Alsace Itinerary

Day 3

The first part of the day we will find ourselves once again on the famous Route des Vins with its picturesque villages of the Lower Rhine. We will pass through Mittlebergheim, one of the most beautiful villages in France, then by Andlau and Itterswiller where we will be welcomed by the Sohler family (winemakers for fourteen generations) who will help you discover their subtle and very affordable artisanal wines,.

We will leave the Route des Vins to enter in the Vosges mountains and through the Val de Villé (schnaps valley) where we visit the famous distillery Legoll, which produces, among other things, traditional alcohols made from plums, raspberries and Alsace pears.

Not far away, we stop for a light lunch in a charming village perched on the mountain.

La Vancelle – Restaurant Frankenbourg – Lunch

We will continue our path in this Vosges valley to the Col du Bonhomme. Where we will arrive in Lapoutroie to visit the traditional cheese maker Haxaire and take the opportunity to taste their famous Munster and a selection of other delicious cheeses made on site all accompanied by matching wines of Alsace.

A short trip will then lead us to Kaysersberg, where we will stop to discover one of the most charming cities of Alsace, also the birthplace of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, with its cobbled streets, its rich-timbered houses and medieval sites grouped around the church.

Finally, we will reach the end of our journey for the day in the heart of the vineyards, the village of Riquewihr, another one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is in this medieval fortress city that we will spend the night in a hotel with rustic charm. Ideally located in the heart of the city, you will have plenty of time to explore the narrow streets lined with colourful houses and flowers, visit the cellars or the many stalls selling local crafts.

For dinner, we offer the Table du Gourmet Jean-Luc Brendel, arguably the best restaurant in town. Unless you prefer to munch some local specialties and learn to recognize the Alsatian wines in the warm atmosphere of the cellars of the city.

Riquewihr – La Table du Gourmet – Dinner

Riquewihr – A L’Oriel – Night and Breakfast

Day 5

Before leaving Colmar, we will take a moment to browse the picturesque district of Little Venice, with its pastel houses lining the Lauch river.

Then we will head south to reach Eguisheim, yes another one of the most beautiful villages of France, founded by the nephew of Saint Odile in about year 720 on a site that had been occupied since Paleolithic age. We stop to explore the square of the castle, the church, its narrow streets, its half-timbered houses built in the 13th century with their flowered balconies.

We will then go through Husseren famous for its three towers overlooking the city before stopping for lunch of an assortment of foie gras in a restaurant founded by a producer of artisanal foie gras.

Gueberschwihr- Le Goldert – Foie Gras Tasting Lunch

Then we continue on the wine route southward through the celebrated vineyards of Upper Rhine and the many wine villages.

We will stop in Guebwiller to visit the ancient Abbey of Dominicans, now a site of artistic events and performances, the monument is one of the most breathtaking sights of the region.

After that, we move on to Mulhouse and will stop at the centre of the old city to spend the late afternoon to discover its painted houses, lively streets and shops and have a drink on the Place de la Réunion.

One last trip south will take us for a unique dinner at the most famous cheese affineur in France. Indeed, we will participate to the “Ceremony of Cheese” with Monsieur Bernard Antony. This dinner is an initiation of sorts, with six courses featuring five kinds of cheese, each matched with wines from his cellars. A unique gastronomic adventure!

Vieux Ferrette – Bernard Antony – La cérémonie des fromages – Cheese Tasting Dinner

An hour’s drive later, we return to the hotel in Colmar for a benefical night’s rest.

Colmar – Le Maréchal – Night and Breakfast

Day 6

After a final walk through downtown, we take the fast route north, cross St. Hippolytus and access the rocky promontory of Upper Koenigsbourg where we will visit the 12th century pink sandstone castle. Particularly majestic, it was looted, then burned in 1633 and remained abandoned for two centuries. It was fully restored to its former glory, by William II, the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, when Alsace was under German rule in the early 20th century. Today this is one of the most stunning illustrations of the Middle Ages in Europe.

We then descend into the plain to the village of Kintzheim for lunch at an inn known for its traditional Flammenkueche – a form of Alsatian pizza.

Kintzheim – Auberge Saint Martin – Lunch

Then we pass through the neighbouring village of Chatenois, with its typical local church, then by the town of Selestat, before returning north Epfig, where we stop for a wine tasting at the renowned Domaine Ostertag.

Finally, we reach Strasbourg and will take a late afternoon walk to the picturesque quartier of La Petite France with its old half-timbered houses built along the Ill river, the covered bridges, the Vauban dam and the alleys of the lively old town.

It is here in these medieval streets that we will dine at Chez Yvonne. This traditional tavern has seen many celebrities, but has never lost its authenticity and its regional cuisine rare quality.
Strasbourg – Chez Yvonne – Dinner
After dinner, guests of the formula DOMAINES return Hotel Regent Petite France, and those of the TERROIRS formula will return to the Maison Kammerzell, both close enough to be reached on foot.

DOMAINES
Strasbourg – Le Régent Petite France – Night and Breakfast

TERROIRS
Strasbourg – Baumann/Maison Kammerzell – Night and Breakfast