Leave your centrally located Strasbourg hotel in your private minivan, accompanied by your guide. Settle in as you drive north to the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden against the edge of Germany’s Black Forest.
Skirting the River Oos, this genteel town is famed for the thermal springs that first drew the Romans, and later a rush of royals, dignitaries and visitors, among them Queen Victoria and Bismarck, in the 19th century. After roughly an hour’s drive, arrive for a guided walking tour of Baden-Baden's handsome streets, full of colonnaded buildings and grand villas set against a mountain backdrop.
As you walk, check out the main sights, including the splendid Kurhaus, home to the famous casino, the glorious Lichtentaler Allee gardens and the cobbled market square. Then, enjoy free time to explore on your own and perhaps take a break for lunch (own expense) before continuing your tour.
In the afternoon, your itinerary is flexible, enabling you to choose between a journey along the famous German Wine Route or a scenic circuit through the Black Forest.
On the Wine Route, expect to spend the afternoon tracing this fabled 50-mile (85-km) road that winds past the vine-coated hillsides, castles and medieval villages of Germany’s wine-growing Palatinate region. Alternatively, drive deeper into the Black Forest to admire its dense forests, rolling hills and pretty hamlets.
Later, enjoy the drive back to Strasbourg where your tour finishes with a drop-off at your hotel.