Offenburg
Offenburg is a city in the Black Forest in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
Understand
Offenburg ist best known for being the capital of the wine region Ortenau. It sides west to the Black Forest at the Upper Rhine, lying at the entrance of the Kinzigtal and the Renchtal.
- Tourist information, Fischmarkt 2, ☏ +49 781 82 2000.
Get in
By plane
The nearest airports are as follows:
- Baden Airpark Karlsruhe / Baden Baden (FKB IATA)
- Strasbourg Airport (SXB IATA)
- Euroairport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (BSL IATA, MLH or EAP)
Frankfurt Airport (FRA IATA) is a bit farther away but offers much more connections.
By train
The Offenburg Hauptbahnhof is situated close to the inner city. Frequent connections run to the north towards Frankfurt and south to Basel, with fast ICE trains leaving in each direction each hour. Again, planning ahead can get cheap fares of 29€ each way. From the Hauptbahnhof, you have direct access to the Busbahnhof which runs directly overhead the main station. The Hauptbahnhof is also within easy walking distance of the inner city. Main direct destinations include:
- Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and Airport (Flughafen),
- Zurich, (Switzerland)
- Basel, (Switzerland)
- Heidelberg,
- Mannheim,
- Berlin,
- Cologne,
- Hamburg,
- Strasbourg, (France),
- Amsterdam, (The Netherlands),
- Milan, (Italy),
Local and regional trains can be good for day trips or for traveling to nearby cities, for example Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Baden Baden, Freudenstadt or Konstanz. In the main station ask for the Länder-tickets. Such tickets can be used by a group of up to 5 persons in the RB and RE trains as well as for local transport. They are a much cheaper alternative for a group of travelers going to cities nearby or going for a day trip.
By car
Offenburg is connected to the German highway system via the A5, running along the Valley of the Upper Rhine from south to north, starting at the Swiss border. It also is accessible through the Kinzigtal Black Forest via the B33. To Strassbourg/France it takes about 30 minutes by car. To Freiburg it is about 50 minutes. Baden Baden is a 30 minute car ride to the north, using the A5. Freuenstadt is reachable in one hour through the Renchtal via the B28.
By bus
By Hitchhiking
Get around
See
Castles
- 1 Burg Staufenberg, Durbach, ☏ +49 7553 81284. Winery
- Schloss Ortenberg. Youth Hostel
- Ruine Schaunburg.
Museums
- 2 Museum im Ritterhaus, Ritterstraße 10. displays culutre, history, art and nature.
- 3 [dead link] Schulmuseum Zell-Weierbach (Museum für ehemals Großherzoglich Badische Schulen), Schulstraße 3, Zell-Weierbach.
Do
Buy
A reasonable sized town with about 450 stores.
Eat
- 1 Schöllmanns, Hauptstraße 88, ☏ +49 781 9194999. Restaurant, cafe and club.
- 2 Confiserie Kaffeehaus Gmeiner, Steinstraße 2, ☏ +49 781 70302. Chocolate cakes and coffee
- 3 Gasthof Blume, Weinstraße 160, Rammersweier, ☏ +49 781 33666. Michelin recommended regional dishes
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Schloss Ortenberg Youth hostel, Burgweg 21, Ortenberg. The fairytale castle is also the Ortenaus landmark.
- 2 Mercure Hotel Offenburg am Messeplatz, Schutterwälder Straße 1a, ☏ +49 781 5050.
- 3 Hotel Sonne, Hauptstraße 94, ☏ +49 781 932160.