Alsace Travel Guide | My Life Trips

Alsace

Information

Alsace is a historic region in northeastern France on the River Rhine and borders with Germany and Switzerland. The capital of the Alsatian region is Strasbourg and from here begins one of the most beautiful routes you can take by car all over the world, the famous wine road as it is called. During this wonderful journey you will meet some of the most beautiful villages you have ever seen and you will feel like living in a fairytale. Pictures of the colorful villages, the characteristic houses that remind us of Germany and the vineyards that exist everywhere make the scenery very special .

The wine road and generally the Alsace tour as we said begins from the capital city of Strasbourg and continue for about 170 km. In these 170 km of the route you will see many villages that will enchant you. We will name you all the villages of the Alsace region and then we will focus on what you should not miss if you find yourself in Alsace.

The official route includes the following villages and towns, Marlenheim, Strasbourg, Molsheim, Obernai, Barr, Dambach la Ville, Selestat, Kintzheim, Bergheim, Ribeauville, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Colmar, Eguisheim, Husseren les Chateaux, Rouffach, Guebwiller, Thann and Mulhouse.

What To See...

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the largest city, capital of the region and probably the beginning of your trip to Alsace. We are talking about a large city, so we will refer separately to it in another article with more details.

Riquewihr

Riquewihr is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, village of Alsace along with Eguisheim and Kaysersberg. The brightly colored houses are the characteristic of this village that is literally surrounded by the vineyards! Famous for the well known Riesling wine variety, the village looks exactly like it was in the 16th century! Here, live only 1300 people where their main occupation is vineyards and tourism. Riquewihr is definitely one of the most delightful villages you will ever see in your life and a must see destination if you are in Alsace region.

Eguisheim

Eguisheim is perhaps the most beautiful village in Alsace and one of our favorites. A medieval village that will enchant you with its picturesque alleys, the beautiful houses and the colors that are constantly changing. The characteristic circular route of the village, is also the most beautiful, and from this route you can see its most characteristic points, but also to jealous the 1500 people who live here.

Kaysersberg

Kaysersberg is also a personal favorite, a village that preserves its medieval character to the fullest and is definitely among the 3 most beautiful villages in Alsace! The castle dominates the village and reminds of its strategic importance in the past. Famous for the Pinot Gris wine variety is definitely one of the top destinations in the area.

Colmar

Colmar is the most famous city of Alsace and certainly the most touristy. Beautiful as the rest of the villages, but here you can not find the tranquility that exists in the other villages that we mentioned, as the place is very touristic with huge groups who visit it every day by thousands, but also with a large number of permanent residents (68,000) . The beauty of Colmar is indisputable and you should definitely stop here to see the city’s main attractions. The most famous part of the city is the so called “Little Venice” because of the canals. We suggest you to avoid eating in a restaurant in Colmar or spending some overnight here, as the negative aspects of the city’s huge tourism, such as high prices and poor quality services, despite the fact remain a very beautiful city.

Ribeauville

Ribeauville is another very beautiful village in the Alsace region, but not as beautiful as the above mentioned villages. Surely, however, it is worth a stop if you are in the Alsace region!

Chateau du Haut-Kœnigsbourg

The Château du Haut Kœnigsbourg is a medieval castle located in the Orschwiller community in the Vosges mountains, west of the village of Sélestat. Really beautiful castle on a hill that offers incredible views across the region! It is definitely worth a visit also internally as it is as beautiful as the exterior. The Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is also one of the most famous sights of the whole region.

Nearby Excursions

If you are in the Alsace region, which is located in an extraordinary geographical location, you can find yourself in two other countries with ease in a few minutes simply by using your car. Germany and Switzerland and specifically the cities of Freiburg and Basel are only a 50-minute drive from Colmar. Although the two cities we mentioned are very beautiful, we would suggest you to remain to the Alsace region, so you can enjoy as much as possible this magical region of Europe, if you have plenty of time and you have seen all of the above these two cities are the ones that you must visit for sure.

What To Eat

When it comes to Alsace, the first thing that comes to mind is the incredible wines produced in this region. Some of the most famous wine varieties that will satisfy even the most demanding consumer!

The most popular varieties that we highly recommend to you are: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner and Edelzwicker. Combine local wine with a variety of cheeses, sausages or anything else you want and feel the magic!

How to move

For your trip to Alsace, you will need a car that you can rent from a nearby airport like Basel in Switzerland, which is just 50 minutes from the city of Colmar. Because Alsace is a fairly large area and the villages have some distance from each other, that’s why you will need a car to explore as many villages as you can and enjoy all the beauties that this beautiful region has to offer.

Where to stay

The whole region of Alsace is considered not one of the cheapest ones. Some tips we can give you are to avoid the very touristy places for your stay, such as Colmar, and prefer the smaller villages that are less touristy but also much more cheaper. Another reason to stay in a not so touristy village is that you can enjoy even more your stay due to the smaller number of visitors than the larger ones and the more touristy. An average price for a double room in a village in Alsace region ranges between 70-100 euros. You can make your reservations via Booking.com

Booking.com