Breisach: Best of the Black Forest

Breisach: Best of the Black Forest! Breisach is situated among rolling vineyards between the Rhine River and the Black Forest. This river port town shares a wine- and food-loving culture with its French neighbors across the river in Alsace. The town’s landmark St. Stephen Cathedral, pastel-hued buildings, and cobbled streets create an old-world charm that belies the fact that the town was almost totally destroyed in WWII and meticulously rebuilt in the old style. The Black Forest is home to half-timber houses, crumbling castles,  quaint little towns like Breisach, and of course, the cuckoo clock.

Explore Breisach’s cobbled streets stopping in at shops, and sampling traditional fare at cafes and restaurants. Visit the “Hagenbachturm” (Hagenbach Tower), the medieval prison tower, and the town’s iconic landmark, St. Stephansmünster (St. Stephen’s), a beautiful Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. From it’s cobbled streets lined with pastel-painted houses that you’d never guess that 85% of the town was flattened in WWII, so successful has been the reconstruction. You can visit The Best Rhine River Cruise Guide here, or visit us on Pinterest.

Breisach Weather – Best Time to Visit Breisach

The preferred time to visit Breisach is from June to September when the weather is warm and pleasant and there is limited rainfall. November and December are chillier with some snow but is favored by those wanting to visit Europe’s iconic Christmas markets. 

The average temperature in Breisach in July ranges from a high of 78°Fto a low of 57°F. The weather is described as mildly cool and humid. The hottest month is July, and the coldest month, February has days with highs of 42°F and lows of 27°F. 

Best Sights of the Black Forest

Neuf-Brisach

Three miles from Breisach on the French side of the Rhine, is the last and greatest work by the 17th-century French military engineer Sébastian Vauban. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the huge octagonal fortification, which contains an entire city, was built at the orders of Louis XIV after the town of Breisach, the king’s former stronghold on the Rhine, was returned to Austria. Deprived of his stake on this important riverside front, Louis enlisted the help of his head engineer, who decided to design an entire fortified town from scratch. Though damaged in 1870 and again during WWII, Neuf-Breisach remains almost unchanged. Regular buses from Breisach train station connect Breisach and Neuf-Brisach via Colmar, a 10–20-minute trip.

City History Museum

The City History Museum offers a 4,000-year journey through the history of a typical Rhine river town, from the early settlements through the Middle Ages up to a sobering exhibition describing the bombardment that destroyed nearly 90% of Breisach during WWII. The museum is housed in a 17th-century edifice built according to designs by Vauban, France’s renowned military architect under Louis XIV.

Geldermann Privatsektkellerei

Few estates in this winemaking town can boast a tour as impressive as this venerable champagne house, which has produced the bubbly elixir for 177 years. Here you’ll be treated to an in-depth hour-long tour of the 15th-century vaulted cellars and an introduction to the wine production, aging cellars, and history of the house. For a few extra euros, you can join a tasting of the various cuvées at Geldermann Privatsektkellerei, nibbles included.

St. Stephan Cathedral

Breisach’s major landmark, St. Stephan Cathedral rises up over the old town offering stunning panoramic views of the Rhine Valley and Black Forest to the east and the Vosges Mountains to the west. St. Stephan’s was begun in the 12th century in the Romanesque style and completed in the 15th century, hence the gothic elements that can be seen throughout. The cathedral’s inner riches include an ornately carved chancel screen and altar, both considered masterpeices of late Gothic stonemasonry, as is its elaborately carved vaulted ceiling.

Best Breisach Restaurants

Kaiserstuhler Hof $30 & Over

Look forward to comprehensive and individual hospitality, where they leave nothing to be desired. They welcome you to the Postgarten or Weingarten. Their dishes inspire with a mix of playfulness, down-to-earthness, regionality and freshness that makes you want more with every course.  Telephone: 49 7667 83060 Web: Kaiserstuhler Hof

Koepfers Steinbuckh $30 & Under

For the chef de cuisine Stephan Koepfer, the day begins at selected markets in Alsace. There he selects the best ingredients for dinner – and is inspired by what the market currently has to offer in terms of fish, meat and vegetables. The evening menu is created anew every day from the interplay between the creativity of the chef and what the market has to offer.  Telephone: 49 7662 9494650 Web: Koepfers Steinbukh

Kapuzinergarten $11 – 30

Let the staff spoil you with culinary delights in their Kapuzinergarten, with exquisite cuisine away from the ordinary. In principle, no convenience food is processed, only fresh, predominantly  regional ingredients and many products from organic farming. Seasonal Capuchin menus are served for dinner (3-7 courses). Telephone: 49 7667 93 00 0 Web: Kapuzinergarten

Das Blumchen $11 – 30

Their dishes are creative and homemade. They have no room for unnecessary additives and finished powders. They have fun cooking! You will taste our enthusiasm for the “regional cuisine with a twist”. Telephone: 49 7664 6123889 Web: Das Blumchen

Cafe Etoile

German and Mediterranean food is good at this place. You can order perfectly cooked tapas, käsespätzle and quiche Lorraine. Try good fruitcake to form your opinion about Cafe Gallery Etoile. Visit this place and order delicious wine. You will be offered great coffee or good tea. Telephone: 49 07667 967014  Web: Cafe Etoile

Best Breisach Hotels