What an undiscovered gem! Unconquered citadel in the Franco Prussian war of 1870. The self guided…read moretour with headphones starts in an unassuming building with mini theaters throughout. You head down into the various bays and rooms of the citadel where the story of the siege occurred projected in mini screens. It's very nicely paced and comfortable temperature down below grounds. It would be extremely difficult for handicapped visitors as there's no ramps, just deep stairs in places. But the whole tour (1hr) is informative and well done. Time flew!

Impressive fort built in 1700s but history of fortification goes back to 1200s. Saw action in 1793…read moreand again in the Franco Prussian War in 1870. Majestic views. Entrance until 5PM on weekdays and 6PM but can walk around grounds for an hour after although cafe closes at 6.

What a great historical landmark! The directions to the castle led us the wrong way, but we…read moreultimately figured it out. Once we got to the top, we walked around, took some photos and admired the view of the town from the top of the castle ruins.

Fantastic true Frankenstein Castle with the graveyard located at the base of the mountain on top of…read morewhich the castle arises from a natural rocky outcropping. You can see the black scorch marks where the castle burned and Frankenstein fell five stories when the floors collapsed inside the main castle structure. Wild approach through a tiny tunnel. Easy to miss the access point. Looks like you can't get up there but you can! Long healthy hike up hill that will make you feel great when you reach the castle on top. Goats run out to greet you as you walk up the hill. Park at the front of the church. Then start walking. One of the most exciting experiences you will ever have!

What a beautiful Alsatian village! Literally on the German/French border about 70 minutes drive…read morefrom Kaiserslautern, where we live. I don't know why but Wissembourg is not mentioned in any French travel guide books. Perhaps that is a good thing to keep hordes of tourists away. Wissembourg is a beautiful village worthy of a day trip. Patisseries and restaurants are great. There is a Saturday morning market (small) with a guy who sells soaps from Marsaille for cheap prices compared to store prices. Wissembourg has many sights and is a great village to walk through taking picture after picture. They also have a small Christmas market in December that we really enjoyed! Be sure to pick up some desserts from one of the many great patisseries here. We do that each visit!

When visiting Mannheim, you will most definitely find yourself at the Wasserturm (Water Tower)…read moresince it's located in the square downtown. It's a beautiful piece of architecture. It is a well-known and very popular landmark. The water tower was built in the 1800s in the square. The tower is approximately 60 meters high, and it was Mannheim's first water tower. You can read more history about it when you visit.