

Heidelberg is not a bad choice - not too far away from the airport, relatively well-connected (usually one change of trains), and a beautiful town. You can spend a lot of time outside, as the best thing about Heidelberg are the views of the river and the old town; much better than spending the first day in a museum when you are tired after the long flight.
It is also in the same general direction as Stuttgart.

Did you buy your plane tickets yet? IF not, see if the airline participates in the Rail-and-Fly program. Then you can take any train from the airport train station for a low price (29 EUR per person or there about). Otherwise, the walk-up fare is 68 EUR per person. There are ICE trains direct from the airport to Stuttgart Hbf in about 1 hour 15 minutes. Frequent local connections to Esslingen and Reichenbach(Fils).

I have friends from Germany who said most people speak English but I'm
thinking its because they are from bigger cities.

Everyone born in West Germany after the war has at least learned some English in school. In small and untouristy towns, they may never have had the chance to practice and may not be anywhere near fluency, but you'll get along.

I had thought Heidelberg but after reading some posts on this, not
sure if that is the right choice.

Well, since Russ recommended the Neckar River towns - Heidelberg certainly is one of them!

And it's basically right on your way between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. No detour to speak of.

Also, we had originally thought about taking one of those popular
river cruises

Here's a very special kind of river "cruise" you can do in Tübingen. :-)

I believe Lufthansa does have a Fly/Rail program -- check it out!

If you spend a couple of days in Stuttgart, seeing the Mercedes museum, etc, there is the museum in a small place east of Stuttgart called Marbach am Neckar, take the S-Bahn from Stuttgart Hbf. The museum is about one of Germany's greatest literary figures (if you're interested in German lit) , Schiller, (of the Goethe and Schiller team), the Nationalmuseum.

On the car related places...if you intend to get a rental car, you're not really that far from Ludwigsburg, which is close to the car racing tracks in Hockenheim, if you want to drive out there to see that.

Reichenbach an der Fils is a small town with about 8,000 inhabitants southeast of Stuttgart. It lies on the main railway line between Stuttgart and Ulm/München (Munich). From Stuttgart Hbf (Hauptbahnhof/main station) there is an RB train (regional train) every half hour to Reichenbach. It takes about 30 minutes. Most, but not all of these trains go to Ulm. Reichenbach is the next stop after Plochingen. See https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en for sightseeing suggestions. There is a lot to see and do in and around Stuttgart. A good alternative to staying in Stuttgart is the pretty medieval town of Esslingen, which is about half way between Stuttgart and Reichenbach.
It's very easy to get to Reichenbach and Stuttgart from Esslingen. https://www.vvs.de You can use all means of public transportation with one ticket. Another very pretty destination is the university town of Tübingen. There are RE (regional express) trains every hour from Stuttgart and Esslingen to Tübingen. Tübingen is outside the Stuttgart region and therefore not included in the above information. Though being an industrial city Stuttgart is astonishingly green. Most of the industries are in the suburbs. The city center is surrounded by forests, vineyards and orchards. More than half of the area is green. Stuttgart culturally ranks among the best cities in Germany. There is always something going on.

Oh, we've even got a Stuttgart specialist on the forum, how lucky for the OP! :-)

(I must admit that I hear of Stuttgart mostly on the news about Stuttgart 21 and the Neckartor pollution issues. ;-) )

Yes, Lufthansa does participate in Rail&Fly. I believe you can even add it after the booking (which does not seem to be the case for all airlines). My information may be outdated, though; I haven't used Rail&Fly for a while.

Anna,
Stuttgart's problems are mainly due to the singular situation of its downtown lying in a valley basin with hills between 150 and 200 meters high on three sides. The basin is only open to the northeast. So there is little air exchange during various kinds of weather.
Stuttgart's topographical situation is very unlikely for a big city.

Greetings...

I am just overwhelmed by the response and all the wonderful suggestions and hints that have been provided. Already, there are suggestions that my husband and I have decided that we definitely need to include in our planning. I think having seen all these responses, our best bet is to concentrate on the Baden-Wurttemberg area. I know it may be overkill, but there just seems to be a lot there that is appealing to our type of travel. So, any other suggestions for this area, are welcomed.

I have done some research on towns and cities not affected too much with the bombing and I see that in addition to those mentioned, some others are in the area that may be worth a visit. Regensburg, Gottingen, Bamburg. Are there areas I should avoid as more tourist traps? I had looked at Trier as I know its one of the older cities (outside our target area a bit) but I'm concerned that any pleasure would be ruined by the amount of tourists.

