What to do and see in Alsace

The area surrounding these gites and bed and breakfasts in Alsace have a a wealth of activities available and a wide variety of places to visit 

just let us know your interests and we'll do our best to help plan your stay. 

Riquewihr

Situated between the peaks of the Vosges mountains and the Plain of Alsace, Riquewihr is a medieval town right in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards, classified among the «Most Beautiful Villages in France».

For centuries this magnificent town has managed to combine the quality of its architecture with the quality of its world-famous wines, from where it gets its nickname «The Gem of the Alsace Vineyards».

Riquewihr, not to be missed when visiting Alsace, is an «open-air museum» .It has managed to preserve its authentic character behind its city walls, which are now besieged only by the vines.

Riquewihr, a very old town, is made up (among other things) of:

• half-timbered houses dating back to the 15th - 18th centuries, built very close together,

• the Dolder (a 13th century defensive gate).

• There is a very lovely Christmas shop which you should visit when in Riquewihr.

Ribeauvillé

Situated on the ‘Route des Vins’, between vineyards and mountains, Ribeauvillé is a charming town

In the Middle Ages, the town was the seat of the Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre - the Lords of Ribeaupierre (whence the town’s name of Ribeauvillé).

The Ribeaupierres built 3 fortified castles, the ruins of which still majestically dominate the town and surrounding hills to this day.
All three are accessible via a hiking footpath, on the mountainside:

• the Saint Ulrich castle (the oldest and the most important of the 3 castles)

• the Girsberg castle

• the Haut-Ribeaupierre castle, (as its name suggests, is the highest of the 3 castles).

Kaysersberg

Hansi, the famous Alsatian artist, said the following of Kaysersberg: "The situation of Kaysersberg, its unusual silhouette and its numerous ancient constructions make it the prettiest city on the Wine Road".

The high fortress that dominates the city serves as a reminder of its strategic importance and its violent past. However, today Kaysersberg seems more appropriate as the perfect setting for an Alsatian festival with its medieval atmosphere created by the pretty half-timbered houses that have been well preserved.

Vines also surround the city and to insure that we do not forget their importance there is an old stone well with an interesting inscription

"Do you drink water at the table ?
It will chill your stomach.
Drink with moderation old and subtil wine.
I advise you to do as such and as for me, leave the water to the side..."

Kaysersberg is particularly proud of its native: Doctor Albert Schweitzer . Doctor Schweitzer is renown throughout the world as a writer, philanthropist, theologian and doctor. One may visit the home of his birth.

There is also a very small war cemetary you must see in Kaysersberg. You 'll find it behind the church in a small path. Here are buried a small number of young soldiers whom all were killed around christmas during the last world war. It also contains a stone gallery with statues dating back to 1500 and a cross of Saint Jacques from 1511.

Eguisheim

An authentical village built in a circle!

(This village can be visited on the same day as Colmar, it's close by)

Eguisheim, the birthplace of winegrowing in Alsace, has 1590 inhabitants and nestles between gentle hillsides covered with 339 hectares of vines.

In the heart of the Alsace wine region, at an altitude of 210m, it is only 5kilometres from Colmar and close to the European capital of Strasbourg, Freiburg and to Basel. Pope St Leo IX was born here, and Eguisheim enjoys an international reputation.

Fortified in 1257, Eguisheim is proud of its picturesque and concentric narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses and rich floral decoration (French “4-flower” rating and National Grand Prix award holder since 1989 and European “Entente Florale” gold medal winner in 2006). Its 16 th century courts, fountains and a church (containing a Callinet organ) all contribute to the historic personality of the village.

The parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Rebuilt in gotic style in 1220, the only surviving part of the original Roman Church is the belfry. In the belfry, the 14th century roof structure support 4 bells, the largest of which came from the Abbey of Marbach . The doorway of the Church houses a sculpture in polychromed wood, called "the Opening Virgin". This work dating from 13th and 14th centuries, is one of only 2 surviving examples in Alsace, the other being in Kaysersberg.

