I must admit, before moving to Europe, I had never heard of the Alsace (all Europeans gasp!). It's true. I had heard of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Beauty and the Beast. Still, I had no idea that there was a magical little wine route along the border of France and Germany where romantic chalets, beautiful flowers, friendly people, and Alsacian food can inspire storybook fairytales.

If you know me, you know fairytales aren't my forte. Yet being in this beautiful region, you can't help but daydream of what it's like to live in these quaint villages where time slips by more slowly. Where you get stuck behind farmers on tractors through winding vineyards and where even the most simple dishes are so delectable that you want to savor every morsel.

Autumn in Alsace

A Quiet Weekend in the Romantic Wine Region

By Chanel Leitch ⋆ Photography Kevin Leitch

While Alsace is most definitely French, it has a long history of being passed back and forth between France and Germany repeatedly through various wars, including WWI and WWII. In 1945, it was finally liberated and returned to French control. You can feel this unique interplay of German, French, and even Swiss culture from the architecture, the wine, languages, and even food. We are fortunate enough that this all resides in our backyard, where we can reach the southernmost section in less than thirty minutes. We had planned to do an Alsacian visit with our parents earlier this year, but as with most, the COVID-19 changed our plans. Ultimately, we decided to visit anyway in September over a long weekend, and it was a perfect escape, all with a quick car hire. Off we go!

While visiting, we happened across the following quote while visiting castle ruins in Kayasersberg. It explains the very essence of the Alsace. I just loved it and find it pretty much sums up our entire ex-pat view on life and people.

"In the horizon, Germany. In this vast landscape, do you see the border? The borders are in our minds! I don't feel Alsation or Flemish, German or French, European or African…that because there are some people who aren't. Thus, throughout my life, my personality is built in relation to the others. And these 'others' are different, the more my personality improved. The intermingling of languages, cultures, points of view… is indispensable to humanity's equilibrium." ~ Castle Schlossberg

Eguisheim

Eguisheim is a cute little village that we have visited many times since arriving in Switzerland. Still, we couldn't pass the opportunity to stop again as we began our initial path along the Alsace to Obernai. And even though we've been here several times before, this was the first time we stopped to have a delicious lunch at Auberge Alsacienne. What is it about the French preparation of chicken? It's so simple yet incredibly delicious. No one does it better, in my opinion, and to experience a delightful chicken dish with Spaetzle and a mushroom cream sauce. Yes, indeed, it's worth the trip every time!

While this small village is more of a pass-through, there are so many fun things to do in an afternoon. You can experience wine tastings from local vineyards, explore the catholic church, see the city center statue of Pope Saint Leo IX, who was born here, and see the large Alsatian storks, which are the city's mascot. These birds create huge nests, which you can see on almost any large building or roof in the city (usually with signs underneath cautioning falling nests or something even more unpleasant).

Obernai

Located at the crossroads of three Alsace regions, Obernai is 25km north of Strasbourg, Alsace's largest city. We stayed at the charming and beautiful Le Parc Hotel, which had recently renovated its spa, hooray for me! This 4-star hotel has much to offer, including two gourmet restaurants - La Stub and Le Parc Hotel Restaurant, which are both Michelin Guides. They were incredible! But the most memorable part of the hotel was the extensive, modern, and unbelievably relaxing spa. It felt like I was at a major resort, yet the hotel is so small and intimate.

From the hotel, you can easily walk into the city center, buzzing with activity. There is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, the belfry bell tower, cute shops, and markets. We had one of the best hamburgers we've eaten since coming to Europe at Qui Dit Vin? This fun wine bar sells small bites and also burgers. Get one (maybe two). Trust us. The staff was so helpful and engaging. We truly enjoyed the lively yet unpretentious atmosphere, and it was a perfect start to our Alsacian adventure.

Ribeauville

On our way to Ribeauville, we decided to make a stop at Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg. This vast castle is well known in the region and had many influential family residents until abandoned during the Thirty Years' War. You can see the vast landscape from its towers and even get a feel for what life was like during medieval times. Take the opportunity to stop by and visit. It is by far the coolest castle we have explored to date.

