About 15 years after the Burgundy Wine Route opened (known today as the “Route des Grands Crus,” the Route of the Great Crus), the tourism board of the Alsace region came up with an idea to boost tourism in the area: a car rally split into two groups that would set out toward 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, every one of them home to vineyards and working wineries producing a range of wines, most of them white. The rally, held on May 30, 1953, wasn’t much of a race, since the drivers kept stopping along the way, visiting wineries and tasting the region’s wines. Nobody seemed too worried about how the drivers would make it to the finish line after stopping at 5, 6, or more wineries…
The rally, widely covered by the local press, got plenty of attention and fully achieved the tourism board’s goals. It’s worth noting that Alsace (which is actually made up of two French départements, Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin, the “Upper Rhine” and “Lower Rhine”) has about 120 wine-producing towns. Add to that stunning scenery, sought-after restaurants, a distinctive traditional cuisine (choucroute, a sauerkraut dish simmered for hours with an assortment of meats and sausages, or also bredele and fleischschnacka, traditional local dishes), and cheerful, colorful wine cellars (winstubs)… success was guaranteed. And indeed, it didn’t take long for this alcohol-soaked rural route to become known as “the Wine Route,” and its fame spread around the world, with everyone forgetting that Alsace wasn’t actually the first.
Seven types of grapes grow in the region:
- Pinot, in its various forms: dark red (known as Noir, or black), white (Blanc), and rosé (known as gris, or gray).
- Sylvaner
- Riesling
- Gewürztraminer, remarkably dry and strong, and Muscat, fruity and slightly sweet.
Over the years, winegrowers have learned exactly which grape suits their plot of land best, and ever since, they haven’t stopped working wonders.
The Alsace Wine Route
The wine route of eastern France officially begins in the village of Marlenheim, just northwest of the regional capital, Strasbourg. Not far from there lies a plot known as Cleebourg, where ancient vines, first planted by Dominican monks in the 9th century (1,100 years ago), still bear fruit today.
The route continues south through towns with names that stir up every craving imaginable: Molsheim, Obernai, Dambach-la-Ville, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, and more…
Names that have long been must-see stops for any traveler willing to indulge. The beautiful scenery, along with all the other pleasures found along the Wine Route, have made this stretch of land one of the most visited regions in all of France: about 15 million tourists visit each year, 18% of all visitors to France, which is the most visited country in the world, with roughly 85 million tourists a year (2018 figures).
And since you’re already here…
The Monkey Park near Kintzheim
The Wine Route runs about 170 km, through 73 different towns and more than 300 wine estates. Unlike other wine routes, in France and elsewhere, the Alsace Wine Route offers a variety of attractions that have nothing to do with wine at all, giving it extra appeal even for those not drawn to the white stuff, though the region does produce quite a few reds as well.
In the northern part of the Wine Route, near Kintzheim, lies a special reserve where the roles are reversed: visitors walk along clearly marked paths they are strictly forbidden to leave or stray from, while hundreds (thousands?) of monkeys roam, leap, and climb (including on visitors, to the children’s delight) completely freely throughout the reserve.
At certain hours, reserve staff feed the monkeys, with visitors joining in. If you’re planning a trip, be careful not to confuse this with the town of Kientzheim (spelled with an “e”), about 25 km to the south.
Link to the Monkey Park website
The Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg
After the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), in which France suffered a crushing defeat, the Alsace region (actually two regions, Alsace and Lorraine, Alsace-Lorraine) was annexed to the Prussian Empire. The forced annexation meant thousands of French citizens had to learn a new language (not entirely: there had always been close ties between eastern France and western Germany), swap out what was on the dinner table, and adopt different customs.
Among other things, the German Emperor Wilhelm I (1797-1888), of the House of Hohenzollern, found himself the proud owner of the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (loosely translated, “the high king’s cliff”). Indeed, this castle, built in the 12th century, sits atop a high cliff (750 meters) with sweeping views over the entire region, and throughout history it served as a formidable lookout point. Over the years it changed hands several times among regional rulers, kings, and invading army commanders, until it was captured, burned, destroyed, and abandoned in 1633.
At the start of the 20th century, the German Kaiser decided he needed a medieval castle worthy of his name, and chose to restore and rebuild the one that had fallen into his hands. The finest architects and historians were brought in for the job, and within a few years, in the early 20th century, they turned the castle into a remarkable architectural gem, complete with a rich library holding rare volumes, an impressive armory, and dozens of original period furniture and art pieces. After World War I, with the collapse of the German Empire, Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.