And though I do appreciate the "punting" river cruise in Tubingen, I was thinking something a bit more traditional. I know there are a number of rivers in this area, can I assume that some of the larger towns have day cruises? I am thinking for sure, Heidelberg would. And I do think that is a good suggestion to stop there enroute since we literally will be going right past it from the airport.

We are flying a United airlines flight that I think is handled by Luftansa so I will look into the fly/rail option.

Again, thanks for all the neat ideas and I look forward to any others you can provide.

"Regensburg, Gottingen, Bamburg. Are there areas I should avoid as more tourist traps?"

Regensburg and Bamberg are in Bavaria, well outside Baden-Württemberg, but indeed both are well worth visiting. Tourists of course go there, but "traps" they certainly are not.

Göttingen is a nice university town further north in the state of Lower Saxony, but it's been too many years since I was there to comment on it. There are many nice old-world places in Lower Saxony and thereabouts:

https://www.deutsche-fachwerkstrasse.de/en/Routes_Cities/From-the-River-Elbe-to-the-Harz-Mountains.html

"I had looked at Trier as I know its one of the older cities (outside our target area a bit) but I'm concerned that any pleasure would be ruined by the amount of tourists."

It's popular but not overrun, and it's worthwhile if you have an interest in ancient Rome. But it's not one of those picture-perfect old-world Mosel River towns, and it's to the north in Rheinland-Pfalz. You might have a look at Cochem or Bernkastel, further downstream, for that sort of place. Cochem is easy to reach by train from Koblenz or from Trier. Bernkastel requires a bus from the Mosel River train line stop of Wittlich. You can find these towns on the map below:

http://mosel-reisefuehrer.de/images/Karten/MoKarte2003-e.jpg

Regensburg, Gottingen, Bamburg

If you plan on concentrating on Baden-Württemberg - which, IMO, is an extremely sensible idea - you're not anywhere near these places, or Trier, for that matter. Regensburg and Bamberg are in Bavaria, while Göttingen is way up north in Lower Saxony. So you may want to decide how much traveling you are willing to do or if you would prefer an in-depth look at Baden-Württemberg and stay in that area. Depending on what you are interested in, there should be more than enough for you to see right there.

Heidelberg definitely has very nice scenic day cruises going up the Neckar. Should be easy to find one.

Will you be driving at all while you are doing your research? If so I know the fabulous car wash - best I have ever seen in 50 years of driving - in Stuttgart.

Hi,

Again, thanks for the incredible suggestions once more (including the car wash!). I can see now that the distances on my "google map" screen can be misleading. I am convinced to explore the Baden area primarily and perhaps some of the eastern Rhineland state (again, hope I got that right). In looking at the maps, if we use Tubingen as a base either for the entire trip or a good part of it, that doesn't seem too far. Again, I apologize if I am way off on distances/train travel.

I think I'll be taking the information and suggestions provided already, and start to come up with a plan. At that point, I'll probably ask for opinions, suggestions and corrections to THAT plan!

Thanks again for all the help...I'm totally amazed at how generous everyone is with their time as well as humbled by the knowledge of travel in Germany.

I can see now that the distances on my "google map" screen can be
misleading.

Depends on the degree of magnification you're using. ;-) Just press the + button a couple of times, and it's going to be a lot less misleading. ;-)

Seriously though: Google Maps isn't such a bad starting point for first research. For precise train connections, better use bahn.de, but for getting an idea of what distances we are talking about, Google Maps is fine.

Just as an example, if you enter the route from Stuttgart to Trier, Google Maps will tell you it's approximately 300km (or 200 mi) and 3 1/2 hours by car. That's not within comfortable day trip distance so it would require a change of location. With packing, getting out of the hotel, getting settled in the new one etc., moving from Stuttgart to Trier is going to cost you half a day at least of your valuable vacation time, probably more.

Regarding using Tübingen as a base - that has both great upsides and one really significant downside. If you are driving - I'm not actually sure that that has been established - in addition to taking trains, you must be told that the Autobahn which runs east and west just below Stuttgart has some of the most infamous traffic jams - Stau in German - in Germany. I just add extra time in when going between Teck and the Rhine. I get a bonus of time back in the rare occasions when I don't slow down a lot or stop. To get from Tübingen to Reichenbach (Fils) I would take the highway up to the Autobahn and head east. It is just something to bear in mind.

Trains don't tend to get involved in the Stau.

Tübingen is a seriously cool place (especially cool if you fall in the river)!!

