The Alsace Wine Route

Whether for its excellent wines, gastronomy, picture-perfect flower-filled villages, sun-drenched vineyards, storks or Christmas markets, Alsace’s reputation is well established. What is less well known is that Alsace is also France’s leading cycling region, thanks to its strong Germanic influences. A dense network of greenways and cycle paths criss-crosses the region.

Cycling is the ideal way to explore this fascinating region: quiet country lanes with almost no traffic wind cheerfully through hillside vineyards, punctuated by charming traditional villages competing for prettiness. Countless half-timbered houses and fortified walls have withstood modernisation, making these villages feel straight out of a fairy tale. Even more so as many are now closed to motor traffic. Add cobbled streets and the regular chime of church bells, and after a few glasses of Riesling or Pinot, you may well be convinced you have been magically transported back to the Middle Ages.

Starting from Strasbourg, your itinerary begins after a short train journey (40 minutes) along the Vallée des Éclusiers. Recently restored, it reveals a key part of Vosges heritage. A beautifully scenic greenway now runs along the canal. You then cycle through the interesting towns of Saverne and Marmoutier before reaching the famous Alsace Wine Route. Over three days, you follow a narrow strip of vineyards clinging to the foothills of the Vosges, regularly offering superb views over the Alsace plain below. Along the way, you pass through some of France’s most beautiful villages, including Hunawihr, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim. A shuttle or a sporty climb also allows you to visit the impressive Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, perched high above the plain.

Your Alsatian odyssey ends in the magnificent town of Colmar, which in many ways embodies the very essence of Alsace.

Highlights :

• One of France’s most beautiful cycling and wine routes
• A succession of villages straight out of the Middle Ages : Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Obernai, and all the others !
• the Vallée des Éclusiers with its charming old-world atmosphere
• Discovering Strasbourg and Colmar, typical Alsacian places
• Numerous touristic attractions : wine cellars, castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, abbeys, museums, markets, …
• the option to choose between 2 levels of difficulty for most stages