A visit to Kehl, a city on the Rhine, can be planned around its cross-border park, river crossings and local architectural history. You can focus on connections between the two banks of the Rhine, views across the landscape or historic buildings. The Garden of the Two Banks extends across both sides of the Rhine; bridges and the tram offer different ways to get between them.
Between Kehl and Strasbourg
The Garden of the Two Banks is a publicly accessible cross-border park. Its gardens and parkland cover more than 50 hectares on both sides of the Rhine. The park is therefore a major cross-border destination in its own right, not merely a crossing between the riverbanks.
The Passerelle des Deux Rives connects the German and French banks of the Rhine for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge has a viewing platform above the Rhine. The Beatus-Rhenanus Bridge serves a different purpose: it is a tram bridge that can also be used on foot and by bicycle. Together with the garden and the tram, this shared infrastructure is part of the cross-border living space formed by Kehl and Strasbourg.
The tram is another practical way to get between the cities: Strasbourg’s Line D crosses the Rhine to Kehl and serves three stops there. Check the route, service and stops before travelling. This lets you consider the tram as a distinct part of your travel plans, without confusing it with the pedestrian and cycling routes across the bridges.
Views and outdoor water features
At WeiĂźtannenturm, 210 steps lead to a platform 35 metres above the ground. From the top, the view stretches over Kehl and Strasbourg towards the Black Forest and the Vosges. The number of steps and the height give you concrete details to help plan a visit for the views. Further maintenance work is planned; check access before your visit.
Kehl’s water playground recreates the Rhine’s former natural course. Its features include a water channel, fountains, pools and play equipment; it operates seasonally. In the Rhine foreland, there is a water-treading station with a Kneipp arm bath, as well as the R(h)einlabyrinth, which is 17 metres in diameter. These facilities are quite distinct: the water playground recreates the river’s former course, while the water-treading station and labyrinth are described as separate features in the Rhine foreland.
Traces of different eras
Kehl was founded as a military outpost in front of Strasbourg; the Lange Bruck Rhine crossing has existed since the 14th century. These details point to different aspects of the city’s history: Kehl’s early role as a military outpost and the long history of a crossing over the Rhine.
Individual buildings can also be placed clearly in their historical context. The Weinbrennerhaus was built in 1816 and is considered the oldest house in Kehl’s city centre. St. John of Nepomuk Church was built between 1911 and 1914, based on a design by Johannes Schroth. Villa Schmidt is a listed example of an elaborately designed upper-middle-class residential villa from the early 20th century. Together, these buildings illustrate different periods and types of architecture, from a house dating to the early 19th century to a church and villa from the early 20th century.
The Mutter-Kinzig sculpture is part of a memorial to those killed in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. It adds a specific war memorial to the picture of Kehl’s history, while the Weinbrennerhaus, church and villa illustrate different periods and styles of architecture.
A guide to visiting Strasbourg
Strasbourg Cathedral is about 6 kilometres from Kehl. By bicycle, you can reach it in around 20 minutes via signposted cycle paths. This time is a guide and may vary depending on the route and conditions. It provides a concrete point of comparison when planning your visit to Kehl’s cross-border infrastructure: both the approximate distance and a mode of transport using signposted cycle paths are specified.
Discover more destinations: Kork, Hofstetten, Biberach, Durbach, Sasbach, Nordrach, MeiĂźenheim, Bad Peterstal-Griesbach.
For the main travel overview: Ortenaukreis.
