Black Forest, Alsace & the Moselle

3 days · 3 driving roads · 133 miles of them · best May–October

Three ridge and river days on the way south. The B500 Hochstraße from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt, then the Alsace wine route from Obernai to Colmar, then the Moselle's B53 from Trier to Zell. Sleep in Baden-Baden or Freudenstadt, then Colmar. A civilised first course before the Alps. It is a civilised first course before the Alps, or a long weekend on its own if you are coming via Strasbourg rather than pushing south.

Getting there

⛴ Eurotunnel Le Shuttle — Eurotunnel, about 36 min, up to 4/hour. Check sailings.

Worth knowing: Sunday in Germany still means empty roads and shut shops — fill up on Saturday. The B500 is a tourist ridge road, not a pass; coaches at Mummelsee from ten. Alsace villages are 30 km/h and cobbles. The Moselle B53 is a wine road with cyclists in harvest season. Vignette not needed in Germany; France wants a breathalyser kit in the car. Fuel is easy.

The roads, in order

1. Black Forest High Road B500 · Baden-Baden → Kniebis / Freudenstadt · 37 mi · 1 h ⛽ Aral Lange Straße · ☕ Zur großen Tanne · 📷 Mummelsee · 🍽️ Berghotel Mummelsee · ⛽ AVIA Retro-Tankstelle Kniebis
2. Route des Vins d'Alsace D35 (Route des Vins) · Obernai → Colmar · 39 mi · 1 h 45 min ⚠ Slow traffic through villages during the autumn harvest and festival weekends 📷 Mittelbergheim · 🍽️ Winstub Au Tire-Bouchon, Riquewihr · 📷 Château de Kaysersberg
3. Moselle Wine Road B53 · Trier → Zell (Mosel) · 57 mi · 2 h ⚠ ⚠ Riverside carriageway liable to closure when the Moselle floods 🍽️ Alter Moselbahnhof · 📷 Bernkastel-Kues Marktplatz · 📷 Brückentor Traben-Trarbach · 📷 Zeller Schwarze Katz

Drive it

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