Black Forest And Baden-Baden

Black Forest and Baden-Baden, 8 hours, rated 4.7 across 101 traveller reviews.

Overview

The meeting point is a single address, 17 Place de la Cathédrale in Strasbourg, and from there the day runs eight hours across the German border and back. An English-speaking driver/guide takes the shared group by minivan into Baden-Württemberg. First stop: Baden-Baden, a town that has drawn royalty, the rich and celebrities for centuries, seen on a two-hour guided walk that takes in the villas along the Lichtentaler Allee.

From Baden-Baden the route follows the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, pausing at viewpoints over the Upper Rhine Valley toward the Vosges. The lunch stop is Mummelsee, at 1,036 meters the largest, deepest and highest of the Seven Cirque Lakes, where two hours of free time are yours, with cured meats and Black Forest cake among the local options at your own expense. The return leg runs along the Badischerweinstrasse, Germany's longest wine route at more than 500 kilometers, with a 20-minute photo stop in Sasbachwalden, a vineyard village of flower-decked half-timbered houses.

The trip is shared and small-group, runs in English only, and needs a minimum of two adults to be confirmed. Bring a valid passport or ID card, since border checks between France and Germany have grown more frequent.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at the cathedralThe group gathers at 17 Place de la Cathédrale in central Strasbourg. There is no hotel pickup on this tour.
2. Drive into GermanyVan, 1 hour, crossing from France's Grand Est region into the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
3. Baden-Baden walking tourA two-hour guided walk through a town that has attracted royalty, the rich and celebrities for centuries, including the villas along the Lichtentaler Allee.
4. Scenic drive to MummelseeVan, 40 minutes along the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, with stops at viewpoints and belvederes over the Upper Rhine Valley toward the Vosges.
5. Free time at MummelseeTwo hours to yourself at the lake, the largest, deepest and highest of the Seven Cirque Lakes. Lunch is on your own here, with cured meats and Black Forest cake among the local options.
6. Drive to SasbachwaldenVan, 30 minutes along the Badischerweinstrasse, Germany's longest wine route at more than 500 kilometers, lined with small towns, villages and castles.
7. Sasbachwalden photo stopA 20-minute stop for photos and a short stroll among the flower-decked half-timbered houses of this vineyard village, a winner of a national flowering-of-the-villages contest.
8. Return to StrasbourgVan, 1 hour, ending back at 17 Place de la Cathédrale. During the Christmas period the drop-off is just outside the Grande-Ile district, with the exact address arranged with the guide.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points that will shape how the day goes.

• Bring your passport. This is the one document the listing insists on. Border controls between France and Germany have become more frequent, and every guest is asked to carry a valid passport or ID card for the crossings. Keep it on hand rather than buried in a bag.
• Budget for lunch. Meals and drinks are not included. The two hours of free time at Mummelsee act as the lunch break, and cured meats and Black Forest cake are the local options named in the listing, all at your own expense.
• Shoes for walking. Baden-Baden is covered on a two-hour guided walk, and Sasbachwalden adds a short stroll between half-timbered houses. One reviewer found the pace perfect, with free time plus walks that gave a sense of the places visited.
• Van and guides. Travel is by modern, comfortable, fully equipped minivan with an English-speaking driver/guide, on a shared small-group basis. Two reviewers commented on the comfort of the van and the transportation conditions, and the guides' knowledge comes up again and again in traveller reports.
• Weather planning. The tour runs rain or shine. A good share of the scenery is taken in from belvederes along the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, and the lake sits at 1,036 meters, so a warm layer is a sensible addition.
• Christmas drop-off change. During the Christmas period the return ends just outside the Grande-Ile district rather than at the cathedral square, with the exact address settled with the guide. Plan the last leg of your evening around that.

Common issues. The tour is only confirmed once at least two adults have booked, so the trip depends on minimum numbers. Entrance fees, meals, drinks, insurance and gratuities are all extra. The listing advises against the tour for people with limited mobility; one reviewer's family managed with a knee scooter but found long staircases a difficulty. Another reviewer wished for more time at the lake given the distances between stops, and eight hours on the road makes for a long day.

Common Questions