Gengenbach Germany Baden-Wurttemberg
Frequently Asked Questions
Not in Gengenbach itself, since the town is not on the Rhine. River ships tie up near Kehl or Strasbourg, and a coach excursion drives about forty minutes up the Kinzig valley to the medieval gates of the old town.
No, the excursion coach is required: about forty minutes of road separate the Rhine from the Kinzig valley. Once there, though, everything is walkable. The old centre fits inside its former ramparts, only a few hectares across.
The old centre is more than enough. Enter through the Kinzigtorturm, follow the half-timbered lanes to the market square, visit the Narrenmuseum in the Niggelturm tower, and you still have time for a glass of Ortenau wine or a slice of Black Forest cake.
It is the 18th-century town hall and its 24 windows. Each day in December one window lights up with a painted scene, making the building the world's largest Advent calendar. Chagall and Warhol have both been featured. Outside December the facade is still handsome, but the effect is gone.
The euro. Cards work in restaurants and most wine cellars in the centre, but small shops and village stalls still run largely on cash. Carry some notes to avoid awkward moments.
In the shops of the historic centre, yes, enough to order and buy. Step away from the market square and German clearly takes over. French sometimes helps: Alsace is less than an hour away by road.
Yes, if your family enjoys walking. The flower-covered lanes, the grimacing carnival masks in the Narrenmuseum and the knight fountain hold attention well. Be aware, though, that nothing here was designed for children: this is an old-town visit.
The old centre is flat but cobbled. The only real climb is the vineyard trail, about twenty minutes above town, rewarded by a view over the roofs, the abbey spire and the Kinzig valley. It is entirely optional.
May to October, when geraniums spill from the facades of the Engelgasse, terraces are open and the vineyard trail is dry underfoot. December has the Advent calendar, but river cruises are rare on the Upper Rhine at that time of year.
Black Forest cake in its original form: chocolate sponge, cherries and whipped cream. The surrounding slopes also produce Ortenau wines, Rieslings and Pinots, poured by the glass in the cellars of the old town. Comparing the original with versions served elsewhere is half the fun.
