looking for back doors along Germany & East France route.

Baden-Baden doesn't do much for me, but the Murg Valley to the east is really nice. Drive or take a train ride from Rastatt to Freudenstadt for some nice scenery; continue south to Schiltach, a gorgeous town of half-timbered buildings. I recently stayed over in the pleasant town of Gernsbach, right where the river valley becomes very scenic - it's a great place for hiking. This is the northern Black Forest.

From Constance you can head to Freiburg and Colmar via the southern Black Forest route through Titisee and Hinterzarten, or take a more northerly route after Donaueschingen through the highest part of the BF - Triberg, Hornberg, Hausach - on the way to Strasbourg.

I'm not exactly sure how close you'll be but the Mosel River Valley is a great back door, my first trip to Europe was a cycling trip from Paris to Frankfort via Mosel from Trier to Koblenz, one of ricks earliest shows was on this area. Great small villages, German wine and one of the best castles in Europe!

Well, JS, Füssen is the southern "anchor" of the Romantic Road and between there and Lindau, on German Lk Konstanz, is the Oberallgäu, which is as close to Switzerland in appearance as anyplace in Germany. I would suggest anywhere in the Iller valley, from Immenstadt up to Oberstdorf. It's a great place for mountains and hiking. From Oberstdorf you can take the bus up into the Kleinwalsertal, a steep alpine valley which is part of Austria but isolated from it by the Alps. It's also an easy day trip by train with a Bayern-Ticket from there down to Lindau and Friedrichshafen.

I've spent four weeks (1 at a time there since 2000).

BTW, I also agree with Russ that the part of the Black Forest between Triberg and Freudenstadt is worth seeing.

I consider both of those places as "my" back doors. And, particularly in the Oberallgäu, don't expect to hear a lot of English.

You don't say what you like to do, and I don't believe in"must sees". But, personal highlights of mine in Burgundy include Vezeley (not a "back door" but stunning), the Fontenay Abbey (similarly), and a small town on the Serein river, Noyers.

The last of these is a true "back door:" a wonderfully preserved small town whose main attraction is itself. (I am grateful that Rick does not mention it in his books; I doubt it would survive.)

I hope you have a great trip.

Thank you to all who responded. I will ck into these suggestions as back door adventures.

Since you'll be traveling through the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg you might find Burg Hohenzollern, near Tuebingen worth a visit. It lies within the beautiful Swabian Alps. Also, Schloss Ludwigsburg in Ludwigsburg is well worth a visit. It's about 12km north of Stuttgart.

I think that Burg Hollenzollern, in Hechingen, would be a little out of your way. A better choice would be the southern castle of the Hollenzollern family in Sigmaringen, which is just a few km from Donaueschingen.

Anyway, the castle in Sigmaringen has a much older history. Although partially restored after a fire in the late 1800s, it is largely intact from centuries before. Burg Hollenzollern, in Hechingen, was built anew in the 1850s on the top of castle ruins from just after the 30 years war as an apartment for Kaiser Wilhelm I.

"I don't believe in"must sees". Thank you, Adam, I can't stand that term either. But to answer the question, in Burgundy, Dijon seems to get few foreign visitors... and I don't understand why. It's a delightful mix of the medieval, Baroque, and Belle Epoque. The main site of interest is the Ducal Palace, but I thoroughly enjoyed just walking through the winding streets and soaking in the cafe scene.

Tom's suggestion about Dijon is reasonable, but I would add one (biased) caution. Dijon has many charms but they are dispersed, indeed it's a sort of sprawling place.

So it might be a candidate if you can spend a few days there. I found my own 24-hour stay unsatisfying.

If you do go, read some MFK Fisher before hand.

I would not miss Baden-Baden which is the at the end of the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse in the northern Black Forest. Beautifull driving too.
Baden-Baden has a breathtaking baroque casino, many belle epoque buildings and a several spas with thermal waters (Caracalla Therme and Friedrichsbad)Please consult www.Baden-Badn.de