Strasbourg lies just across the Rhine from the Black Forest — about an hour by car from the Mummelsee — and it is the most popular city to combine with the lake. Its pink-sandstone cathedral, the half-timbered houses and canals of Petite France and the European Parliament make it one of the great cities of the Upper Rhine.
It is also the most practical starting point for a tour to the Mummelsee: several of the best day trips to the lake and the Black Forest High Road start in Strasbourg, with pickup in the city centre.
Top things to do at Strasbourg
Climb the cathedral
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame, with its single spire and astronomical clock, is one of Europe’s great Gothic churches. On a clear day you can see the Black Forest from the platform.
Wander Petite France
The old tanners’ quarter of canals, covered bridges and timber-framed houses is the most photographed corner of the city. A guided walking tour brings its history to life.
Christmas market season
From late November, Strasbourg hosts one of Europe’s oldest and most famous Christmas markets — a popular combination with a snowy Black Forest trip.
How to get to Strasbourg
- From the Mummelsee by car: down to Achern, then via the A5 and the Rhine bridge at Kehl — roughly 50–60 km and about an hour.
- By train: via Achern or Offenburg to Kehl and on to Strasbourg, or via Baden-Baden; trams connect Kehl with central Strasbourg.
- On a tour: the Strasbourg–Mummelsee day trips take care of everything.
Insider tips
- If you are flying into Strasbourg, a Mummelsee day trip from the city is easier than renting a car.
- Book Christmas-market-season hotels well in advance — both in Strasbourg and in Baden-Baden.
Best tours & tickets for Strasbourg
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Strasbourg and the rest of the Black Forest:
Walking tour from US$26 Strasbourg: Walking Tour with a Local Guide
Strasbourg is roughly an hour from the Mummelsee by car, and many visitors combine the two. This well-reviewed two-hour walk covers the Gothic cathedral, the half-timbered Petite France quarter and the Franco-German history that shaped both banks of the Rhine.
- The cathedral and Maison Kammerzell
- Petite France and the covered bridges
- A local guide’s stories of a city between two nations
Small-group day trip from US$245 From Strasbourg: Black Forest and Baden-Baden Day Trip
The best-reviewed way to reach the Mummelsee without a car. An English-speaking guide takes a small group across the Rhine to Baden-Baden, then climbs the Schwarzwaldhochstraße with photo stops before a proper break at the lake for lunch, cake and a walk along the shore.
- Guided stroll through Baden-Baden and the Lichtentaler Allee
- Viewpoints over the Rhine valley on the Black Forest High Road
- Free time and lunch at the Mummelsee
Private day trip from US$512 per group From Strasbourg: Black Forest Day Trip with Lake Mummelsee
Your own vehicle for up to four people and a relaxed pace: Baden-Baden in the morning, the Black Forest High Road at midday, lunch and Black Forest cake at the Mummelsee, then down the Baden wine route to the flower-hung village of Sasbachwalden. An audio guide in English, French or Spanish fills in the stories.
- Private car or van with pickup in Strasbourg
- Baden-Baden, the High Road and a long stop at the Mummelsee
- Wine-village finale in half-timbered Sasbachwalden
Small-group day trip from US$141 From Strasbourg: Black Forest Day Trip to Freiburg, Titisee & Triberg
The classic southern Black Forest loop in a single, well-paced day. It does not visit the Mummelsee, but it is the best way to add the region’s other icons — Titisee, the Triberg waterfalls and the cuckoo-clock makers — to a trip based in Strasbourg or the Rhine valley.
- Old-town Freiburg with its minster and Bächle channels
- Time on the shore of Lake Titisee
- Triberg — waterfalls and cuckoo-clock craft
