A Fluid Postcode: Gengenbach (Part 1)

Gengenbach

(Part 1: 7 - 14 November)

We're here in Gengenbach for about three weeks.
It's a gorgeous small town of about 11,000 people. For context, that's about the size of Bateman's Bay or Mudgee.
It's a popular tourist town on the edge of the Black Forest, 30km east of the Rhine, which borders France.

Gengenbach was founded in 1231 but the city was destroyed twice during the Nine Years War in 1634 and 1643. Any old buildings (as well as stone churches, town gates and walls and "half-timbered" houses) were built after these events.

Our apartment is great. It's the ground floor of a house with good size rooms, comfortable lounge, good wifi and a full kitchen. Very convenient, and nice and warm.

There's a LOT of firewood stacked outside people's houses - mountains of the stuff, and lots of chimneys smoking. Our apartment is heated with those column type heaters along walls in each room.

It's a very easy walk from our accommodation to the medieval town centre ("Altstadt"), which is gorgeous and features a town hall which each year becomes the world's biggest advent calendar with its 24 windows on display.

All accommodation in this area includes a public transport travel card for travel anywhere in the state (Baden Württemberg.)
So, after a couple of local days settling in, doing initial food shopping, a few walks to get our bearings etc., Monday we caught a bus that meandered through other local towns to the closest major town of Offenburg, population 60,000 (think Albury). Unlike Gengenbach, it has department stores and specialty shops.
It has a very pretty old town and we had a good wander there before catching a train back.

11 November doesn't really figure in German commemorations so there was no reason to be in town at 11am. The sun was out, there was no wind and the temperature was about 10 or 11 degrees, so a perfect opportunity to walk up the hill to the small chapel of St Jakobus and enjoy the the view down over the valley and Gengenbach town.

The next day was again scheduled to be mild, so we hopped on a train to Strasbourg, just over the border (the Rhein) in France.

Our transport card is only good until one stop from Strasbourg, so rather than risk a fine we did the right thing and hopped off and caught a tram for 15 minutes into the city near the cathedral.

We did a free city walk tour - tips based thing we've done in plenty of other places. We like the way it orients you to a new place.

Strasbourg was interesting - its such a mix of French and German because of its location on the border and it was evident (even to us) in the architecture and building.

We'll likely return one day for another look in the next couple of weeks - a luxury we can enjoy as a result of choosing to travel slowly.

It feels a bit like Annecy in France

It feels a bit like Gengenbach

It feels a bit like Brussels

It feels a bit like Paris

While Strasbourg is on the Rhine, the River Ill also flows through the city over a series of locks.

Notre Dame Cathedral dominates the old city skyline and is quite beautiful. Pink sandstone, beautiful carvings, enormous stained glass windows, and of course, those who know us, a walk to the top :)

With the continuing mild weather, we caught the train the next day, Thursday, to Haslach, about 15 minutes up the valley.

Another pretty little town.

It's bigger than Gengenbach and has a commercial area and a more supermarkets, but the old town and the houses that settle in the valley beside the river are beautiful.

We did a self guided walking tour through the old half timbered houses.

Overlooking the town is a tower. John did the 50 or so minute walk up the hill to take in the view.

Robyn enjoyed a hot chocolate!

It's a gorgeous path through the forest to the top.

Such a pretty area.

Another day of mild weather; best to make hay while the sun shines.

We caught the train the next day, Friday, to Baden Baden. While there is of course some people living near the station, the main old town is a further 20 minute bus ride away.

Bad mean spa or bath - so Baden Baden is a spa town. The Romans (of course) built baths there, possible as far back as the Emperor Hadrian.

It's another pretty old part of town, with some grand homes that are now divided into flats. There's the obligatory decorated churches, including an old Catholic church (whatever that is!) which is presided over by a female bishop from Austria.

Feels like winter, but it's still clearly autumn.

A significant hill overlooking the town is accessed via a funicular railway. Without doubt the steepest funicular we've ever taken. The incline ranges from 23% to 58%.

A drink at the top with a great view.