UPPER
RHINE VALLEY
Where Alsace Meets the Black Forest
Where
the mighty Rhine River flows from Switzerland, dividing France from
Germany, the area known as the Upper Rhine Valley is located right
in the center of Europe, dividing the Black Forest of southwest Baden-Wurttemburg
from the Vosges Mountains of Alsace and the wine regions of the Palatine.
This region has long attracted visitors who love art, culture and amazing
food for centuries – Goethe stayed here on his travels to Italy,
Lord Byron and Percy & Mary Shelley wrote of the remarkable scenery
on their travels (see Follow the Rhine By Rail). The Upper Rhine Valley
is a compact region of diverse landscapes and cultural traditions, embracing
a special mix of the German and the French, with the Swiss influence.
Driving from one stunning highlight of the many cities and villages on
both sides of the Rhine valley to the next rarely takes more than ten
to fifteen minutes and offers some of the most temperate weather in this
part of Europe.
Known
as the sunniest part of Germany, famed for its brief and relatively
mild winters and warm temperatures from April to October, this is one
of the continent’s most beautiful and fertile regions. Dark forests,
lush green meadows, blooming orchards, grape vineyards and vegetable
gardens mingle with sedate villages and historical towns with their traditional
half-timber houses and ancient churches. Explore the lively farmers markets
offering exquisite cheeses, fragrant fresh baked bread from the region,
and locally produced fruit, juices and vegetables, and discover the unique
cuisine, fusing the heritage of its historically mixed cultures. Sample
the traditional local area pizza-like dish called “Flammen Kuchen” in
German or “Tarte Flambée” on the French side of the
river.
The
Upper Rhine region is home to unique exhibitions from dolls (see Basel
Doll Museum) to Black Forest crafts (see Glass
Blowing Hut)
and Steam Trains (see France
National Rail Museum), opera houses and
theaters presenting world renowned performers. Museums with collections
of both contemporary and classical art, famous historic buildings like
the Gothic cathedrals in Freiburg, Basel and Strasbourg (see Pointed
Saints), medieval fortresses like Haut Koenigsbourg (see Castle
Haut Konigsbourg) in Alsace and beautiful Rotteln (see Castle
Rotteln)
near the German border with Switzerland, Roman settlements like Augusta
Raurica
near
Basel, or the famously luxurious
traditional historic spa city of Baden-Baden with its stunning casino,
Kur Palace, golf courses and elegant horse races. Stay in a quaint auberge
along the Alsace Wine Road (see Alsace
Wine Auberge), sleep in a wine barrel in the middle
of a vineyard over-looking the Rhine River Valley (see Sasbachwalden
Wine
Barrel Sleeping), or learn
the secrets to making Black Forest Cake.
The
Upper Rhine Valley is easy to reach by air, via Stuttgart (see United
to Stuttgart) or the Euro Airport, by train on the TGV of France (see France
TGV Tours) or ICE of Germany (Germany
High Speed ICE), though is perhaps
best explored by car. The region is an ideal destination for hikers,
golfers and bikers as well as river cruise passengers on the Rhine. War
buffs will find the history of the region full of rich remnants of its
past as the gateway across Europe for would-be conquerors (see Maginot
Line and Wilhelm’s
Fortress).
Getting There
Rail
lines traverse the Rhine valley on both the German side (DB),
and the French (SNCF). Rail tickets can be
purchased from the individual countries’ railways. If traveling
by Rail Pass (see Eurail
Rail Pass), Basel in Switzerland is a little
unique, in that the railway station has two sides, one is Swiss and
the other end is technically France, so does not need Switzerland included
in a pass if traveling via the French side. The Euro Airport is technically
divided between the three countries. Renting a car can be in either
of
France, Switzerland or Germany, but all really from the essentially
same terminal. The Euro Airport is served by several discount European
airlines
(see Cheap
Airfares). © Bargain
Travel Europe
Special
Deals from Rail Europe
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See Also:
RENTING
A CAR IN EUROPE
EUROSTAR
CHUNNEL FROM LONDON TO PARIS
BADEN-BADEN IN THE BLACK FOREST