We stayed in Stuttgart as a travel base and enjoyed it. It is the area rail hub if you want to make several day trips: Tübingen, Ludwigsburg, Esslingen am Neckar, Schwäbish Gmünd, etc. We generally prefer staying in various towns rather than taking day trips. However, if you want a rail travel base, Stuttgart works. Hotels and restaurants aplenty.

Have a look at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuebingen with several links at the end.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm learning and exploring more every day.

One of the things I am confused on is the German train site. It appears very comprehensive (however, lacking in maps) but I get confused at all the options. Someone earlier had sent me an excellent train map of Baden-Wurttemberg with stations clearly designated. I see there is definitely a station for Reichenbach an der Fils. However, when I put the route info into the Deutsche Bahn site, it gives me a number of options for Reichenbach an der Fils. When I choose one randomly, and I look at the details, it has me taking a bus from a nearby town. How do I know if there is actually train service directly to a location? Will this become more apparent once we are there and can view the maps/destinations at the stations?

I appreciate the information on the regional pass. That is going to be a cost-saver for us, particularly if we stay in the Baden-Wurttemberg state for the majority of our 10 days.

when you get to the matrix put Stuttgart in the left box and Reichenbach(Fils) in the right one and push go. Both stations are the default. If you get a lot of choices jut pick the one with only the name of the town. Anything else is a bus stop. Then in the results click Details, then you can see a map and station details. Loads of information if you keep drilling down.

https://www.bahn.com This is the English site of Deutsche Bahn (DB).
Abbreviations: Hbf = Hauptbahnhof = main station, Bf = Bahnhof = station.
Umlauts: ä=ae, ö=oe, ü=ue.
The Germans use a 24 hour clock. E.g. 15 o'clock is 3 p.m.
Let's assume you stay in Tübingen and want to go to Reichenbach (Fils). Enter Tuebingen Hbf and Reichenbach (Fils).
It will say "Your input yielded several possible stops. Please select the desired stop." Take Bahnhof, Reichenbach an der Fils. All others are bus stops.
You will see there is an RE (Regional Express) train every hour at 37 past the hour. It takes 56 minutes. You have to change trains at Plochingen. Don't take other trains, because then riding on a bus from Plochingen to Reichenbach is involved and you don't arrive at Reichenbach station.
From Monday till Friday 7 - 19 (7 p.m.), Saturday 8 to 17 (5 p.m.) and Sunday 9 to 18 (6 p.m.) o'clock you can buy tickets and get advice from a real person. Tübingen is a town with visitors from countries all over the world. So speaking English won't be a problem.

"Our interests lay primarily in historical buildings, sites and scenery."

"We fly into Frankfurt, arriving at 6 AM. I know with jet lag, it won't be a long day but hoping to get the train to at least a good destination and do a bit of sightseeing that first day. Again, suggestions would be very much appreciated... we would really like to take a scenic cruise somewhere for a few hours, evening or whatever. Ideas?"

The cruise keeps popping up in your comments... I'm going to dare a sample outline for you based on my understanding of your expressed interests and your trip constraints.

Sep 9: Take it fairly easy - and do the best river cruise and Germany's most scenic train ride today. Catch one of the direct trains running every 15 minutes or so from FRA to Mainz Hbf (25-minute ride.) Reserve a room near the station (Königshof?) where you drop your bags, then board a train to Bingen (25 minutes away, the gateway to the Middle Rhine Valley) and get off at Bingen Rhein Stadt station. You should be able to catch the 10:30 cruise boat. Ride to St. Goar (1.5 hours) and you will have taken in the best scenery. It should be about noon now - have lunch in town then if you're feeling well enough, visit Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar (there's a terrace at the hotel next door to the castle where you could have lunch as well) and/or take the train 5 minutes south to Oberwesel for the wine festival that's in town that weekend (you can return by train to Mainz at any time from either Oberwesel or St. Goar.)

Sep. 10 or 11: Take the train to Heidelberg for the day (stow bags in station lockers.) In the p.m., take the train to Esslingen, which IMO is the best combination of train hub and type of town you seek for your week-long base-town stay (Esslingen is more central for your outings than Tübingen, I believe.) Day trips from there to Stuttgart, Tübingen, Reichenbach, Ludwigsburg, Schwäbisch Hall, Besigheim, and the other towns should work just fine. Do them according to your own pace and the conditions of the day.

You mentioned the "Eastern Rhineland" - not sure what places you have in mind, but the Middle Rhine Valley and Mainz are definite highlights in Rheinland-Pfalz. Have a look at Mainz and if it interests you, stay there on Sep. 10 as well for a look around. (Alternatively, you could catch a train there on Sep 17 for a day/night prior to your flight out of FRA.) Also, the city of SPEYER (Rheinland-Pfalz) is an interesting place that can be reached in under 2 hours from Esslingen.