The lower castle of Eguisheim, on the Saint-Leon square, is built against the distinctive 13th century octogonal ramparts of bossed stone. Five metres thick in places, the wall were originally surrounded by a water-filled moat. In 1835, this was drained and filled in.
The castle is accessible only during the guiding tours organised by the Tourist Office.

The welcome offered to visitors is of the same high standard as the remarkable cultural and architectural heritage of Eguisheim.

In Eguisheim, it is pleasant to stroll in the narrow streets in a warm luminosity that varies with the season and enhances the colourful palette of houses nestling up against its ramparts. A visit not to be missed!

Colmar

Without going over the top with superlatives, Colmar undoubtedly remains an exceptional town due to the wealth and variety of its historical and architectural heritage.

The capital of central Alsace, situated near Germany and Switzerland between the Vosges and the Rhine, Strasbourg and Mulhouse, the town offers visitors an exciting glimpse of 1000 years of European history.
What's more, Colmar, with its 67,000 inhabitants, retains a 'country town' atmosphere which contributes so much to its charm. Wonderfully preserved from the ravages of time, its homogenous historical centre is classed as a 'protected area' and has benefited from careful restoration and ongoing improvements for more than 20 years.

Colmar town centre is essentially pedestrian, comprises numerous architectural treasures such as monuments, churches, museums and alleys, full of imposing buildings dating from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Marvel at the Maison Pfister, the Koïfhus, Unterlinden museum, Little Venice, the maison des têtes and Saint Martin's Collegiate church.

Citytrain.

Make good time in the city with the citytrain. You can take in and take off as many times as you want with the one day pass.

4 stops  in the city, Audio-tour with individual earphones in 12 languages.

Prices : Pass 1  day :6€

STATIONS :

1.Place de la Gare

2.Place de la Cathédrale

3.Place Jeanne d'Arc

4 Place des 6 montagnes noires (Petite Venise)

Struthof

The site of the former Natzweiler concentration camp, the KL-Natzweiler museum, the European centre for deported resistance fighters and the Deportation Memorial.

It constitutes one of the main places of remembrance of the history concerning the political and resistant deportation during the Second World War.

On 21 April 1941, near the village of Struthof, the Nazis opened a concentration camp, KL-Natzweiler.

The central camp, the only concentration camp in France, was located in the then annexed Alsace département. Its annexes, scattered over the 2 sides of the Rhine, made up a network of nearly 70 camps, more or less large. Of the nearly 52,000 detainees of KL-Natzeiler, about 35,000 did not go through the central camp.

A labour camp supporting the Nazi war industry, it was also used for medical experiments by Nazi professors from the Reich University of Strasbourg.

On 23 November 1944, the Allies discovered the site evacuated by the Nazis since September. Some deportees from the camp annexes had their sufferings prolonged in the spring of 1945 on the "Death Marches".

From 1941 to 1945, the KL-Natzweiler was one of the most murderous camps of the Nazi system. Nearly 22,000 deportees died there.

The site is open 7 days a week, including holidays. From 9AM to 6PM

After leaving the concentration camp, change your mind by going on to visit Obernai.

Obernai

The birthplace of St. Odile, is a condensed version of Alsace. The town will come up to the visitor’s expectations whether he be gourmet, sportsman, history lover or just an ordinary tourist. Here, welcoming people is a tradition and our smile comes from the heart. You will feel like home…

Don't hesitate to push the door of a very intersting shop called DIETRICH which is on the main place and next to the pharmacy. Very interesting and lots to buy!!

Gertwiller

can be visited after Obernai

Gertwiller, a charming little wine-growing village, is situated at the foot of the Mont Sainte Odile, between the plain and the hillside vineyards.

The village, through which an important road runs, was a traditional stopping place for travellers and transporters. The post house and a number of inns and a superb sign at the "Relais des deux clefs" ('Two keys coaching inn) still subsist.

Gertwiller is an old empire village certified since 1160 and which belonged to Strasbourg from 1568 to the Revolution. It's a tiny village with lots of gingerbread and not much else, but it's a great stop after seeing Obernai.

The know-how and the concentration of confectioner-bakers in this locality have contributed to making the "pain d'épices" (gingerbread) one of the cultural and gastronomic specialities of Alsace (see the gingerbread Museum, the 'Musée du Pain d'Epices et des Douceurs d'autrefois').

