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Where to visit in SW Germany?

Hello! We are a family of four adults and one toddler who will travel next fall to Germany. We have visited Trier, Freiburg and other cities and very much enjoyed the Mosel and Rhine regions. Now, we have the opportunity to return and we want to find a place to stay for two weeks--taking day trips occasionally--to relax but also explore. Relaxing but with enough access to cafes, sightseeing, views, etc. We are open and appreciative of any tips!

If you had two weeks, where in Germany would you spend it?

Posted by
32732 posts

will you have access to a car, or will you be on trains, buses and trams?

Posted by
6632 posts

Welcome to the forum. A few more details would be good. I assume you're looking mostly at Baden-Württemberg and Rheinland-Pfalz. Which "other cities" have you visited previously in this area? And will you do outings by train or by car? If it's by train, you'll want to pick a base town that not only suits you generally but also makes those day trips convenient. Local/regional train trips are free of charge to visitors who book in certain Black Forest towns (including Gengenbach, a well-liked place that pops up a lot on this forum. ) Gengenbach is on the scenic Black Forest Railway, which cuts through the Black Forest region on its way toward Lake Constance (Swiss border.) And in normal years, G'bach has a September wine festival.

https://www.nuernbergluftbild.de/luftbilder/2476-gengenbach-im-schwarzwald-altstadt-luftbild
https://www.pfeffermuehle-gengenbach.de/files/gengenbach-innenstadt.jpg
https://bollehood.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Schwarzwaldbahn1.jpg
https://www.veranstaltung-baden-wuerttemberg.de/images/gross/Weinfest_Gengenb_Feste1531.jpg

From G'bach you'd have numerous outdoor activities at hand as well as several good day trip destinations. A few of those:

Gutach (Vogtsbauernhof open air museum) and the summer-sled-ride next door (in German but the pics tell all.)
Triberg
Schiltach
Europapark
Strasbourg, FR
Baden-Baden
Rothaus Brewery tour

Posted by
3950 posts

Since you ask for SW Germany I’d recommend any of a number of lake towns on the east side of Lake Constance. They are well connected by train, bike and pedestrian paths and highways. There is mountain and vineyard hiking nearby. Ferries crisscross the lake all day. The snow capped Alps are at the south end of the lake. There are parks, waterfalls and nature preserves including the spectacular Island Mainau. All of the towns on the north and east side of the lake are in Baden Wurttemberg except Lindau which is in Bavaria, on the Austrian border.

Posted by
32732 posts

I like the area around and in Stuttgart. Only problem is a car in Stuttgart - traffic is pretty bad but the public transport has its own routes so is much less affected by it. Esslingen is great, and parking is possible but not cheap. Lots of good stuff, especially at the castle and in the centre. Tübingen is great, university town, but quite steep in parts, great river if not overrun by the students on a hot day, parking out of town or an expensive parking building in town.

Is the Pfalz too far north for you? If not I have some suggestions there too...

Posted by
2398 posts

I really like Gengenbach, mentioned by Russ. I stay here
www.urlaub-ratskanzlei.de Great apartment overlooking market square. Built in 1699.

I would do a week each in two different towns.

Posted by
245 posts

Don't overlook sneaking over the border to Strasbourg, Colmar, and the Alsatian wine route. It was Germanic until Louis XIV took it over, with the historic tug of war since. German architecture and town names are everywhere but with French flair. It is a delightful area.

Posted by
864 posts

I don't think of Trier as SW Germany; to me that's the West. And I like the area there down to Metz. But to me if you want to go SW that's best around Basel/Konstanz. You should also be aware that the area around Kaiserslautern/Heidelberg/Karlsruhe has been the most "American" part of Germany since WWII due to the large concentration of troops stationed there. While those numbers are only a portion of the 300,000 that used to be stationed around there, the continual presence in the area has had an impact. If nothing else, almost everyone speaks English.

Allow me to suggest Freiburg, which would give you access to Colmar, Mulhouse, and Basel, plus the Vosges if you prefer walking in the woods. Or, a little further East, Ulm, which is often overlooked. What I like about Ulm, other than the city itself, is it's location. It's an hours drive from the Alps, Munich, Augsberg, Konstanz, and so much of Germany.