Discover Alsace: A Guide to Wine, Culture, and Cuisine
The enchanting French wine region of Alsace is a beautiful area in the northeast part of France. Bordering Germany and Switzerland, it is a unique a blend of French and German cultures, local traditions and food. It is definitely a “must see” destination in Europe.
My husband and I have traveled to France more than any other country in Europe. If you were to ask me which region in France we have visited more often, I would say Alsace.
Alsace has a culture that is very different than the rest of France. Flower laden half-timbered houses, dozens of medieval castles, and stunning churches, contribute to Alsace’s unique character. The cities are interesting, the idyllic countryside is lovely, the people are welcoming and the food and wine are delicious. That checks all the boxes.
If you have never been to Alsace, two cities you should visit are Strasbourg and Colmar. They are both interesting but different and well worth exploring. You should manage to see most of the top sights by staying two nights in each city.
Strasbourg is a beautiful and busy city with an interesting history. The Grand Île (Large Island) is the historic heart of the city. Its entire historic center, including the Strasbourg Cathedral is a World Heritage site. The area called La Petite France is famous for its half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, and canals that run through it. Stroll the charming streets, where you will find plenty of traditional as well as international restaurants from which to choose.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Colmar, a smaller city, happens to be one of the most beautiful cities in the region. It is famous for its colorful architecture, cultural attractions, and delicious cuisine. Its picturesque canal district is known as La Petite Venise. Traditional half-timbered buildings line the water making it a romantic part of the city.
No trip to Alsace would be complete without exploring the Alsace Wine Route. It is the most famous and oldest wine route in France. It is known as the Route des Vins d’Alsace and is just over 100 miles long. The wine route zigzags south from Strasbourg towards Colmar.
The wine route can be covered in one day. However, to explore the wine route fully, spend a night or two in the region. This way, you can explore this beautiful part of France more thoroughly. Enjoy nature, the local heritage and savor some of the best wine and food in the region.
The wine route passes through colorful villages and towns like Obernai, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim. Several of the villages have a special classification. They are known as ‘Plus Beaux Villages de France’, which means the most beautiful villages in France.
Along the way, the wine route is dotted with dozens of medieval castles. Perched high on hilltops, they offer stunning views of vineyards planted to the very edge of picture postcard villages. The entire area seems to be taken straight out of a fairytale book. Narrow cobbled streets are flanked by colorful half-timbered houses with balconies and windows full of flowers.
The area is renowned for its fine, high quality white wines. These include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and the sparkling wine Crémant d’Alsace. The wines go very well with the traditional food of the area.
You will have multiple opportunities for wine tastings along the route. Most wineries are open year-round and many of the independent wine producers offer free wine tastings at their cellars.
Besides wine tastings, there are also folk festivals with traditional crafts and ethnic foods. They take place at various times of the year but particularly in late summer and autumn. We especially enjoy visiting during the harvest season. The weather is pleasantly cool and the grape vines have turned to various shades of red and gold.
The Alsatian cuisine is a unique blend of French and German traditions. There are delicate French pastries as well as German sauerkraut and sausages. The region has many Michelin starred fine dining restaurants as well as very good local traditional bistros, known as winstubs.
Signature dishes include Choucroute Garnie (sauerkraut with various meats and sausages) and Baeckeoffe (a layered meat and vegetable stew). Both of these meals are sometimes large enough to be shared. There is also the famous Kougelhopf (a cake with raisin macerated in kirsch).
Tarte Flambée, also called Flammkueche, is the Alsace region’s answer to pizza. It is a thin, crispy flatbread topped with crème fraîche or fromage blanc, thinly sliced onions, and bacon lardons. It is traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven, then eaten very simply with your fingers.
After a day spent visiting winemakers and tasting their excellent wines, you can spend the evening in a cozy winstub. Enjoy a glass of Riesling, Gewürztraminer or a mug of beer paired with a tarte flambée.
I remember the first time I had tarte flambée at a local winstub in Ottrot called Restaurant A L’Etoile D’Or. We were with friends and our server suggested that we all share a tarte flambée. We devoured our first one in minutes and quickly ordered a second, it was that good.
