h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, I have just discovered this page and find it is unjustly suffering from neglect.

In our part of Germany, apart from the well-known city of Heidelberg, there are lots of quaint and attractive towns with interesting shopping areas, very historic centres, and ancient, ancient cathedrals.

For charming countryside interspersed with these kind of towns, try a trip along the border between Germany and France, the Palatinate and Alsace. A good base would be Karlsruhe, Freiburg, Baden-Baden, Landau or Dahn on the German side, Weißenburg (Wissembourg), Colmar, Strasbourg on the French side. The countryside is mountainous and forested, with skiing in the Black Forest and Alsace in the Winter.

It is suitable for walking and biking, as well as driving. There is plenty of accommodation, and it is easy to find your own way about. The Pfälzer Waldverein and the Schwarzwald Verein as well as the French equivalent organisation (can't remember the name for the moment - something Vogésien I think) have marked hikes through the woods and there are several routes for cyclists and hikers with themes such as castles and wine.

German is a better bet than French, as no one in Germany is likely to be able to speak French, whereas in Alsace everyone speaks German, at least everyone over 40 does.

Just follow the Rhine, in fact, you can also do it by boat - but the Rhine is a very active commercial route still and not recommended for canoeing, rowing or sailing, as you will get muddled up with the barges. Expensive cruises are available, though.

The local food and wine include: the famous Black Forest Gateau, the Palatinate "Saumagen", the badische "Schopfnudeln" or "Bubespitzle" (potato dumplings, shaped like a little boy's penis and fried), the Alsatian "Flamkuchen" (a pizza without tomatoes, but with rich thick cream and onions). In the Palatinate you drink Riesling (herb=dry), the other side of the Rhine specialises in "Trollinger", and the best-known wine in Alsace is their "Gewürztraminer".

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