Itinerary
Strasbourg, seat of the new European Parliament, is an ancient and lively city, filled with treasures to explore. It was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, the first city to be honoured with the title in its entirety. This tour allows you time to meander the canals, cobblestoned streets, and small boutiques of Strasbourg.
Visit the old town, its picturesque quarters and half-timbered houses in the neighbourhood known as “The Petite France”. Visit the Gothic cathedral and its famous astronomical clock, and the European Parliament. Be sure to sate your appetite as well with the pastries, giant soft pretzels and cheeses at every corner. Dinner included tonight at one of our favourite restaurants.
After breakfast, we transfer you westwards, to the base of the Vosges mountains that you will be exploring for the rest of the week. You start in the pretty village of Rosheim with the Romanesque Saint Peters and Paul Church, and its three Medieval town gates, its small rose-gardens, and the Romanesque house, – recognized as the oldest in the region, and beautifully restored. After explorations in town your walk takes you up in the hills, through the small village of Rosenwiller with its Jewish cemetery – the largest and oldest in Alsace. From there, descend into the vineyard village of Boersch, with its three fortified medieval gateways and magnificent Renaissance town hall. You can stop to explore the town, perhaps do a wine tasting, and find some lunch or a cold refreshment. Your walk from there takes you on small paths and roads following along the Ehn River for a stretch, and passing an old mill. Your final destination is Obernai, entrenched in centuries of history, and with wonderful restaurants and boutiques to explore.
This morning you walk from the vineyard village of Kaysersberg, voted as favourite village destination by the French in a national competition in 2017, and nestled in a valley created over the millennia by the rushing Weiss River. Take the time to explore the crumbling but still impressive Schlossberg Castle and then head out into the terraced vineyards. We have you climb up once more above Kientzheim, to visit the majestic panoramas from the moving necropolis and American War Memorial staring out all the way to the Alps, before descending gradually to Riquewihr, one of France’s official Prettiest Villages. Riquewihr has much of its medieval fortifications and a castle still intact; it largely escaped damage during the Second World War, and is quite simply gorgeous. You’ll find lunch there, in the twisting cobblestoned streets, before continuing on to your final destination, the village of Ribeauvillé, with beautiful half-timbered buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries in the old town, and a variety of shops, and wineries.
This morning you will be dropped in the small vineyard village of Voegtlinshoffen, with its half-timbered houses, and a community of peregrine falcons living on the nearby pink-granite cliffs. The morning will be spent exploring more of the vineyards and villages of the Alsace wine route, as you make your way northwards into Eguisheim. Eguisheim will enchant you, with its concentric round street setup, medieval ramparts, and half-timbered houses. It is recognized as the birthplace of winegrowing in Alsace, and you can do some tasting here, before perhaps finding some lunch. The route then turns away from the vineyards and across the plains, entering the town of Colmar on a tranquil path, following the Lauch river. The historic center of this town, where you are staying, reveals its charm: the colors and atmosphere of streets still embody much of the Middle Ages. Churches, cloisters, half-timbered houses, facades with ornate wood sculptures, paintings, and edifices from the Renaissance abound. Your final dinner is included this evening.
After a final delicious breakfast, we transfer you in to Colmar, for train connections for your continued travels. Bon Voyage !
What's included
- 4 nights’ accommodation of the comfort level of your choice* CLASSIC, CLASSIC +, or DELUXE
- Hotel taxes
- All breakfasts, 2 dinners (drinks not included with the dinners)
- Orientation with our Trip Manager by phone at the start of the trip
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel
- Taxi transfers for the walks, as described in the itinerary
- Detailed maps and step-by-step route instructions
- Uploadable GPS file of the route to use on a free APP in your smartphone **
- Regional information and advice
- Phone call support 7 days a week
* Price based on double room occupancy – please contact us for details on single room supplements
** Can be used without international internet plan (offline)
Hotel Details
Classic Tour
1090 € / pers.
1 Night
Hotel Roses – Strasbourg
1 Night
Hotel le Gouverneur – Obernai
1 Night
Hotel de la Tour – Ribeauvillé
1 Night
Hotel Turenne – Colmar
Classic + Tour
1350 € / pers.
1 Night
Hotel Beaucour – Strasbourg
1 Night
Hotel le Colombier – Obernai
1 Night
Hotel du Mouton – Ribeauvillé
1 Night
Hotel Rapp – Colmar
Deluxe Tour
1790 € / pers.
1 Night
Cour du Corbeau – Strasbourg
1 Night
La Cour d’Alsace – Obernai
1 Night
Hotel le Chambard – Kaysersberg
1 Night
Maison des Têtes – Colmar