The Most Beautiful Villages of Alsace: Road Trip in France #6
We take advantage of our road trip to discover as many “most beautiful villages of France” as possible. I find that this classification, although very heterogeneous, still offers some nuggets and it would have been a pity to miss it.
Note: this blog article is part of the series “Road Trip in France” made in August 2020. To read the previous parts, click here : #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5
Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Diary
As we stay 3 days in Alsace, we could make a small tour of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France” in the area. We could have followed the “Alsace wine route” but JB drives and I don’t drink, so without tastings there is little interest for us. However, if you are interested in wine, you will find on this site a detailed map of this route as well as the houses to visit in each village.
We start with :
Mittenbergheim
In the village, the roads are quite narrow and one cannot walk quietly without running the risk of being run over. We almost scratched our car (and that of a parked car) while trying, in full slope, to make pass the car of opposite. Really too much stress lol.
The best is to hide in the cellar of a winery. We were able to visit a small but interesting cellar, with free access, where we could see the evolution of the vats: first made of wood, then built directly into the wall, then made of metal.
The highlight of the visit, but it has nothing to do with the village: when we passed in front of the church, I saw something black and huge moving. Looking more carefully, I understood that it was a black cat. It ran directly towards me, meowing a lot, to be stroked. It didn’t purr, but as soon as the caressing stopped, it meowed:D
Hunawihr
You can see it from the entrance of the village with its church on the hillside, overlooking the vineyards. Some clever people have parked their van just in front of this magical view. I understand them.
Hunawihr is very well known for its Naturopark, where you can observe free roaming storks and other wonderful creatures. They also have the Butterfly Park, which I did not visit either.
Riquewihr
We spent more time in Riquewihr because we spend one night here. The city center is more suitable for pedestrians. We aren’t stressed by the narrow streets and cars. Here, you have to be a resident to be able to drive around by car. Tourists park around the city.
As we sleep one night on site, we are entitled to the private parking of the hotel (for 5 euros). On the other hand, to get there, it was a little complicated because some streets are one-way, and you have to be a resident to know it. Basically, the GPS told us “take the street xxx then when you see the church, turn right” and we had to look at both our Google Maps, then the path, then evaluate if the narrowness of the street (with the restaurants terraces) is compatible with our car. We saw some Germans just in front of us getting into a stone wall. In short, I recommend you to park outside the city, even if your hotel has a private parking.
Apart from that, this city is a marvel. I’m so glad I had the good idea to sleep here. It is very crowded during the day but everyone leaves in the evening because there are very few accommodations available. We booked our accommodation 1.5 months in advance and were able to enjoy the almost deserted city in the evening and very early in the morning.
There are several wineries in Riquewihr. The city is surrounded by vineyards, just look between two walls and you can see vineyards as far as the eye can see, it’s really picturesque.
I’m quite surprised to see so few vineyards around Reims & Epernay. Here, we only see this, it’s too beautiful and the plants are much bigger than in the Champagne region. I admit that I am not interested in visiting the vineyards because we already did it a few years ago in Saint-Emilion but you should know that this kind of tours exist.
In Riquewihr, you will not be able to miss :
The House of Uncle Hansi, very imposing
Just across the street, 13 rue du Général de Gaulle, super beautiful.
The fountains
The Dolder
Next door is the Thieves’ Tower Museum, which teaches you how to torture people in 6,000 ways.
We had dinner at the restaurant D’Brendelstub, their foie gras cooked in a cloth is too good (on the other hand, don’t eat the jam because it is strangely too acidic)
Eguisheim
Despite the unfavorable visiting conditions (torrential rains), this village is my favorite. This town looks like a spider’s web, with several parallel streets in a circle. Thus, one can make several tours of the village by seeing different things. The houses are sublime and above all…
There are several storks’ nests – occupied – clearly visible.
The main square is beautiful. Between the superb fountain (I don’t know how they do it but the fountains in Alsace are all super clean, the water is crystal clear), the stork’s nests and the restaurant covered with plants (it looks like a mini garden) and the homemade gingerbread sold here and there …
If you choose a city to sleep in, you have to come here. It is also only 20 minutes drive from Colmar. Here also, you have to park outside the city, parking is cheap, you have to buy for 3 hours minimum. Beware, even in the rain, the police will come by to stick a ticket on your windshield if you don’t pay.
Barr
It isn’t a “most beautiful village in France” but I found the view on the vineyards very nice. Moreover, the restaurant Le Landsberg is like a canteen at noon, the whole village is there. There are menus at 9.5 euros, and their tarte flambée is huge and delicious.
Anyway, I’ll probably get beaten up but since I visited the Upper Rhine in March, I must say that this part looks too much like Germany. We find the same architecture, and then the watchtower at the end of the village. The structure of the village is the same. In addition, the Alsatians speak to each other with a strong Germanic accent. So apart from the gastronomy, the rest reminds me too much of my road trip by train in Germany a few months ago hihihihihihi
If you are looking for a place to sleep, I recommend Riquewihr and Eguisheim. This way, you will be able to visit these two villages quietly once the horde of tourists has disappeared.
The continuation of our road trip in France, it’s this way
Part 2: Practical Tips
Useful links
- Map of the Alsace Wine Route: https://www.routedesvins.alsace/carte-de-la-route-des-vins-alsace/
- Hotel in Riquewihr : 78 euros (link Booking)
- 4 weeks Road Trip in France by car: program & detailed plans here
- These points of interest are part of the +800 tourist places in France that we recommend. To access free Google Maps of the 800 places in question, click here
- More info about our car rental at Leclerc here
Budget
- Hotel in Riquewihr: 78 euros(link Booking) + 5 euros for parking, double room, without breakfast
- Lunch at Barr (Restaurant Le Lansberg): 28.2 euros for two
- Dinner in Riquewirh (Restaurant D’Brendelstub): 60 euros for two
