Invest your free time well
Kork
Kork is considered one of the most interesting communities in Hanauerland. The name is of Celtic origin. Kork was first mentioned in a document in 778. Kork already had a church at that time and was a large parish. A baroque organ in the style of Silbermann, built in 1778 by Markus-Georg Stein from Durlach, can still be found in the village church of Kork. Kork is rich in beautiful half-timbered buildings, most of which date back to the 18th century.
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Kork is one of the most interesting communities in Hanauerland. The name is of Celtic origin. Kork was first mentioned in a document in 778. Kork already had a church at that time and was a large parish.
A baroque organ in the style of Silbermann, built in 1778 by Markus-Georg Stein from Durlach, can still be found in the Kork village church.
Cork is rich in beautiful half-timbered buildings, most of which date back to the 18th century.
Also worth seeing is the Korker Bühl, the historic town center, surrounded by various types of half-timbered houses. It is home to the Korker Stier, a legendary figure cast in bronze from the forest charter of 1476.
Nearby is also Korker Castle, which became the founding site of the later large epilepsy center in 1892.
Today
Kork has been part of the large district town of Kehl since 1972. Around 2600 people live in Kork. In addition to stores for daily needs, there is almost every craft business here. The proximity to Strasbourg (8 km) allows residents and visitors alike to enjoy the cultural offerings of this city.
The crafts museum, one of the largest museums in the region – with 15 job descriptions – offers interesting insights into the professional world of the past on 1700 square meters. A large fishing exhibition, with all the fish species found in the Rhine, and a half-timbered house model show round off the offer. Over four floors, the former brewery lovingly presents professions that have long since died out or only survive in a modified form.
Kork is very well served by the regional trains Offenburg-Strasbourg running at short intervals, the TGV connection in Strasbourg (to Paris) and the ICE connection in Offenburg.
Quiet side roads, well-developed cycle paths through nature and forest invite you to go hiking, jogging, cycling and inline skating.
An epilepsy center is also attached
Europapark
Europapark is considered one of the best theme parks in the world. There are countless attractions for all ages on an area of almost 1,000,000 m2. Opened in 1975, the operators spare no effort to inspire visitors with new ideas year after year.
From wooden roller coasters to the Eurosat (a roller coaster that runs in the darkness of a giant sphere) to various water roller coasters, carousels, themed rides and water rides, there is something for all ages.
In addition to numerous shows and parades, a 4D cinema rounds off the Europapark experience. SWR has been broadcasting the programme “Immer wieder sonntags” from the park since 1995. The Miss Germany competition and various dance festivals take place there regularly.
The park has also offered a varied programme in winter for several years. In addition to ice skating, bobsleigh rides and the annual Father Christmas meeting, there is a huge Christmas market and lots of suitably decorated stalls, houses and trees.
Straßburg / Strasbourg
Strasbourg is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe – not least because of its mighty cathedral with its ornate decorations. Thanks to its rich and varied cultural heritage, the entire city centre has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Strasbourg is worth a visit for its history, its way of life, its gastronomy…!
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The founding of the city of Strasbourg dates back to 12 BC. The centre of the Roman outpost at the time was the Illin Island, where the old town is located today.
Strasbourg became a bishop’s see in the 4th century and a free imperial city in the Holy Roman Empire in 1262.
Strasbourg Minster was built between 1176 and 1439 and was the tallest building in the world until 1874.
Johannes Gutenberg lived in Strasbourg from 1434-44, which was one of the reasons why Strasbourg became an important centre for book production.
Johann Wolfgang Goethe studied in Strasbourg in 1770/71 and the city became the crystallisation point of the literary movement.
Alongside Metz and Cologne, the city was one of the most important fortresses in the German Empire at the end of the 19th century.
Due to the two world wars, the Alsace metropolis changed allegiance to France and Germany several times in the first half of the 20th century.
In 1949, the city became the seat of the Council of Europe.
Destination: Straßburg
Strasbourg is a beautiful city that invites you to take a stroll, and not just in summer. A visit to the beautiful old town, a World Heritage Site since 1988, or a boat trip on the River Ill, a visit to the European Parliament or the Tanners’ Quarter with its half-timbered houses and beautiful dormer windows is well worthwhile.
