Alsatian Vineyard Route
Photo: The original uploader was Osi at German Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Alsatian Vineyard Route (Route des Vins d'Alsace) is a mostly rural route in Alsace, France. The route stretches from Marlenheim in the north near Strasbourg, to Thann in the south and east to Mulhouse. The route goes along medieval wine producing villages situated on the slope of the Massif des Vosges.
RegionsThe route is officially divided into four regions: going from the South to the North, Thann-Colmar, Colmar-Ribeauville (Rappoltsweilen), Ribeauville-Obernai, Obernai-Marlenheim.
Towns and villagesThe Alsatian Vineyard Route includes 67 towns and villages; their website has a map listing them all. The website also offers a brief description of suggested towns to visit.
Other destinationsNearby destinations are Strasbourg, Basel (Basle), Baden-Baden and the Black Forest. Do not miss Haut-Koenigsburg, a reconstructed medieval castle at the top of the mountains near Sélestat.
TalkSince Alsace used to be entirely German speaking until WW II, Alsatian German is still common. The stocks of German tourists in the area also contribute to the fact that you can get along everywhere with German.
Get inSince the Alsatian Vineyard Route is a rural area, accessibility with public transport is highly limited. If you drive a car you will find the signs very helpful guiding you to the next stop along the route.
Get aroundYou can get around on foot within any town you visit.
SeeAll wine villages along the route are medieval and were almost perfectly preserved. They are normally tiny, which allows you to go through such a village in about half an hour.
ItinerariesYou can tour the route for several days depending on how much of it you want to see. For one of the four regions specified above a day should normally suffice.
EatAlsatian food: Sauerkraut, tarte flambée (flammeküche), Kugelhopf, Black Forest cake and macarons.
DrinkTry local Alsatian wine, which is excellent! Unusually for France, the wine labels prominently feature the grape variety. Riesling ages well and takes on a minerally, almost petrol flavor over time.
RespectSome of the locals might be offended if you refer to their small, medieval town as a "village" (village in French). Instead use the word "town" (or ville if you are speaking French) instead of "village".
Stay safeDon't drink and drive.25 mg of alcohol per litre of blood is the limit, which is so small you may as well write off driving altogether if you've had a glass of wine.
Go nextde:Elsass#Elsässische Weinstraße − Route du Vin
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Alsatian Vineyard Route" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: The original uploader was Osi at German Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons