About 15 years after the Burgundy Wine Route (now known as the “Route des Grands Crus,” “The Route of the Great Wines”) was inaugurated, the Alsace Tourist Office came up with an idea to promote tourism in the region, and initiated a car race in which two teams would set off towards each other at the same time, one from the north, from the village of Marlenheim, and the other from the sleepy town of Thann at the southern end, about 170 km away.
The planned route passed through 67 villages and towns, all of which had active vineyards and wineries producing various wines, the vast majority of them whites. The race, held on May 30, 1953, was not really a race as the drivers stopped at various stations along the way, visited wineries and tasted a selection of the region’s wines. No one tried to think about how the drivers would reach the finish line after visiting 5, 6 or more wineries….
The race, which was widely covered by the local press, was very popular and successfully achieved the goals of the tourist office. It should be noted that the Alsace region (which includes two French regions – Haut Rhin and Bas Rhin, “High Rhine”, and “Low Rhine”, respectively) has about 120 wine-producing villages. Add to this stunning scenery, desirable restaurants, a special traditional cuisine – Choucroutte, – Schroed (a sauerkraut stew with a selection of meats and sausages cooked in the oven for several hours), or Bredele, Fleischschnacka (traditional local dishes) – and cheerful and colorful wine cellars (Winstub)… Success is guaranteed. Indeed, in a short time, the alcohol-saturated rural route was recognized as the “Wine Route” and its name spread far and wide throughout the world, with everyone forgetting that Alsace was not the first.
Seven types of grapes are grown in the district:
- Pinot in its varieties – dark red (called black, Noir), white (Blanc) and rosé (called gray).
- Sylvaner
- Riesling
- Gewurtztraminer – incredibly dry and strong, and Muscat, fruity and slightly sweet.
Over the years, vintners and winemakers have learned which wine is best suited to their plot, and since then they have not stopped creating miracles and wonders.
The Alsace Wine Route
The Eastern France Wine Route officially begins in the village of Marlenheim, a little northwest of the large city, the provincial capital, Strasbourg. Not far from it, a wine estate known as Cleebourg still produces fruit from ancient vines planted in vineyards by Dominican monks in the 9th century (1100 years ago).
The road continues south through towns with names that arouse all desires and lusts – Molsheim, Obernai, Dambach-la-Ville, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and others….
Names that have long since become mandatory stops for any tourist who comes to visit the region. The beautiful landscapes, along with all the other delights on the wine route, have made this piece of land one of the most visited regions in all of France – about 15 million tourists visit the region each year, 18% of all tourists coming to France, which is the most visited country in the world, with about 85 million tourists per year (2018 data).
And if you are already here….
Monkey Park near Kintzheim
The wine route stretches for about 170 km, through 73 different towns and more than 300 wine estates. Unlike other wine routes – in France and around the world – the Alsace wine route has various points of interest that are not at all related to wine and are an additional attraction, even for those who are not attracted by the white drink, although there are also quite a few red wines in the region.
In the northern part of the Wine Road – near Kintzheim – lies a special reserve where the roles are reversed: tourists travel on marked and defined paths from which it is absolutely and completely forbidden to descend or deviate, while hundreds (thousands?) of monkeys roam, jump and climb (including on visitors, to the delight of children) in complete freedom throughout the reserve.
At certain times, they are fed by the reserve workers, in cooperation with the hikers. If you are planning a trip, be careful not to confuse it with the village of Kientzheim (with an E), 25 km south of there.
Link to the Monkey Park website
Haut-Konigsbourg Castle
After the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), in which France suffered a crushing defeat, the province of Alsace (actually two provinces – Alsace and Lorraine ) was annexed to the Prussian Empire. The forced annexation caused thousands of French people to learn a new language (not completely. There had always been close relations between eastern France and western Germany), to exchange foods in the pantry, and to learn different customs.
Among other things, the German Emperor, William I of Hohenzollern, found himself the happy owner of the Haut-Konigsbourg Palace (loosely translated, “High King’s Cliff”). Indeed, this castle, built in the 12th century, is located on a high cliff (750 meters) that dominates the entire region from a distance and throughout history has been a strong guard post. Over the years, it passed several times from hand to hand between the region’s rulers, kings and commanders of invading armies until it was conquered, burned, destroyed and abandoned in 1633.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the German emperor decided that he needed a medieval palace worthy of his name and chose to restore and restore the palace that had fallen into his hands. The best architects and historians took on the task and within a few years they restored the palace to a wonderful architectural gem in the early 20th century, with a rich library containing rare volumes, a magnificent armory and dozens of original period furniture and art pieces. After World War I, with the collapse of the German power, Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.
