Southern Palatinate and the Alsace

The Southern Palatinate (website German only) is the south-eastern part of the Palatinate with Germersheim as its center. The Southern Palatinate is characterized by the Rhine, its old Rhine arms, the Bienwald forest and fertile soils, which give the region perfect fruit and vegetables and flood the typical farm stores with vitamins. Although tobacco growing, which used to dominate the region, is still present in many places and is still practiced, it has lost much of its former economic importance.  

The Southern Palatinate is perfect for cycling (website German only): beautiful paths, flat terrain and direct access from Speyer. Several paths lead you through the Queich meadows (website German only). A stretch of land that was added to the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2023 due to its very special meadow irrigation technology. 

Germersheim (website German only)was developed into a fortress town until the middle of the 19th century. The aim was to secure the left bank of the Rhine towards France. Many of the buildings erected at that time still characterize the townscape throughout the city today - above all the Weissenburg Gate. 
The German Road Museum in the Zeughaus and the Alte Ziegelei industrial monument are about tangible rather than subtle cultural assets.

The role the Rhine plays in the region is best experienced from mid-March to mid-October on a boat trip on the Old Rhine. 
A few kilometers south of Germersheim, you can also explore the Palatinate “primeval forest”, the Rhine floodplains, on foot on the Treidlerweg premium hiking trail. The 12 km circular route is not only highly interesting, but also suitable for inexperienced hikers, as there are virtually no inclines.

The blessing of open borders has brought Alsace and the Palatinate even closer together than the centuries of changing French and German leadership of the region already did.

From Speyer, a trip to the small town of Weißenburg (website French only) or to Fleckenstein Castle is a good idea. Although this is officially a trip abroad, it is actually just a visit to the neighbors - with French savoir-vivre, cider and tarte flambée.
The northern part of Alsace is also part of the Palatinate Forest-North Vosges biosphere reserve. The landscape of northern Alsace is hilly and heavily wooded. A few kilometers over the border, the Chemin des Cimes treetop trail offers a magnificent 360° view of the Rhine plain and the Black Forest. The region's pottery villages are also just a stone's throw from the border.

You can also quickly reach Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, via the - toll-free - French highway A35. The architecturally impressive European Parliament with its huge glass front and elliptical shape can be seen from afar.

In the southern old town of Strasbourg, on the Place de la Cathédrale, you will find the cathedral made of red Vosges sandstone. It is one of the most important cathedrals in the history of European architecture and one of the largest sandstone buildings in the world. Like the city of Strasbourg in general, the Liebfrauen-Münster combines German and French cultural influences.

The most picturesque quarter of Strasbourg is La Petite France, the former district of tanners, millers and fishermen. A stroll through the narrow, winding streets between the historic half-timbered houses will take you back to the spirit of the former Free Imperial City.