Alsace is a spellbinding corner of France, that rewards visitors with enchanting medieval villages, a unique culture and cuisine with both French and German influences, and spectacular wineries, famed for producing some of the best riesling and gewurtztraminer in the world. These are the fairytale towns that the rest of the world imitates! The best places in Alsace are along the wine route, the Route des Vins, and include famous Colmar and the smaller villages of Kayserberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauville and Eguisheim.
We visited Alsace in summer, as part of a month-long trip to Europe, and spent our time exploring the most beautiful villages in Alsace and discovering the region’s food and wine. We didn’t have time to go to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, but instead focused our time on the region’s most beautiful places to visit.
Where is Alsace?
Alsace is in northeastern France, on the border between France and Germany. It was formerly the smallest region of France, but has since been merged into a new administrative region called “Grand Est”, which combines Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne. Alsace is split into two sub-regions, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. Bas-Rhin includes Strasbourg, and all of the recommended places in this post fall into Haut-Rhin, which includes Colmar.
Alsace has been part of the Roman Empire, when it was a border region between French and German cultures. From the 17th century until the end of WWII, Alsace has changed hands between France and Germany several times, resulting in a unique French culture with a strong German influence. Often, we’d have to remind ourselves that we were in France, and not Germany!
Getting to & around Alsace
The fastest way get to Alsace is to catch a train to Colmar. If coming from Paris or in the north, you’ll need to change trains at Strasbourg. If you’re coming from the south, like we were, you’ll change trains at Mulhouse. We hired a car in Colmar which was ideal for exploring the villages at our own leisure. AVIS car hire has an office at the Colmar train station, which was super convenient.
Colmar
Colmar is the largest and most famous of Alsace’s fairytale villages. It has a population of 70,000 but is still a relatively small town. It’s the most photographed town in Alsace, with its colourful, half-timbered houses lining the cobbled streets and pretty waterways. We started our trip to Alsace in Colmar, by catching the train to Colmar & collecting a hire car here. We spent the afternoon exploring the pretty streets, and stopping for lunch to try a famous Alsatian dish, the flammekuchen – delicious! It was a beautiful introduction to Alsace and I can see why it is a popular place for people to stay. Personally, I preferred staying in a smaller village, but Colmar is absolutely a must-visit in the area.
Kayserberg
Of all the Alsatian villages we visited, we spent the most time exploring Kayserberg. All of the villages in Alsace are beautiful, but I was the most taken with Kayserberg. It’s name means “Emperor’s Mountain”, and reflects its strategic location during the days of the Roman Empire and subsequent rulers. Kayseberg is surrounded by hills covered with vineyards and forest, and the pretty Weiss river runs through the middle of town. We had a delicious, traditional Alsatian lunch at Caveau du Schlossberg before spending the afternoon exploring the pretty streets.
Riquewihr
Riquewihr is one of the most popular small villages in Alsace, with a spellbinding main street that rises through the village. Riquewihr and nearby Ribeauville were the inspiration for Belle’s home village in Beauty & The Beast, which goes to show how enchanting these villages are. Riquewihr is lined with colourful, half-timbered houses dating from the 15th-18th centuries, and the 13th century Dolder Tower is a pretty landmark.
We visited the wine tasting room of Hugel & Fils, one of the premier winemakers in Alsace, which dates back to 1639. They had beautiful wines, and a lovely tasting experience. The window at the tasting bar looks straight down the pretty main street of Riquewihr, which is quite a view!
We visited in summer, but Riquewihr is also known for having one of the best Christmas markets in Alsace.
Ribeauville
We did a wine tasting at Maison Trimbauch on the edge of Ribeauville, and I loved browsing the traditional Alsatian food products at Hubert Siedel in the centre of town.
Ribeauville is full of beautifully preserved houses and buildings from the 15th-18th century, and is dotted with pretty Renaissance fountains in several villages squares.
The Tour des Bouchers (Butchers Tower) is a well preserved medieval defensive tower, dating back to the 13th century and rebuilt in the 18th.. It’s in the centre of the village, and you can walk through it,
Three castles overlook Ribeauville – Chateau de Saint-Ulrich, Chateau du Girsburg and Chateau du Haut-Ribeaupierre. The most important, and the oldest, is the Chateau de Saint-Ulrich, which dates back to the 11th century and can be spotted on a distant hillside from the centre of Ribeauville. It was abandoned in the 16th century, and you can hike up the hillside to explore the ruins to this day.
Eguisheim
Eguisheim is magical. It’s one of the smaller medieval Alsatian villages, but has also been named as one of the most beautiful villages in France. We stayed in Eguisheim, at the James Hotel Vignoble, and I’m so glad we did! Eguisheim was much less crowded than Riquwihr and Ribeauville, while still having a busy, lively atmosphere. Eguisheim is built around its castle, with concentric streets fanning out from the castle at the centre. Eguisheim is also home to a number of storks, which are an icon of Alsace and a symbol of fertility and a good harvest. They build enormous nests, improbably balanced on the peak of roofs around the village. We were lucky enough to be in Eguisheim for the celebration of Fete de la Musique, the summer solstice festival celebrated across Europe. It was a magical and awe-inspiring evening.
