Page 33 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - France

DRIVE 1: Alsace Wine Route 31

Left Typical colombage houses in Riquewihr,
Boersch
see p36 Below Bright façade of a building in
OBERNAI Kaysersberg, see p36
Ottrott
Saint-
Nabor Niedernai PLAN YOUR DRIVE
MONT SAINTE-ODILE Start/finish: Obernai to Eguisheim.
HEILIGENSTEIN
Number of days: 4–5, allowing at
BARR least a day between Mont Sainte-
Odile and Haut-Koenigsbourg and
ZOTZENBERG two days between the villages and
ANDLAU
other sights along the wine route.
MITTELBERGHEIM
Stotzheim Distance: 110 km (70 miles).
Itterswiller
Road conditions: Alsace is a very
wealthy, efficient region – both facts
Nothalten
are reflected even on well-signed and
Blienschwiller Kogenheim sealed minor roads.
Schernetz Scheer
Dambach-
la-Ville When to go: The region has a
Ebersmunster gorgeous summer, with lots of blue
Dieffenthal skies. While winter can be very cold, it
Ebersheim
is the time of festivities and skiing.
Hilsenheim
Opening times: Many wineries have
Giessen tasting rooms and cellar doors on site
Scherwiller
Châtenois Muttersholtz Wittisheim which are generally open daily from
Easter to Christmas, from 10am to
Sélestat
12.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm, though
Kintzheim check ahead on individual winery hours.
Baldenheim Outside these months, contact the
Schwobsheim
Mussig winery for visiting information.
Main market days: Obernai: Thu;
Schnellenbuhl Hessenheim Barr: Sat; Andlau: Wed; Ribeauvillé:
Artolsheim
Ill Sat; Kaysersberg: Mon, Fri;
Heidolsheim
Eguisheim: Thu.
Guémar Blind 0 kilometres 5
Illhaeusern Shopping: Buy fine wines and wine-
Fecht Ohnenheim Marckolsheim 0 miles 5 related produce, accessories, wooden
cases and gift packs from the caves
vinicoles (wine cellars).
HAUT - Elsenheim
RHIN Major festivals: Obernai: Les Estivales
d’Obernai, Jul–Aug; Barr: Foire aux
Vins, Jul; Andlau: Fête du Vin, Aug;
Riedwihr
Houssen Riquewihr: Marché de Noël, Nov–
Dec; Kaysersberg: Marché de Noël,
Nov–Dec; Eguisheim: Fête des
Vignerons, Aug.
Canal de Colmar Bischwihr DAYTRIP OPTIONS
Horbourg-Wihr
Mont Sainte-Odile is a wonderful day
Andolsheim out for both the spiritually inclined
and nature lovers; the château of
Haut-Koenigsbourg is a fun family
Sundhoffen
outing; while the wine route in the
Haut-Rhin area offers joys to
epicureans. For details, see p37.