French Text

What are interesting smaller towns in eastern France and western Germany to explore?

I am planning a trip to France and Germany. Given their proximity, I'd like fly into Paris but check out smaller cities as we make our way from Paris into larger cities in Germany. Basically, I'm asking advice for places to stay along the way, be they charming, unique, have fantastic food, have an unbelieveable hotel or restaurant, anything. By the way, I'm 30. I like my vacations to be a mix of culture and pure relaxation.

Public Comments

1. Actually Germany is not that close to France (at least at European scale), unless you are in the extreme north-east of the country. Even if Paris may already be situated very much in the north of France it still is quite far from German border, and much more far to the big german cities such as Berlin or Hambourg, which are hundred of miles more northern than the french-german border, which is situated at the south of germany. France is famous for beautiful landscapes and charming towns but unfortunally for you the north-eastern regions of France (those regions who border Germany) are not the most extraordinaryly most typically French, especially for food and climate which is quite much colder than the mild climate of most of France. Said that, in Alsace, even if the whole ambiance is much more German than French you'll could find pretty towns (such as Colmar or Strasbourg)
2. I lived in Western Germany for 5 years. In France drive from Paris to Dijon, France...then to Strasbourg, France...then your like 5 minutes away from Germany...go to Triberg, Germany...and then the rest is up to you!! It's a really fun trip...soak it all in! :)
3. eastern France: Dole, Belfort, Moulhouse, the villages of Alsace along river Rhine, Freiburg andthe villages around. A opersonal, even expensive recomendation: Hotel Schwarzer Adler in Oberbergen (vecinity to Freiburg/Germany with excelent wines and food!!! Cheap and clean hotal Chain in France: Etaphotel, accessible via www.etaphotel.com, belongs to www.arccor.com with hotels from one to five stars. Contact also the french and german turism office.