Alsace

Alsace

A great ride from North to South of Alsace and on the foothills of the Vosges, discovering this beautiful region, its often painful history its flowered villages and its famous vineyard.
11-day and 10-night self drive holiday. Circular tour from Strasbourg

PRESTIGE : 4 or 5 star hotels

LUXE : 4 star hotels

CONFORT : 3 star hotels

STANDARD : 2 star hotels

Description of the tour :

Days 1 & 2– Discovering Strasbourg – Capital of Alsace and home of the European Parliament, Strasbourg is an attractive town with its dual French and Rhenish culture. The town has a magnificent architectural heritage, many picturesque quarters among which the famous “Petite France”, some very rich museums and beautiful parks.

Day 3 – Northern Alsace- Lying between Northern Vosges and Rhine River this area has an eventful past and vestiges of a series of conflicts throughout history between France and Germany are numerous (fortified castles on the heights, battlefields, Maginot line…) . You will taste some famous vineyards of Alsace (Cleebourg, Wissembourg), discover magnificent typically Alsatian villages among which some are specialized in the pottery for numerous centuries. Return towards Strasbourg along the banks the edges of Rhine.

Day 4 – Wine route from Marlenheim to Obernai – the morning is free and why not visiting one of these Strasbourg museums, Alsatian museum for example. Then you will travel to Marlenheim where starts the famous Alsatian wine route and reach Onernai, a charming town, birthplace of Sainte Odile , patron saint of Alsace.

Day 5 – Mount St. Odile, and the Vosges peaks – Some impressive pink sandstone cliffs, a monastery that attracts tourists and pilgrims, an enigmatic 10 km long wall built at least 3 or 4000 years ago thus is the Mount St. Odile, one of the Mecca of Alsatian people. Don’t miss it! Then you will discover Le Hohwald area, its beautiful forests, its picturesque villages and its peaks, viewpoints on the Alsatian plain.

Day 6 –Wine route from to Ribeauvillé – You will drive from villages to villages discovering vineyard but also many other local specialties, foie gras, gingebread, flameküche…and reach Ribeauvillé, long and narrow village, one of the most beautiful Alsatian village.

Day 7 – The 3 Ribeauvillé Castles and the Haut-Koenigsbourg. Morning is free or you can do a walk to visit the ruins of these castles above the village. Then you will drive to this key element of the Alsatian patrimony, the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg restored by the German emperor at the beginning of the 20th century. Then you will travel back down through the plain visiting Saint Hippolyte and Bergheim, two wine-making villages before reaching Ribeauvillé.

Day 8 – Wine route from Ribeauvillé to Colmar. You will continue the wine route visiting some picturesque villages nestled at bottom of Vosges mountains Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Ammerschwihr, Niedermorschwihr and Turckheim before reaching Colmar. The lovers of fortification techniques will do a detour to explore Neuf-brisach a fortress built by Vauban in 17C. Its architecture is unique in Europe. Its parade ground, pure lines, 48 quarters forming a perfect octagon and bastion fortifications make it unique in its kind.

Day 9 – Visit Colmar – One of the most beautiful towns in Alsace, its half-timbering, its canals, its flowery town-centre… A condensation of an idyllic Alsace, the Alsace wine capital is the guardian of a lifestyle which you need to discover! Nevertheless, the place you really need to visit is of course the “Petite Venise”! However, you will also enjoy strolling on foot in the large town centre renowned for the half-timbered houses of the Quai de la Poissonnerie. You will end your tour of Colmar at the Unterlinden Museum to admire its famous Retable d’Issenheim (the Isenheim Altarpiece)…

Day 10 – Wine route from Colmar to Thann – After discovering Eguisheim, one of the most beautiful villages in Alsace you will explore the south part of this famous Alsatian wine route and its well-flowered villages: Gueberswihr, Pfaffenheim, Rouffach, Soultzmatt which is also well-known for its mineral water! You will visit Notre Dame de Thierenbach church , a jewel of the Baroque style, an important pilgrimage center in Alsace and the elegant Saint Thiebaut church in Thann.

Day 11 – return to Strasbourg via the famous Route des Crêtes (Route of the Ridges). You drive back to Strasbourg via the route des Crêtes, an old strategic road constructed by French troops in 1915 which offers breathtaking views over valleys, lakes and summits of Vosges mountains. Past the col du Bonhomme (pass) you will continue to Strasbourg via Sainte Marie aux Mines and Sélestat. End of the tour in Strasbourg

The cost of the rental car is not included in the price. This tour can be done with a chauffeur-driven car or can be tailor made to meet your specific needs. Thank you to contact us if you need more information.

What’s included?

• Lodging on B&B basis in hotels handpicked by us among the best.
• Parking fees if the hotel has one (only for Prestige and Luxe tours)
• The detailed road book with information about villages, attractions and hotels. It also contains maps of cities you will explore
• IGN maps of the area (scale 1 cm = 1 km)
• Green Michelin guide (tour guide) of the region
• Emergency phone number available 24/24 and 7/7