Since we visited Strasbourg and Breitnau during our Rhine cruise in 2007, we’ve always wanted to go back and tour the region in greater detail. This plan does that in a week and a half.
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Fly to FRA | Arrive in FRA Freiberg | Freiberg | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Freiberg | Freiberg | Freiberg | Freiberg to Strasbourg | Strasbourg | Strasbourg to Mainz | Mainz |
| 11 | ||||||
| Fly home from FRA |
Day 1
Lufthansa has a non-stop flight to Frankfurt.
Day 2 – Arriving in the morning we’d pick up a rental car and drive approx 3 hours south to the Black Forest border town of Freiburg. We’ll be making 1 stop on the way for lunch at Speyer.
We can’t miss a visit to the Speyer Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Stephen, is the world’s largest surviving Romanesque church. Its huge triple-naved vaulted basilica is the central element in a design that greatly influenced Romanesque architecture in the 11th and 12th centuries. Its fully-preserved crypt is also the largest Romanesque columned hall in Europe. Size really does matter in Speyer Cathedral. Apart from the largest body-count of Holy Roman Emperors and kings under the high altar, it boasts the monster Cathedral Bowl outside the main door. With a capacity of 1,560 litres, every new bishop has had to fill it with wine as a gift to the people. After our visit to the Cathedral we can walk around or have a seat a a local cafe for lunch.
After our stop in Speyer we head the rest of the way to our southern basecamp in Freiburg im Breisgau, a vibrant university city in southwest Germany’s Black Forest, is known for its temperate climate and reconstructed medieval old town, crisscrossed by picturesque brooks (bächle). In the surrounding highlands, hiking destination Schlossberg hill is linked to Freiburg by a funicular. With a dramatic 116m spire, the Gothic cathedral Freiburg Minster towers over the central square Münsterplatz.
We’ll be staying at the Courtyard Marriott a modern hotel just a few min walk to the Münsterplatz.
Day 3 – Freiburg
+ Titisee – Ravenna Bridge
Day 4 – A drive north
3.5 hrs driving
Mummelsee – Allerheiligen
Last stop as we head out of the Black Forest is an amazing Winery called Weingut Markgraf von Baden at Schloss Staufenberg. A beautiful winery in the foothills of the Black Forest at the site of the ruins of a Castle just seems like a moment not to be missed. A glass of wine sitting out on the patio with views for miles.
Day 5 – Drive to Colmar
Day 6 – Colmar
Eguisheim – Settled by the Senones tribe, and made a center for wine-cultivation by the Romans, the village of today didn’t develop until the 11th century when the Dukes of Alsace built here a castle here. The village hasn’t changed much since the Middle Ages, with its well-preserved half-timbered houses dating back to the town’s foundation. The brightly-colored houses are complemented by bursts of blooming flower, which has earned the village the France’s highest award for town garden planting. The Rue du Rempart Sud, which follows the town’s old moat, now circles the entire medieval center and is a great way to experience the town’s charm. In the Place du Chateau, along with with the colorful chateau, church, houses, and fountain visitors will find a family of nesting storks.
Day 7 – Freiburg to Strasbourg
Neuf-Brisach
Kaysersberg – In the 13th century, the fortified settlement of Castrum Keisersberg was established along the route that connected the Rhine plain and Lorraine. By the 14th century, Kaysersberg had become a free imperial city, though gradually fell into obscurity after passing to the French in the 17th century. Today, traditional half-timbered houses still line the river that runs through the town. Much of the town dates from the 16th century, including the fortified stone bridge spanning the Weiss river. The Church Sainte-Croix was built between the 13th and 15th centuries, and has retained its Romanesque facade. After enjoying the historic towers, ramparts, and mansions, visitors can sit down at a cafe to enjoy the town’s signature wine: Tokay, which is believed to have been brought from Hungary in the 16th century.
Riquewihr – Dating back to the ancient Romans, Riquewihr flourished as a fortified village in the Middle Ages, and miraculously escaped World War II unscathed. Now listed as one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’, the village looks much as it did in the 17th century, complete with fortified walls, colorful half timbered houses, and lots of flowers. On Rue du General de Gaulle, the main street, visitors can stop at the Tourist Office for a map. However many of the most interesting buildings are on the same street. Attractions not on the main street include the 13th century Dolder tower, part of the town’s original fortifications. In front of the Dolder is ‘the fountain of gauging’, which was used to check the capacity of wine barrels. The Thieves Tower is pentagonal on the outside and square on the inside, and still has a torture chamber inside.
Finally we arrive in Strasbourg France. We’ll be staying in the old town on the island at the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île, just a 1/3 mi from the famous Strasbourg Notre Dam Cathedral. I’m always going to pick the hotel with a purple theme. That this one also has underground parking for our car is a bonus.
Day 8 – Strasbourg
Cathedral, Canal Cruise
Dinner – La Cloche à Fromage
Try perfectly cooked cheese fondue, raclette and blue cheese. The cooks here prepare good parfait, che and cheesecakes. Drink delicious pinot grigio, cordial or Kir, it’s a must when visiting this place. Come here and have great latte.
The warm atmosphere of this spot makes customers feel relaxed and have a good time. The positive aspect of this restaurant is that the staff is friendly. Spectacular service is something clients appreciate here.
Day 9 – Strasbourg to Mainz
Today we relocate to our last stop, Mainz, Germany. Straight thru the drive is about 3 hours but on the way we’ll make a few stops.
From Oudenkirk we’ll head to north to Karlsruhe Palace, we can either stop for a photo or decide to go in and visit the Palace. The palace forms the axis with 32 streets and avenues shooting out into the city of Karlsruhe, hence its nickname of ‘Fan City’. The palace was built in 1715 and Karlsruhe soon grew around it. By German standards, the city is still relatively young and is regarded as more liberal than most with a reputation for encouraging art and culture to flourish. The palace is surrounded by immaculately maintained gardens and forestry at the back.
At the top of every visitor’s list is the symbolic heart of the city — the red-sandstone Heidelberg Castle, which is consistently voted by foreign visitors as the top tourist attraction in Germany. Visitors can wander the grounds and from the castle walls, marvel at the views of the Old Town that never fail to thrill. The Old Town itself is a must see in order to sample the charms of the elegant churches, picture book lanes, and alleyways set against the backdrop of the beautiful Neckar River. This area of the city also contains the longest pedestrianized shopping strip in Germany. Slightly out from the center, but no less impressive is Philosophers’ Way, the name given to the path just above the city that allegedly inspired the philosophers of old. The path offers fabulous views and is often described as ‘peaceful, romantic and beautiful, a place to commune with nature’.
At the end of our journey we reach our hotel in Mainz, the Mainz Hilton.
The Mainz Old Town isn’t incredibly large and is just a short walk from the hotel. Once we drop off our luggage we can take a walk and explore the city.
After our walk around town we’ll find a restaurant to take a rest and have a good meal with good wine (as we are in the German Wine Region). Heiliggeist is just off the main square. Its a converted old church that makes a great background for a good evening. It also has a great courtyard for outside seating as well.
Day 10 – Mainz
Today we take a wine tour. Bordering on the outskirts of Mainz the vineyards of Rheinhessen and Rheingau are perfectly located for a great day out with visits to some of the most dynamic winemakers. You will taste not only beautiful Rieslings but also fantastic examples of Silvaner, Pinots, Chardonnay.
Day 11 – Fly home
Organized Travelers 