My husband and I are travelling to France at the beginning of April. Our first stop is the Alsace region and are wondering if readers have any ideas about things to do that are positive do's/don'ts. Please advise. Thank you.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Wineries. Charcroute.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
In Colmar the Unterlinden Museum,villages of Eguisheim& Freiburg. Wine route is scenic otherwise skip Strasbourg large gritty city only gd for public transport.
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2450 posts
Not sure how far away it is but in St. Avold is a large cemetery one of the largest in Europe for veterans from WWII, very close to Strasburg, worth visiting.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
The St Avold cemetery is actually the Lorraine American Cemetery, which, by definition, makes it not in Alsace. It's about seventy-five miles from Strasbourg - - about two thirds of the way from Metz to Saarbrucken. No veterans (wtih a couple of notable exceptions) may be burried in ABMC cemeteries. They are solely for the war dead. Eat that square stuff that looks like pizza, but isn't. I have no idea of the name.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Tarte flambe
Posted by
S.F. Bay Area, CA, United States
1878 posts
I disagree with one of the other posters, Strasbourg is a nice stop. We started our May 2010 trip to France there, then moved on to Colmar. The Unterlinden museum is absolutely a must see, Rick is right. We also enjoyed the Chateau Haute Koenigsbourg.
Posted by
Columbia, MO, USA
249 posts
I second the need to enjoy Strasbourg. We loved it-didn't see the grit noted by earlier reviewer. Due to strike, our boat tour was interrupted and we finished with a little tram tour which wound thru parts of the city we would have otherwise missed. We went back on foot and loved it.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
Eco Musee, Ingelsheim. Great collection of regional buildings, some demonstartions throughout the day, very nice restaurant with Alsatian style food. Also now have a section with old time fairground rides including an indoor "salon carousel" which is wildly popular with local school groups. Well worth most of a day. Also drive up into the Vosges mountains
Posted by
Germany, Germany
813 posts
I live just a few hours from Strasbourg and enjoy the city a few times a year. The cathedral there is a good tourist stop (watch for pickpockets though), then the cute carousel a few blocks away. If you like fabric, hit the Toto Tissus store. A boat ride around the city is nice. Then in Riquewihr, just sit on the main street and have some wine, people watch, and enjoy the architecture. In Ribeauville, there's a famous fabric maker, Beauville, which has a factory store and has stunningly fantastic fabric and home textiles. The castle on the hill by the wine route as a PP mentioned is fun too. If you like pottery or to cook, you must stop in the towns of Soufflenheim and Betschdorf for great cookware and pottery.
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
425 posts
Haute Koenigbour?g and the ruins at Hussern les Chateaux were my favorite experiences in the region. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
OP
New Orleans, LA, USA
105 posts
Thanks for all of the helpful tips! We'll certainly check them out.
Posted by
Texan in CA
4415 posts
Tarte l'oignon, regional white wines, out-of-this-world flower boxes, and strolling through Little Venice in Colmar. Enjoy the unique French/German-ness of the region.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
17 posts
We enjoyed Colmar and Strasbourg. If looking for ceramics, try Poterie d'Alsace http://www.poterie-alsace-strasbourg.eu/53/Magasin-anglais.html. Enjoyed the Museum of Printed Textiles in Mulhouse and would have liked to visit the Wallpaper Design Museum in Rixheim.