After extensive research and digging into historical documents, it was found that the engineers and architects who were involved in restoring the castle took some liberties and imagination and did not remain close to the original castle structure, but this is only an “injury” to historical truth and does not detract in the least from the beauty of the towering castle. The site attracts many tourists and in 1937 the French director Jean Renoir filmed his immortal film “The Great Illusion” here, thus revealing the site to other film directors. During the 20th century, dozens of films were filmed in the castle and it was the inspiration and backdrop for dozens more books, cartoons and theater sets.
The peaks of the Vosges Mountains
The Vosges Massif is one of a chain of low mountain ranges (average height about 700 meters) that precede the Pre-Alpes. The mountains stretch in a convex arc from the north - approximately opposite the city of Selestat - to the entrance to the beautiful fortified city of Belfort.
During World War I (1914-1918), the German and French armies entrenched themselves in the area, facing each other in a terrible war of attrition that lasted for many months, hiding in bunkers and underground trenches. To maintain the line – soldiers, weapons, ammunition, and supplies – the French army created in 1915 a network of small roads that wound behind the front line, between the low mountain peaks. For 88 km, a winding road stretched from the town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (“Saint Mary of the Mines”) in the north to the town of Cernay in the southern part of Alsace, connecting the steep mountain passes (“Col”) on the way to the peaks.
The road winds, rising and falling through stunning and beautiful mountain landscapes, with green forests, fertile pastures and hundreds of small mountain lakes with crystal-clear, ice-cold snow water along the way. The highest peak on the road is at the “Le Grand Balon” mountain pass, 1,343 meters (48 feet) (“The Big Balloon” – has nothing to do with an inflatable rubber balloon. The name is rooted in the history of the ancient Alsatian dialect). Nowadays, sections of the road are identified according to the numbering system of French roads and the road is made up of the road sections (from north to south) D148, D61, D417, D430, D431 and DXNUMX. The “Peaks Road” and the “Wine Road” are parallel to each other at a short distance, and it is very common to combine the two when you arrive for a trip to the area.
A point of note – on one of the mountains, between the two roads, lies the picturesque village of “Munster,” where they produce an excellent and delicious cheese (of the same name), typical of the region, which is one of the smelliest cheeses on earth.
Planning a trip along the Alsace Wine Route?
If everything you've read makes you want to travel and hike the Alsace Wine Route, I'd be more than happy to build you a perfect trip tailored to your needs and interests. All you need to do is contact me via email at yossi.drory@gmail.com.
If you would like to plan the trip yourself, here is some logistical information that can help you:
Flight to Alsace
The first step is to find a cheap flight that will bring you as close as possible to the Alsace wine route. Since there are no direct flights between Israel and Strasbourg, you will need to get to the city of Basel in Switzerland. Its Saint Louis airport is right on the border between France and Switzerland, and from there you can take a train to Strasbourg or rent a car there. Another option is to fly to Paris and from there take a train to Strasbourg or rent a car.
So if you haven't bought a plane ticket yet, you're welcome to read this article . It deals with flights to France, but you can find a list of the best sites for booking a ticket anywhere in Europe.
Car Rental
It is not possible to travel between wineries and small villages without using a car because the buses in the area are quite rare and slow. So whether you rent a car in Strasbourg or Paris, it is very important to read the article Car Rental in France , where you will find tips and websites that will help you rent a car at a very friendly price.
Accommodation in Alsace
To discover all the charming villages hidden along the wine route, you need to spend at least 3 days there (and that doesn't include a visit to Strasbourg and Colmar). So if you're looking for places to stay on the wine route , here are two articles that contain recommendations for hotels and vacation rentals in the two important cities of Alsace:
- Accommodation in Strasbourg – recommended hotels and vacation apartments
- Hotels in Colmar – Recommendations for great hotels for every budget
- Recommended hotels in Kaysersberg and the surrounding area
- Recommended hotels in Obernai and the surrounding area
- Recommended hotels in Riquewihr and the surrounding area
And here are a few more places where it is recommended to live but I haven't had time to write about them yet:
Guided tours along the wine route (and beyond)
If you don't want to go through the hassle of renting a car and planning your trip, you can come to Strasbourg , stay there, and go on a series of guided tours (both within the city and along the wine route). You can find information about all of this in the article Strasbourg Attractions and Tours You Shouldn't Miss.
More on the subject
Can you help organize a trip to the south of France for a couple?
Hello my father,
I don't, but Yossi Drori, who wrote the article, certainly can. You are welcome to contact him using the contact information in the article.
deer