At the foot of the Black Forest
It's easy to reach us. Catch the next train to the Rhine Valley, and it will take you straight to Offenburg. If you're travelling by car, the A5 motorway passes right by Offenburg's doorstep. You can even reach us by air. Just catch a flight to either Strasbourg, Baden-Baden or Mulhouse.
Make yourself at home
Book a room in one of our lovely hotels or inns, stay at a bed-and-breakfast, or rent a holiday home. You can live at the heart of Offenburg's historical centre or in one of our picturesque villages scattered around the outskirts of town. Unpack, make yourself at home, and enjoy your first sip of Baden's famous wines. For one thing is particularly important when you visit us in beautiful Baden: Enjoy life and be positive. That's our attitude to life, and we do well by it. Witness it yourself while strolling around town or through the vineyards. The landscape, whether flat or hilly, is like a carefully sculpted work of art, and the sun shines on the red and white grapes with particular intensity.
History at every turn
Discover Offenburg and you discover a masterpiece created by the diligent people of Baden. Take the baroque façades along the high street, for example. The former Königshof was built between 1714 and 1717, and housed the offices of Ortenau district governors. Today it serves as Offenburg police station. At that time, Offenburg belonged to Near Austria. It was the Napoleonic wars that finally brought the influence of the Habsburgs to an end. In 1803, Offenburg joined the Grand Duchy of Baden. Almost fifty years later, in 1848/49, it was at the centre of the Baden revolution.Next to the Königshof is the Hotel Sonne, the oldest hotel in Offenburg, thought to have been built in 1350. The hotel was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1689 when Ludwig XIV's troops destroyed the town. Today's facade stems from 1830. Traces of the Habsburgs can still be found on the town hall built in 1741, which boasts a proud Austrian double eagle on an impressive facade.
Enjoy a stroll and street cafe's
Offenburg has much more than living history to offer. You can stroll through our pedestrian precinct untroubled by noisy traffic, or shop in our many boutiques and modern department stores. Every few meters a street cafe entices you to enjoy a coffee, gateau or ice cream. Have a break in the Bürgerpark or the parks along the town walls surrounding the old part of Offenburg. The Zwingerpark, at the foot of the town walls, is one of the most attractive. In Spring, the park blossoms with pink magnolias, red tulips and yellow daffodils.
Pure culinary pleasure
Strolling through Offenburg, through its history and parks, gives you a good appetite. An evening at one of Offenburg's top restaurants, inns or wine bars is a must for your holiday agenda. And be sure you have sufficient time for the experience. For in Baden, we don't think much of fast-food. Whether you choose a set meal or try one of our famous Flammenkuchen served on a wooden platter, accompany your meals with our exquisite local wines. Treat yourself to a bottle from the Schloss Ortenberg winery. If you visit in Autumn, experience one of our beautiful wine festivals held in our local wine villages Zell-Weierbach, Rammersweier and Fessenbach, or right here in Offenburg at the Ortenauer wine festival.
Visit our neighbours
Not that we want to lure you away from Offenburg, but you must visit the Black Forest and Alsace while you are here! The Vogtsbauernhof open air museum in Gutach provides a wonderful insight into rural life in the Black Forest, and is only about half an hour's drive from Offenburg. The cultural history of the whole Black Forest comes to life here. Six impressive Black Forest farmhouses dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, barns, bakehouses, distillery hut, mill and saw-mills are waiting for visitors. More than 300000 visitors come to the Black Forest open air museum every year. This makes it one of the most popular open air museum in Germany. Strasbourg is just as close. The cathedral, historical centre, and the European Parliament are just some of the many attractions. When you return to Offenburg, be sure to climb up to our vineyards to see Strasbourg cathedral silhouetted against a stunning sunset.