Two local companies still produce gingerbread.Gertwiller is the village of gingerbread. In the past, Gertwiller had 7 gingerbread factories, but only 2 factories still make gingerbread cookies which are sold in their shops: LIPP and FORTWENGER

Strasbourg

Monuments, museums and other sites to see:

Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, like many other French cities, offers free entry to its museums on the 1st Sunday of every month from 10:00am to 6:00pm*.

"Must-see" tourist sites

• The cathedral of Notre-Dame, a masterpiece of Gothic art Opening times: Every day from 7 a.m. to 11.20 a.m. and from 12.35 to 7 p.m.

   

  The Kammerzell house: enjoy a journey back in time

  A genuine "jewel in the crown" of Strasbourg’s architecture, this house once provided income for several generations of merchants. During the 15th century, people would sell their goods under the carved stone arches of its ground floor. The intricately carved half-timbered frames decorating the upper floors date from 1589.

Please note: the house is situated opposite the Tourist Office, and is home to a restaurant.

The Petite France quarter: "The district on the waters"

This is the most picturesque district of old Strasbourg. Fishermen, millers and tanners once lived and worked in this part of town where the streets have been built level with the waterways.
The magnificent half-timbered houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Their sloping roofs open out onto lofts where hides were once dried.

• The European institutions

One of the nicest way to see Strasbourg is by boat on the river L'Ill which surrounds the city.

Boat trips Landing stage: Palais Rohan.

Tour of the town with comments available every day, all year round.
Duration: 1 hour 10 mins, departures: every 1/2H from 9H30 AM till 9PM Full price: 8 €

Sélestat

Market day: Tuesday morning till noon in the old town

Sélestat, a crossroads at the heart of Alsace, is between plain and mountains, past and present. You will fall under the charm of this town of art and tradition, with its fascinating heritage and hospitality.

If you love old books,explore the famous Humanist Library.

Bibliothèque Humaniste
1 rue de la Bibliothèque

The collections of the Humanist Library in Sélestat are composed of the books from both the Humanist School Library (15th century) and the Libraria rhenana , some 760 books bequeathed by Beatus Rhenanus, the great Humanist born in the city.

The display of the books from these two libraries enables us to study the development of the book from the 7th to the 16th centuries. The history of Alsatian humanism is told through printing in Alsace in the 15th and 16th centuries and the writings of Alsatian humanist leaders such as Geiler of Kaysersberg, Jacques Whimpeling, Beatus Rhenanus or Martin Bucer.

The exhibits include a 7th century Merovingian lectionary, the oldest book preserved in Alsace, a copy of Charlemagne's Capitularies or local laws (9th century), Vitruvius's Treaty on Architecture (10th century), one of Beatus Rhenanus's school exercise-books (1499) and several incunabula (550) as well as a selection from the 16th century 2000 books preserved in the Library.

The Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle

The moment you step over the threshold of the great door at Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle, you find yourself in a whole new world: the Middle Ages.

Cross the lower Courtyard with its inn, forge and mill then climb the spiral stairways leading to the Lord's furnished apartments. Plunge into an environment of architecture and furnishings steeped in history. The omni-present drawbridges, armoury, keep and cannons are a constant reminder of the purpose of this mountain fortress, which has been besieged, destroyed and pillaged numerous times since its construction.

This prestigious fortress was abandoned after 1633, and then given to Kaiser Wilhelm II von Hohenzollern in 1899 by the town of Sélestat. He commissioned the architect Bodo Ebhardt, a specialist in medieval fortifications, to restore the castle. Its renovation satisfied his passion for the Middle Ages, whilst he dreamed of a return to the old German Empire.Much to the delight of fortress enthusiasts, this restoration of the Haut-Kœnigsbourg offers a remarkable insight into 15th century mountain fortresses in the Alsace region.

Visit the artillery platform, also referred to as the Grand Bastion: an exceptional monument with a characteristic structure. Take the time to enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view over the Alsace plain, the Vosges Mountains, the Black Forest and even, on a clear day, the Alps…

and so many other lovely villages to see .....

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© Martine Sanger Mesnil