Photo by Erich Teister ()
Are you a family of day-trippers? If so, your posting abroad is a dream come true. There’s so much to see and do just beyond your (new) doorstep. While it can be fun to just pile in the car and see where the open highway takes you, here are a few favorite villages, towns and small cities that are worthy of the time and gas money it takes to reach them. Granted, there might not be a whole lot to do in these places once you get there, particularly on a Sunday, when everything tends to be shut tight. But still, these places are easy on the eye and make for great photo ops. Should you opt to take the back roads rather than the autobahn, the scenery you encounter while driving to and from these places can be pretty special too.
Location: 30 miles northeast of Wiesbaden
Love it for: this lovely spa town just north of Frankfurt offers an air of elegance in the form of a beautifully landscaped park, mineral water springs and a Russian Orthodox church.
Location: 10 miles / 15 minutes southwest of Wiesbaden
Love it for: this town famed for its sparkling wine and roses has an enviable location right next to the Rhine River, abutted by the Electorate Castle and its stunning rose garden. A stroll down its cobblestoned streets leads to specialty shops, ice cream parlors and cafes.
Location: 20 miles / 30 minutes east of Wiesbaden
Love it for: this town along the Main River, once a manufacturing center, is nowadays known for its pretty narrow streets, elegant homes and a central core brimming with half-timbered houses.
Location: 18 miles / 30 minutes north of Wiesbaden
Love it for: this town offers more than its fair share of historical buildings, including gorgeous half-timbered houses, an impressive Town Hall, palace and Witches’ Tower.
Location: 22 miles / 35 minutes one hour southwest of Wiesbaden
Love it for: one of the cutest towns along the Rhine River is a major tourist draw with its cobblestone alleys including the narrow Drosselgasse, shops, brandy distillery, wineries, restaurants and a chairlift ride over the vineyards to the imposing Niederwald monument.