Guided tours of the cathedral show visitors one of the architectural highlights of the Gothic period.
The Christmas market, known as Christkindelsmärik by the locals, is also a guarantee for a good time. It is spread across several squares in the town. Every year, a giant fir tree from the Vosges Mountains forms part of the market. The whole town gets in the mood for the event weeks in advance with beautiful Advent decorations.
Lingering in Alsace
It’s not just the similar dialect that connects us to this smallest French region due to our shared history. It is also the love of good food and drink. Alsace is not only famous for good wines and Crémant d’Alsace, specialities such as tarte flambée, Gugelhupf, Quiche Lorraine and Munster cheese also come from this region.
Many historic wine-growing villages and the Vosges Mountains invite you to go on extended excursions alongside Strasbourg.
The Black Forest
With an area of around 11,400 square kilometres, the Black Forest holiday region is “huge”. The low mountain range that gives the region its name makes up just under half of this. Our holiday region has many faces and offers completely different possibilities. Come and join us on a tour of discovery.
The densely wooded Black Forest stretches from the High Rhine in the south to the Kraichgau region in the north. From spring to late autumn, extensive (cycle) hiking trails invite you to enjoy the natural environment.
Titisee and Schluchsee are also recreational destinations for divers and surfers.
Hornisgrinde or Schliffkopf offer wonderful views due to their height.
The winding country roads are not only a magnet for motorbike enthusiasts on beautiful summer days.
The Feldberg and Todtnau are well-known winter sports areas throughout Germany, and Hinterzarten is regarded as a talent factory for German ski jumpers.
The Black Forest is well served by the railway. Once again, Kork, with its railway station, is the ideal starting point for relaxing days in the south of Germany.
Kehl at the river Rhine
The large district town of Kehl is located between Freiburg and Karlsruhe directly on the Rhine. It is the German border town to Strasbourg. Its location made Kehl important early on. For shipping on the one hand and for border traffic on the other. The first bridge over the Rhine was built in 1333. After Kehl was conquered by the French King Louis XIV in 1678, its development into the Kehl fortress began. The construction of the Kehl railway bridge in 1842 made it possible for the first time to travel directly from Paris to Vienna by train. During the Second World War, Kehl became a suburb of Strasbourg.
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Today
Kehl is a town with just over 35,000 inhabitants.
In addition to the traffic-calmed city centre, the newly built shopping centre invites you to take a stroll.
The arms of the Old Rhine, the Rhine foreland and the Passerelle are of great recreational value. The latter is a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians over the Rhine to Strasbourg, which was built as part of the 2004 State Garden Show. Walkers, joggers and cyclists feel at home here, and not just on beautiful summer days.
Vacation destination Kehl
Kehl and the surrounding towns are ideal for a short holiday.
Strasbourg and Kehl offer a wide variety of museums and sights to explore. But not only culture lovers will get their money’s worth. The Ortenau region is also perfect for cycling holidays and the neighbouring Black Forest offers hikers a wide network of trails.
Baden-Baden
Not only the former residence of the margrave but also the namesake of this region! Baden-Baden was already known to the Romans thanks to its hot thermal springs.
After a devastating fire in 1689, the town did not recover from the destruction for some time. In the 19th century, the income from the casino, where you can still gamble and increase your money today, contributed to the city’s new prosperity. The theatre has a permanent ensemble, the Festspielhaus is the second largest opera house in Europe and impresses with operas, musicals and concerts. A large number of museums round off the city’s cultural programme.
The Caracalla Therme and the Friedrichsbad, interestingly located next to Roman bath ruins, ensure physical relaxation. Bathing in the thermal water, relaxing in the extensive sauna area and rejuvenating with a soap brush massage or soothing scrub round off the offer.