After extensive research digging through historical records, it turned out that the engineers and architects who restored the castle took some creative liberties and didn’t stick closely to the original structure. But this is only a “violation” of historical accuracy, and it does nothing to diminish the beauty of the towering castle. The site draws many tourists, and in 1937 French director Jean Renoir (1894-1979) filmed his timeless movie “La Grande Illusion” here, introducing the site to filmmakers everywhere. Over the course of the 20th century, dozens of films were shot at the castle, and it has inspired the background for dozens more books, animated films, and theater sets.
The peaks of the Vosges Mountains
The Massif des Vosges is one of a chain of low mountain ranges (averaging about 700 meters in height) that lead up to the foothills of the Alps (Pré-Alpes). The mountains stretch in a curved arc from the north, roughly opposite the town of Sélestat, down to the approaches of the beautiful fortified town of Belfort.
During World War I (1914-1918), the German and French armies dug in opposite each other in this area in a brutal war of attrition that dragged on for many months, with soldiers hiding in bunkers and underground trenches. To keep the front line supplied, with troops, weapons, ammunition, and provisions, the French army built a network of small roads in 1915 that wound through the rear of the front line, between the low mountain peaks. Stretching 88 km, the winding road connects the steep mountain passes (“cols”) on the way to the summits, running from the town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (“Holy Mary of the Mines”) in the north to the town of Cernay in the southern part of Alsace.
The road winds up and down through breathtaking mountain scenery, lined along its entire length with green forests, lush pastures, and hundreds of small mountain lakes fed by crystal-clear, ice-cold snowmelt. The highest point on the road is the mountain pass “Le Grand Ballon,” at 1,343 meters (“the big balloon,” no connection at all to a rubber balloon: the name comes from the depths of the ancient Alsatian dialect). Today, the road sections are identified by France’s road numbering system, and the route is made up of the road segments (from north to south) D48, D148, D61, D417, D430, and D431. The “Route des Crêtes” and the “Wine Route” run roughly parallel to each other, not far apart, and it’s very common to combine the two once you’re already in the area for a trip. You’ll find every stop along the way, from north to south, in the article The Route des Crêtes in Alsace.
Worth noting: on one of the mountains between the two routes sits the picturesque village of “Munster,” where they make an excellent, delicious cheese (named after the village itself), typical of the region, and one of the smelliest cheeses on earth.
Planning a trip on the Alsace Wine Route?
If everything you’ve just read has you wanting to pack your bags and explore the Alsace Wine Route, I’d be more than happy to put together the perfect trip tailored to your needs and interests. Just reach out to me by email at yossi.drory@gmail.com.
If you’d rather plan the trip yourself, here’s a bit of practical information to help you along:
Flying to Alsace
The first step is finding a cheap flight that gets you as close as possible to the Alsace Wine Route. Since there are no direct flights to Strasbourg, you’ll need to fly into Basel, Switzerland. Its airport, EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, sits right on the border between France and Switzerland, and from there you can take a train to Strasbourg or rent a car. Another option is to fly to Paris and from there take a train to Strasbourg or rent a car.
So if you haven’t booked your flight yet, feel free to check out this article. It’s about flights to France in general, but you’ll find a list of the best sites for booking flights anywhere in Europe.
Renting a car
You can’t really explore the wineries and small villages without a car, since buses in the area are rare and slow. So whether you rent your car in Strasbourg or in Paris, it’s well worth reading the article Renting a Car in France, where you’ll find tips and sites that will help you rent a car at a reasonable price.
Where to stay in Alsace
To discover all the charming villages tucked along the Wine Route, you should plan to spend at least 3 days there (and that’s not counting a visit to Strasbourg and Colmar). So if you’re looking for places to stay along the Wine Route, here are a few articles with hotel and vacation rental recommendations in Alsace’s two main towns:
- Where to stay in Strasbourg: recommended hotels and vacation rentals
- Hotels in Colmar: recommendations 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 worth staying in that I haven’t gotten around to writing about yet:
Guided tours along the Wine Route (and beyond)
If you’d rather skip the headache of renting a car and planning the trip yourself, you can head to Strasbourg, stay there, and set out from the city on a range of guided tours (both within the city and along the Wine Route). You’ll find all the details in the article Strasbourg attractions and tours you shouldn’t miss.
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