Alsace & Black Forest Family Biking

Meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks in Backroads T-shirts) at 11:15 a.m. in front of the Mulhouse train station in France. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes with your rain gear handy, or have all of your gear packed in a small separate bag so you can change before the ride.

Shuttle to Kirchhausen, Germany: 30 Minutes

Biking Options: 

Schwarzwaldhaus Route: 18 Miles (1,550’ elevation gain) 

Badenweiler Route: 25 Miles (2,240’)

Bienvenue! Willkommen! Welcome to Alsace and the Black Forest, regions close in proximity, but each with their own language and distinct culture. After meeting in Mulhouse we shuttle across the border into Germany, where we get better acquainted over a light lunch at the Bauerhausmuseum, located on the western edge of the Black Forest. Following lunch your Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety.

Then you’ll meet our friend Jürgen, who shows us a genuine Black Forest abode built in 1696. This house has been preserved to demonstrate how people lived and worked here more than a century ago. After our visit, we set out on today’s warm-up route through the verdant rolling hills of the German countryside, savoring the views of vineyards and typical hamlets that dot the region.

The first ride of the trip under your belt, settle in at Grandhotel Römerbad in Badenweiler, a town known for its warm mineral springs. Take a dip in the swimming pool, sit in the sauna, experience the local hot spring or indulge in a spa treatment. (Hot spring and spa services are not included in the trip price; see “During Your Trip” for details on booking a spa appointment.) This evening we gather at the hotel for a wine reception, followed by dinner at an authentic winstube (Alsatian for “wine tavern”) in town.

Lodging: Grandhotel Römerbad

Today’s striking route leads through gorgeous thick woods and along the soothing streams of the Black Forest before crossing into Alsace. Leaving Badenweiler, you can opt for an early challenge—push to the top of 3,820-foot Blauen and relish the tremendous panorama of tree-covered mountains. If you’re not feeling quite awake enough for that, stick with the Rouffach Route, which still offers plenty of hills. Pedal through the Markgräflerland wine region past pretty vineyards and picturesque German villages.

Just before reaching the Rhine, stop in Breisach for lunch at the eatery of your choice and perhaps check out the hilltop cathedral, which looks out across the Vosges Mountains, the Rhine and nearby vineyards.

After eating and exploring town, bid auf wiedersehen to Germany and take the bridge across the river into France. Still, you’ll see the German influence in France for the rest of the trip: Alsace has been passed between French and German hands for centuries.

The first French town you’ll reach is fortified Neuf-Brisach, which from the sky looks like a perfect octagon. This was no mistake. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, one of King Louis XIV’s military engineers, designed it this way to protect the French border after the 1697 Peace of Ryswick ceded Breisach to the Holy Roman Empire. After exploring this fascinating World Heritage site, pedal west on a level—and sometimes windy!—route toward the Vosges mountains and the town of Rouffach.

Our home for the next two nights is Château d’Isenbourg, overlooking Rouffach, the Vosges foothills and across the Rhine into Germany. Take in the seemingly endless views from the elegantly manicured grounds before we dine on sophisticated Alsace-inspired fare in the château’s 14th-century vaulted dining room.

Lodging: Château d’Isenbourg

Biking Options:

Breisach Route: 23 miles* (50’ elevation gain)

Staufen Route: 36 Miles* (260’)

Rouffach Route: 46 Miles (320’)

Blauen Route: 57 Miles (2,100’)

 

Kids: Pétanque 1 Hour

*with shuttle

After breakfast ease into today’s ride on a relatively flat stretch past cornfields, small villages and streams toward the agricultural Rhine River Valley. Just when you’re craving more challenge, the route turns toward the mountains. Bike through the ancient towns of Soultz-Haut-Rhin and Guebwiller, set in the forested province of Haut-Rhin. Then tackle the mile-and-a-half climb to Murbach Abbey, the site of our gourmet picnic. After lunch check out the Benedictine abbey, founded in 727. By the mid-800s, it had become an important intellectual center with a plentiful library. Its doors were finally closed by rioting peasants of the French Revolution.

The slopes of the Vosges Mountains await adults this afternoon. If you’d rather call it a day, shuttle to the hotel for some R & R—maybe even a body treatment at the Isenbourg Spa. (Spa treatments are not included in the trip price; see “During Your Trip” for more information.) Otherwise, shift down and ride through glorious scenery of rich green meadows tended by grazing cows, and woods of maple, pine and beech trees. These hills of granite and red sandstone offer stunning views of the Rhine Valley, Black Forest and, on a clear day, Swiss peaks. If you’re after additional miles—and climbs—take on the route over Col du Firstplan.

