Despite the fact that much of mainland Europe has become essentially border-free within the so-called “Schengen Area,” many North Americans continue to view the continent in terms of single-country destinations. This is true of the Rhine Valley, where the river creates an aquatic border between France and Germany. But when you realize that the Black Forest, one of the loveliest regions of Germany, is less than an hour from Strasbourg in France, and no tiresome formalities are required to drive there, it suddenly makes perfect sense to combine the two on a single trip.