The great thing about the Alsace is the ability to stop at little towns and villages for either short day explorations or several days of relaxation. After leaving Obernai, we decided to explore Ribeauville before arriving in Kaysersberg. You won't get tired of seeing all of these adorable villages with their well-manicured flowers, colorful buildings, or wood trellises. Ribeauville was so lively with people shopping, eating lunch outside, or slowly walking to enjoy the sunshine.

We ate lunch at Restaurant L'Arbalete, a little Alsacian pizza spot. I love how you can sip wine in France, enjoy escargot, and then a hot, thin pizza or flammkuchen. If you've never had one, you must try the traditional first and then explore all the varieties. In the distance, you see the Castle Saint Ulrich or if you feel like stretching your legs, take a hike to the top. This village is iconic for its cobbled stones and sidewinding streets. It often looks like something out of the movies. Speaking of movies…

Riquewihr

Once finally arriving in Riquewihr, you may feel like you are in the setting of a fairytale. The Beauty and the Beast fairytale, to be specific. That's because this medieval village was the inspiration for the cult Disney classic. No wonder this area is considered one of the most romantic wine tours in Europe.

While visiting Riquewihr, we went to a tasting at Famille Hugel. Their wine was superb. You might think that the wine industry is one of the few businesses thriving during the COVID pandemic. Still, they, too, have been struggling due to significantly lower tourism and import/export delays. So, of course, we had to do our part by drinking and enjoying their delicious wine. You're welcome ;) Seriously though, do check out this small yet widely known vineyard while visiting.

Kaysersberg

They say 'save the best for last,' and that's what we did…well almost. Maybe the 2nd to last but our last stayover anyway. We stayed at Le Chambard hotel while in Kaysersberg. If you don't get to stay or do anything in the Alsace, come here to experience one of their excellent restaurants – Le Chambard Winstub or La Table d'Olivier Nasti. This infamous chef knows what he is doing! We also loved the bar at Le Chambard. What a cool spot. This town will leave you dreaming of owning a small chateau. Also, be sure to visit Domaine Weinbach vineyard just outside of town. Their wine is so good, and you'll get a personal tasting from one of the family members!

While in Kaysersberg, you can walk to the castle ruins of Chateau Schlossberg. There's not much to see in terms of the castle itself, but it gives you a great lookout over Kaysersberg and the vineyards' rolling hillside.

Colmar

You may have heard of Colmar. It's well known for its Christmas market, and that's usually when we've visited this picture-perfect village. This time was less about exploring and more about eating our absolute favorite flammkuchen at La Soi. Please, please eat here but be sure to get reservations. The restaurant is small and cozy, but it is also very well-known because its flammkuchen is EXCEPTIONAL. Try the traditional or our favorite le Chevre. Also, be sure to order the blueberry flammkuchen for dessert. Trust us. You need this pizza! It's not overly sweet and is the perfect ending to an excellent lunch.

If you are visiting Colmar for the first time, be sure to take a boat trip through little Venice or visit the food market where you can taste local cheese and French culinary delights. This time around, we decided to take an e-bike tour with Alsa Cyclo Tours. Every time we do this, we love it! We were fortunate in that we had the guide all to ourselves and truly got one-on-one attention. We learned about the Colmar river rats – Coypu, got to see the broad planes of vineyards between Colmar and Eguisheim, and enjoyed a lovely wine tasting at Emile Beyer, in Eguisheim.

So, in summary, after three years in Europe, we decided to visit our backyard, and as always, we were not disappointed. We love this area!! It's a beautiful and romantic region where you can enjoy the fruits of the locals' labor with every meal or just because the sun is shining. We would be remised if we didn't encourage you to try local Alsacian wine. It's so pleasant and straightforward. There's a reason why it goes so well with complex foods such as Thai or Indian. This wine is so easy to drink. Support the Alsace and drink a bottle or two!

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