Meanwhile the younger set joins the Kid Coordinator for funfilled activities at the Écomusée d’Alsace, an outdoor “living” museum exhibiting Alsatian culture and traditions. They’ll see villagers plying their trades the way they did at the turn of the 20th century and try their own hands at some artisanal and culinary practices. It’s a great opportunity to live history! For dinner tonight, grown-ups take a seat on the Château d’Isenbourg’s expansive terrace (weather permitting), while kids enjoy a casual meal in Rouffach with a Backroads leader.

Lodging: Château d’Isenbourg

Biking Options:

Murbach Route: 23 Miles* (770’ elevation gain)

Château d’Isenbourg Loop: 35 Miles (1,100’)

Vineyard Loop: 45 Miles (1,300’)

Col du Firstplan Route: 56 Miles (2,730’)

Kids: Eco-Museum Visit 2 Hours

*with shuttle

Today we follow the Route des Vins (“Wine Route”), famous for its fine vintages. Feel free to stop along the way for a taste of the local lifeblood or in one of the villages for un café. You’ll encounter several uphills along the way, but they don’t last long.

Meander through picturesque villages, including Eguisheim, which is colorful and bustling, and Riquewihr where you can stop for lunch on your own at one of the cozy eateries. Farther down the wine route you’ll get to visi Ribeauvillé, with stunning Gothic churches, medieval buildings and ancient walls. Catch sight of castle ruins, including Château Saint Ulrich (or Ulrichsburg), which overlooks town. From here, a leader whisks off the kids to La Maison du Pain (“House of Bread”), a bread museum in Sélestat. The youngsters get to wrap their heads—and hands— around pretzel-making, and may come back with their own coating of flour and salt. Grown-ups can continue riding, and perhaps sipping a Riesling at a wine tavern along the way.

We finish the day in Illhaeusern, set along the Ill River by the eastern foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Our hotel for the next two nights is Hôtel des Berges, whose friendly staff and architecture exude Alsatian tradition and charm.

Tonight we shuttle to nearby Colmar, where you and your family are free to discover the historic center, dating from the Middle Ages. When you’re ready to eat, grab a table at whichever restaurant strikes your fancy.

Lodging: Hôtel des Berges

Biking Options:

Riquewihr Route: 18 Miles* (500’ elevation gain)

Illhaeusern Route: 26 Miles (1,150’)

Fôret des Vosges Route: 33 Miles (1,340’)

Ribeauville Route: 41 Miles (1,400’)

Route des Vins Route: 55 Miles (1,400’)

Kids: Pretzel-Making 2 Hours

*with shuttle

Hop on your bike and set off north along the Ill River, past small villages and through the fertile plains of this agricultural valley. Rejoin the scenic Route des Vins and pedal to Vins Spitz et Fils, a small family-run winery with a gorgeous setting. Here we pull over for a tasting followed by a picnic lunch.

From here kids shuttle to the Ill River and, under the watchful eye of a Backroads leader, shove off for an easygoing canoe trip. It’s a great chance to practice teamwork, and see the countryside from a different perspective.

Meanwhile adults pedal into the hills for rugged forested terrain. Be prepared for a few climbs, but the exhilarating downhills make it all worthwhile. If you’re still feeling energetic, make your way up the winding road to the restored Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, a 12th-century fortress that overlooks the valley. If you prefer a less strenuous route, continue along the edge of the Vosges, taking in quiet towns where geranium boxes adorn every façade.

Tonight we compare notes on the day’s highlights and celebrate our week in Alsace and the Black Forest over Michelin-starred cuisine at the hotel.

Lodging: Hôtel des Berges

Biking Options:

Vins Spitz et Fils Route: 16 Miles* (200’ elevation gain)

Kintzheim Route: 23 Miles* (300’)

Hôtel des Berges Loop: 31 Miles (530’)

Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle Route: 41 Miles (1,580’)

The Rhine Route: 55 Miles (1,600’)

Kids: Canoeing Excursion 2 Hours 

*with shuttle

Rise early for one last spin through the verdant countryside. Pedal through vineyards and quintessential Alsatian villages that come to life—perhaps you’ll meet some locals over coffee and croissants at a café along the way. But if a leisurely morning is more up your alley, your bike will understand. Sleep in, take your time over breakfast and put your feet up with a book. Midday, say farewell to your leaders, then board a private coach bound for Strasbourg, Alsace’s capital and largest city.

La Côte des Vosges Route 13 Miles (230’ elevation gain)

Shuttle to Strasbourg Train Station 45 Minutes