Hiking in Germany

I admit it. I love a good border crossing.

When I come upon one, I always have to snap at least ten pictures of the novelty of having one foot in one country and one in another. Maybe it's dorky, but then again I come from the Chicago area, where the biggest thrill one could have was to drive into Gary, Indiana. Somehow, that one never felt worth documenting as it always involved both a traffic jam filled with trucks and a construction site.

Anyhow, if you love a good border crossing, or are just looking for a fun Sunday hike, try this:

Take the train to Kaiserstuhl. It's a small medieval Swiss town, marked by what every Swiss town has-a clock tower. My guidebook tells me it also has a Baroque Landhaus and a beautiful historic center. No offense, but I don't have much patience for a historic center or a Landhaus when the Rhine is sitting there, just beckoning me to cross over into another country.

Marked by a Deutschland sign and a castle, the other side of the Rhine gave my husband and me a great view of Kaiserstuhl before we set off hiking along the German side of the Rhine towards Zweidlen. (About 5k).



It's a nice, flat walk along the Rhine, where you can revel in hiking in Germany and admiring Switzerland at the same time (or do the opposite--there are trails on both sides of the Rhine).



You'll know when you arrive at Zweidlen, as there is a huge dam there.

Cross it (yeah! another border crossing!) and then walk up the hill and you can take the train back from Zweideln. Or if you still have energy, you can hike another 5K back to Kaiserstuhl on the Swiss side of the Rhine.