Cycling
The Hotel-Restaurant Hirsch is an excellent starting point for a cycle tour. It offers cyclists in particular the following advantages:
- Recording even for one night only
- Packed lunches can be booked on request
- Information/posting of bus and train connections
- Lockable storage facility for bicycles
- Cooperation with the bike hire centre in Kehl
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The Hotel-Restaurant Hirsch is an excellent starting point for a cycle tour. It offers cyclists in particular the following advantages:
Recording even for one night only
Packed lunches can be booked on request
Info/Aushang von Bus- und Bahnverbindungen
Lockable storage facility for bicycles
Cooperation with the bike hire centre in Kehl
The number of great cycle routes is countless, so we have put together our favourites for you.
Cycling in the Ortenau region
In the Ortenau region, you can explore the Rhine foreland, the Taubergießen nature reserve, the largest orchard in Baden-Württemberg around Oberkirch and the vineyards of Baden on a dense network of cycle paths.
The new “Legends and Myths of the Ortenau” cycle tour network opened in April 2014. Nature lovers can discover the “magical” wine region on the western edge of the Black Forest on thirty circular routes. The routes are between 12 and 73 kilometres long and are ideal for e-bikes or touring bikes. In the east, they lead into the side valleys of the Kinzig valley and in the west to Alsace on the French side of the Rhine. The longest circular tour leads 131 kilometres as the “Roman Tour” from Gengenbach via Offenburg and Strasbourg to the Vosges towns of Molsheim and Obernai. A 46-page brochure with overview maps, elevation profiles, charging and service stations can be downloaded here.
With its flat network of paths, the route along the Rhine is also ideal for relaxed cycling. Most of the Rhine Valley cycle path is tarmac and is suitable for inexperienced cyclists and children thanks to its gentle gradients and low traffic volume. From Kehl-Kork, you can either head north towards Heidelberg or take the route along the French border via Basel to Thurgau on Lake Constance. You can find more information here.
Cycling in Alsace
The following cycle tour through beautiful Alsace includes numerous cycle paths, such as the Strasbourg cycle network, the Voie Verte du Canal de la Bruche cycle path and the Voie Verte du Canal de la Marne au Rhin cycle path. This route also includes the newly developed Voie Verte Molsheim-Wasselonne (Romansviller) cycle path. The integration of many fragmentary cycle paths gives the circular tour the character of a long-distance cycle route.
The Alsace Cycle Tour has a total length of 105 kilometres. The starting point is in the beautiful city of Strasbourg.You can get there either by car – from Stuttgart via the A8 motorway and the A5 to the Appenweier exit or on the B28 via Kehl. You can also take advantage of the favourable train connections to Strasbourg from Stuttgart, Freudenstadt, Karlsruhe and Freiburg. Particularly noteworthy are the continuous tarmac surface and good signposting along the entire cycle route. The quiet traffic situation should also be noted, as there is hardly any traffic on most of the country roads. Other activities such as road cycling, touring cycling, hiking, walking, jogging and inline skating are also possible on the Voies Vertes. The route is barrier-free and therefore also suitable for trips with pushchairs. You can find more information here.
Cross-border cycling
Germany’s most famous cycle path is just five kilometres from the Hotel-Restaurant Hirsch. The Rhine Cycle Route runs from the source of the Rhine in the Swiss mountains through Germany, partly along the border with France, to the mouth of the Rhine in the North Sea (Rotterdam). In total, the international long-distance cycle route stretches over a length of 1230 kilometres – which is divided into five sections. This categorisation can help you to plan your route and choose the right maps. You can find more information here.
Destinations in the region
See, experience and enjoy. Everything is possible in the Ortenau: from amusement parks, historical and modern museums, to hiking and cycling tours.
The destinations mentioned here represent only some of the possibilities. They are all easy to reach by car and in some cases by train and are ideal for a day trip:
Black Forest Open-Air Museum Vogtsbauernhof in Gutach:
The oldest open-air museum in Baden-Württemberg depicts the lives of people in the region over the past centuries.
Gengenbach:
Home to the world’s largest Advent calendar, several museums and a stronghold of Fastnacht – the allemannic version of carnival.
Crafts Museum Kork:
On three floors, the former brewery lovingly presents professions that have long since died out or only exist in a modified form.
