After the Freiburg Marathon: Strasbourg and Alsace
The Route: Freiburg Hauptbahnhof → Strasbourg → Colmar Logistics: Direct or one-change regional rail across the Rhine into France, then a short further hop south to Colmar. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights
Freiburg Hbf ──(regional rail, ~1-1.5 hrs)──> Strasbourg ──(regional rail, ~30-40 mins)──> Colmar
Alsace sits directly across the Rhine from Freiburg, close enough that the region's grandest city and one of its prettiest smaller towns are both reachable by rail in a single trip, without a car and without a long journey. Two nights, split between Strasbourg and Colmar, covers the region's two strongest anchor points, half-timbered old towns built on wine, sandstone and a genuinely mixed Franco-German history.
April in Alsace brings the region back to life after winter: outdoor café tables return to the squares, the vineyards begin to green, and the crowds of high summer haven't yet arrived. Days are mild rather than warm, and comfortable, well-worn shoes matter more than usual given how much of this region's charm sits on cobblestones.
Night One: Strasbourg
Strasbourg's Grande Île, the old town's river island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, and its centrepiece, Strasbourg Cathedral, is a single-spire Gothic landmark whose rose-pink sandstone tower dominates the skyline. The cathedral's astronomical clock performs at 12:30 daily, a minor spectacle worth timing a visit around, and the surrounding Place de la Cathédrale is ringed with half-timbered buildings from a much earlier Strasbourg.
La Petite France, the old tanners' and millers' quarter threaded with canals a short walk from the cathedral, is the district's most photographed corner, its narrow lanes and covered bridges best seen on foot at an unhurried pace rather than as a checklist stop. The walking here is level and cobbled rather than steep, manageable on recovering legs if taken slowly.
Where to stay: the Hôtel Cathédrale, directly opposite the cathedral itself, puts the old town's centrepiece on the doorstep. The Ibis Strasbourg Centre, a short walk further out, offers a simpler and generally better-value alternative.
Where to eat: a proper Alsatian choucroute (sauerkraut with sausages and pork) at a traditional winstub, a small, wood-panelled Alsatian tavern, gives a fittingly substantial dinner after a day of walking.
Night Two: Colmar
Colmar, a short rail hop south, is smaller and more concentrated than Strasbourg, its old town a dense cluster of pastel half-timbered houses along narrow canals in the district known as Petite Venise. The town largely escaped bombing damage in both world wars, leaving its historic centre unusually intact by the standards of this heavily fought-over region, a fact that shows in the density of genuinely old buildings rather than careful postwar reconstruction.
The compact old town rewards slow wandering rather than a rushed circuit: flower boxes on half-timbered facades, small squares opening off narrow lanes, and canal-side paths that are flat and easy on tired legs throughout.
Where to stay: the Hôtel Le Colombier, itself a restored 15th-century townhouse in the old town, suits a night in Colmar particularly well. The Ibis Colmar Centre Gare, near the station, offers straightforward convenience for an early onward journey.
Where to eat: a tarte flambée (the Alsatian original of the German Flammkuchen) with a glass of regional Riesling or Gewürztraminer makes a light, easy dinner to close out the trip.
Getting Home
Basel EuroAirport (BSL/MLH/EAP) is the most practical departure point from Colmar, reached by rail and a short onward bus connection in around 1 to 1.5 hours, offering considerably more flight options than routing back through Freiburg's own small local airfield.