Hello fellow travelers,
After a week of hiking in the Alps followed by a week of sailing in the Adriatic, my bride and I want to spend a week in Alsace (Aug 4-10) and seek recommendations for spending a "down week" relaxing before we return home. There are a number of villages that seem to fit the bill and Colmar is a distinct possibility but a smaller village might provide a gentle end to our honeymoon. Any recommendations and why?
Thanks for your help.
We just got back from that region. We stayed in Eguisheim and loved it~ small and charming. Colmar is nice but it is a pretty big city.
Riquewihr is always flooded with tourists - for good reasons.
We found that to be true, but only during the day. We spent a week in an apartment, and every morning the tour buses would arrive. However, we spent most of each day away, and when we returned, the buses were gone, along with most of the tourists. I thought it was a great place to stay. But I think Ribeauville is another good choice, or Kaysersberg.
We stayed one night in Colmar at a working winery, Mason Martin Jund. It's quirky and inexpensive. We enjoyed our day in Colmar, but one was enough. Its a bigger city. We stayed three nights in Eguisheim at Le Hameau d'Eguisheim. It is also a working winery. The B & B is located in the complex with their tasting room. Personally, I think that would be a lovely honeymoon location. http://www.hameau-eguisheim.com/en/ We visited all the little villages and found them quite charming. Riquewihr is quite busy. If you can, try to get there first at about 9am or try later in the day, like maybe 3:30 or later. Even at the busier time, it is worthwhile. Kayersburg, Ribeauville, both nice. We also drove up to the castle, Haut-Koenigsbourg. It is quite far on the northern end. We started in Colmar and the following morning, we started with the castle and then worked our way south. Eguisheim is more toward the southern end, but I believe still worth staying there. I think it is the most charming of the villages. We liked the little restaurants and being there in the evenings and earlier in the morning.
Thank you all for your suggestions, we are excited to stay in Alsace
Peter, I presume you will have a car. Riquewihr is an excellent base for hiking and visiting nearby villages and towns. Colmar (take the bus), Eguisheim, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg are all worth visiting. The hiking is pleasant with pretty scenery. For example, the six village walk clockwise from Riquewihr, taking in the three castle ruins in Ribeauville at the same time, stop off for lunch somewhere, a day on it's own. Hike through the woods to Kaysersberg for lunch, return through the vineyards. Bergheim is a small gem, not visited by many, as is Wissembourg (may be a bit too far?). Good quality Crémants can be had for a reasonable price. On the other side of the border, Genganbach, Staufen and Endingen are very pretty villages/small towns. Freiburg has a nice old section with walking trails above it. Check out more here for the immediate area: https://www.ribeauville-riquewihr.com
We stayed in a Riquewihr apartment for three weeks, which is fully booked for your time there. "Rick, we're here," my wife would shout out of the car window everytime we drove into town, thinking she was being funny.
I loved the Hostellerie Schwendi in Kientzheim, and found it very peaceful. It's tiny and you can take a walk around the walls in probably 15 minutes, or walk over to the vineyards -- and then you can take your car and go explore the more touristed villages if you feel like it.
I very much enjoyed staying in tiny Eguisheim, most of the other villages are larger so you'll have more restaurant choices. Colmar is a city or at least a good sized town (depending on what you consider a city or a town), a charming one, but definitely not a village. I would plan to stay where I could have dinner and then walk back to my room unless one of you will be the designated driver. BTW legal limit for blood alcohol is only 0.5% - just over half the US limit.
We ate three nights in Eguisheim. They do have a fair number of restaurants. BUT, some are closed Mondays, so plan for Monday, especially, in advance and get a reservation. Reservations would probably be good for the other nights, too, but we lucked out without them. If you end up needing recommendations for restaurants in Eguisheim, I can look up the places we went to--loved them.
