First time I have been to Alsace, stayed with new In-laws in Wintzenheim, most beautiful countryside and towns.
We walked all over Kaysersburg, happening upon a wine tasting in a very modest but great spot: Vins d'Alsace, François Stoll, rue Basse du Rempart. He explained the various wimes, the way things are done in Alsace, and how perfect a spot it is to live in. We spent a good 30 min. with this generous man. Then on to the walled medieval town of Riquewihr. Lots of fun spots where one could barely walk. Finished the day at the Lion Hotel restaurant in Ribeauville...very good food and fun waitress.
It is a beautiful and tipical area indeed.must not be missed.we were there Christmas time to enjoy some christmas spirit since this area is famous for its christmas markets .well its more than the markets in fact.its like walking through a christmas tree with all kinds of ornaments around you.with already the architecture of the area ,it is like traveling thourough time to a fairytail land.so it is entertaining also for children especially Ribeauville where they have created mediaval setting with artisans in the streets and everyting. We stayed two nigts in Colmar and covered three other best towns around Colmar.Eguisheim,Ribeauville and Riquewihr .then drove up to Strasbourg for two nights.Since there were a lot going on in the villages and days were short in December we did not have time for other towns.but the area is compact you can extually cover all in few days.if you are going on christmas period I would say avoid saturday and sunday because it is too crowded.I felt that i would have apprciated the beauty of the towns more with a little less amount of crowds.
A days trawling along the route stopping where our fancy took us. We actually preferred some of the smaller less touristy villages.
From Saint-Hippolyte to Riquewihr was an amazing adventure. Unfortunately we went in "off-season" so it was pretty chilly and there weren't any grapes on the vines...but driving through, you can only picture what it would be like in the spring/summer. We only had two days to explore the area. We started by visiting Haut Koeningsbourg castle in Orschwiller, France located near the quaint village of Saint-Hippolyte. Was such a beautiful drive up to the castle. The castle itself was pretty neat. We didn't have a tour guide but the pamphlets they supplied did a good job of explaining things (and they have them in many different languages). The views were AMAZING so bring your camera!Stayed overnight in Saint-Hippolyte. It was a Sunday evening so everything was closed. Stayed at the A-La-Vignette hotel on 66 route du vin. This hotel was so sweet. The owners treated us like family. We had dinner in their pub which was delicious. I had the creme brulee for dessert and it arrived en flambe...Saint-Hippolyte wine was ordered with dinner, the pinot noir recommended by our waitress was smooth and satisfying. The staff worked with our limited french speaking skills and made our stay worthwhile.Monday we drove to Riquewihr, France. Riquewihr is a "walled-in" city. Parking is located on the outside of the wall around the city. Visiting Riquewihr was like stepping back a couple centuries with the cobblestone roads and narrow streets. Everyone was busy decorating for the upcoming christmas season (started the following weekend). We arrived early(around 10am) and the city was pretty empty.Talked to the tourism office lady who said "it is france, there are hours listed on the doors but it's pretty much a guide not a rule". There are many cute shops geared to tourists. Lot's of shops and restaurants to choose from. After Riquewihr we drove up to Ribeauville. Another small town. Bought a couple bottles of local wine for later. Again, a lot of cute shops geared to tourists. We tried to visit a wine shop on the outskirts of town but they were closed on Mondays. ;( I would definitely make a return to the Alsace region of France, would probably go during the spring/summer season to get the full "wine tour" experience. The people are friendly and helpful.
An incredible series of picturesque towns & villages, around 100, along this 170 km wine producing route, stretching nearly from the edges of Strasbourg (Marlenheim), down to Thann, near Mulhouse. Wonderful timber framed houses seem to line the route, each village the type you would expect to see on a chocolate box. Spectacular vineyards, plenty of wine tasting opportunites, simply must be seen.
We got on the southern tip of the Vin d'Alsace Road at Mulhouse and traveled north to our hotel in Bergheim, before turning west toward Natzweiler the next day. The route is marked intermittently with nice, brown signs that read "Vin d'Alsace", but we occasionally found ourselves unsure of whether we were still on the official route at several junctures and did actually become lost in a couple of towns. This said, in general, if you stick to country roads and keep heading north with the vineyard-laden hills on your left (heading north) and the larger highway in the flatlands to your right, you'll be delighted. Each town you enter is postcard perfect. I would head off the country road toward the main highway around Colmar and spend a couple of hours roaming that city's extensive Old City, which was wonderful (and apparently less jammed than Strasborg to the north), based on reviews. Another great stop for a meal is Ribeauville, back over on the country road north of Colmar. They have a wonderful, picturesque center street with sidewalk cafes. We stayed just a few kilometers north of there in Berghiem, which was very quiet, but a wonderful place to stroll around at night. France is so very lovely. The Alsace-Lorraine district is a jewel not to be missed. And the wine road is the best way to experience it.I would also do a little reading about the history of the various towns and nearby castles. You'll enjoy the various locations much more that way.
Our Alsation Wine tour was ok but rain made it impossible to see the Heiligenstein vinyards and the town of Obernai which is at the foot of the Vosges Mountains properly.This was a pity but we did enjoy our tour of the wine cellar and the wine tasting. The wine was extremely good and much better than what we had previously thought Alsace wines to be, we did buy some to take home.All of these wines were produced using traditional methods.
We stayed 2 nights in Strasbourg and 2 nights in Colmar. During that period, we visited Obernai, Barr, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. The picturesque villages, the vineyards and the culture of wine fulfilled our days with their beauty and charm. What a wonderful world we discover.
One of the highlights of our trip! The beauty of the mountains in the background, vineyards surrounding you, and the picturesque villages you drive through is not to be missed in your vidit to Alsace. The four favorite towns were Rosheim, Obernai, Eguisheim, and Kayserberg.