Thanks for the response - Russ, an extra big thank you for the detailed information as well as the excellent suggestion. I have so much more peace of mind now organizing this trip and much more confidence in my choice of regions.

I also appreciate the information on the trains.

I'm going to continue to research the towns/sights in the area we've earmarked and again, if there are any special sights we shouldn't miss, give a shout out.

In the meantime, again, thanks for the wonderful suggestions, the instructions and even the pointing out my travel plan flaws. Russ, I am especially grateful for your assistance and research. I'll buy you a beer next time we are both in Germany!

Beer?? What are those September dates again?? :)

Once you get your plan together, you'll no doubt be puzzled by the train-ticketing ins-and-outs. Be sure to return here for tips prior to plunking down your hard-earned travel dollars.

Have a look at https://www.travelingigloo.com to learn a bit more about Stuttgart.
14 great reasons to visit Stuttgart (Germany)

I will add in my two cents for what they are worth.

If you are into cars, there is a small town south of Stuttgart called Böblingen. (It is where we stay when we are in the Stuttgart area.) There is a place called Motorworld. It is on an old air strip and is a place where people store their extremely nice cars and it is set up like a museum. My hubby and dad were like little kids in a candy store going through it. There is also a cool Biergarten there called

We love Tübingen, mainly as my hubby's family is from there. It is a fun little college town. We did do the punting. We left it to our relatives to punt, but it was so peaceful being on the River.

Esslingen was also really cool. We were there during December and they had a Middle Ages Market. So different and cool!

Right outside of Heidelberg is Neckargmünd. I stayed here during a 6 week summer abroad program in college. We did do a cruise from here. I don't know if it is still available or not.

Aalen is not too far from Esslingen. There is a really cool Romen Limes museum there. I did hear it was under construction, but I don't know how long that will be going on. The museum is in German, but they have headsets with an English translation.

Not too far from Aalen is Nördlingen. Which is a walled town that is almost a perfect circle. There was a meteor that crashed in the area and the town was built on the edge of the crater. We climbed the 400 plus steps to the top of the church. Totally worth it. There is a cat who lives at the top! There is a Crater Museum there - again in German, but if you ask the docent they have an English translation. This is one of the places that we were asked where we were from and the people asking were astounded that we were from the US and wanted to know how we had heard about it.

I know Aalen and Nördlingen are on the outer reaches of a day trip, but they are interesting, so I wanted to throw them in too.

Our next trip back to the area (for a family reunion) will be focused on Schwäbisch Hall and Schwäbisch Gmünd and Ludwigsburg. I am excited to explore these towns as the pics I have seen are so beautiful.

Schwäbisch Hall

yum.

Really like that town. If you see photos of the church and the hundreds (exag) of steps up to it, be aware that if you go around the right side you can sneak up on it and avoid the stairs....

Greetings to everyone who has helped me with my original post. I have been working on an itinerary and though I am far from finished, I have done a lot of research. Most of this has been based on the suggestions provided within this thread. I want to thank everyone for ideas & suggestions, particularly Russ with the detailed ideas for the start of our trip. I've found out a few things since my last posting regarding my family's heritage in Germany. It turns out that though there are now 28 Reichenbachs, at one point, there was even more. It appears that my family is from a Reichenbach near Karlsruhe which was merged in 1972 with 2 other small villages to form a new town named Waldbronn (town or area, its not clear). I knew my father referred to Karlsruhe but since it was in the vicinity somewhat, I didn't really concern myself with that. Furthermore, he also referred to Ettlingen. When I saw Reichenbach an der Fils east of Stuttgart and near what I think sounds like a totally enchanting town of Esslingen, I thought I had found it, thinking I wasn't understanding his pronunciation. But alas, not so. I do want to visit Waldbronn to see if I can find any remnants of my family there but most likely will just spend a day doing so. My question to all of you is, do I change my main base from the Esslingen area to the west closer to this area or do I just plan a day trip, possibly on our way south from Mainz/Heidelberg? We plan on spending the first 2-3 days in the Mainz, Speyer, Heidelberg area. We definitely do plan at least a day in Stuttgart also visiting the Mercedes Benz/Porshe museums. I've gotten pretty excited about Esslingen, Schwabisch Grund, Tubingen and other towns in that area. I know we are not talking a great deal of distance traveling between these areas, but I am not sure exactly what my gameplan should be now. Any help with this as well as any information on Waldbronn, Ettlingen or Karlsruhe would be helpful. If only my family had been better at recordkeeping!