After returning home from one of our trips to France and Germany, I decided to try making a Flammkueche. This delicious flatbread is easy to make at home. I have a recipe for my Flammkueche that you can find here.
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The next time you are thinking about a trip to France you should consider Alsace. It is easily accessible from Paris and other cities. You can travel from other regions in France or from Germany, and Switzerland by car, train, or plane. You can also add Alsace onto a broader Europe itinerary as we have done many times in the past.
We visited this area when we were still living in France, and your post brought back some nice memories of our time there. France is a wonderful country!
This is a brilliant guide to the region, Karen. I haven’t been there for many years but it very beautiful and much more Germanic than other regions of France.
Beautiful
Thank you for the fabulous trip to Alsace Karen. It all looks like a story book, so many fascinating buildings plus delicious wine and food…sounds like heavenly trip!
Jenna
Beautiful pictures as always of an almost fairytale region!
Beautiful photos! The tarte flambée sounds fabulous! Barb
A great description of this area. I love Flammkueche and will try your recipe. Thanks!!
That’s so beautiful! We love Flammkuchen.
European architecture is really on such another level compared with other places. It is so pleasant to the eyes.
Those buildings and that wonderful food combine to make this look like the perfect holiday. I don’t know that I’ll ever get there but I’ve sure loved my visit this afternoon! And thanks for coming by, too!
A lovely Sunday morning post for me to read! Know the area very well. During the final year of WWII lived as a refugee child in Schwarzwald and later for years in Geislingen/Steige in Wurttemberg, travelling much around on that ‘other side’ of Rhine, which in some ways, as you know, has a resemblance. Love Strasbourg – one of my favourite towns around the area – hope you have enthused others to think of this part of Europe when making their travel plans. Oh yes, Flammkuchen has been on the agenda . . .
I love Alsace and always enjoy a good Flammkuchen. It would be fun to be there right now and enjoy a nice Riesling.
France is a tapestry woven with the threads of love, passion, and serendipity which you showcased so wonderfully!
Picture perfect! What a quaint place to be. And the food and wine are fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
Your travel posts always leave me yearning for Europe! Those beautiful, quaint little towns. Unfortunately, I’ve only been to Strasbourg. These days we travel mostly to Spain because of the weather.
Karen, thank you for taking us to this beautiful region of France! The architecture and the food look fabulous! It is an area we haven’t visited, but we should!
I loved our time in Strasbourg and the rest of the region, which we explored on a barge 🙂
Both of those towns look beautiful and I’ve seen photos before and thought it would make a great destination, Karen. You sell it well! Another blogging friend (Margaret- From Pyrenees to Pennines) is there at present and enjoying it very much xx
Those houses, those streets, those vistas! They’re beautiful beyond imagination. I wish so dearly that I could see them in person, but your photos do wonders to satisfy the craving.
oh yes please to that tarte flambee! Such wonderful architecture – those gorgeous old buildings …
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Not sure my comment went thru – just saying – great architecture. and i want some of that tarte flambee!
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
One of my favorite wine regions! Thanks for bringing it to life for me, and making me definitely want to visit.
Your photos took me back to my first visit to Strasbourg in the early 1970s when I traveled there with my two friends. (Two 14- year olds and one 17-year old? Alone in Europe? What were our parents thinking???) I have been back to the region several times — it is quite magical. And I do love much of the food and wine, though I am overwhelmed by a choucroute garni! I adore Flammküche! Thanks for this beautiful post, Karen.
What a picturesque area! I enjoyed visiting Alsace virtually via this post.
What an experience! The buildings, the food and of course the wine. Thank you for letting us view through your beautiful lens. Healthy World Cuisine
Your post makes me want to rush out and buy a plane ticket. It looks and sounds like heaven.
Amalia
xo
Looks fabulous Karen. The architecture, the food and the surroundings are pretty incredible.
What a wonderful guide, Karen! Alsace sounds like a dream, the mix of French and German influences, the half-timbered houses, and all that incredible food and wine. You’ve really captured the charm of the region, now I’m craving a tarte flambée with a chilled glass of Riesling!
This post was such a fun trip down memory lane! We’ve enjoyed spending time in that region, and we definitely want to go back. I also recall eating some of the most amazing gingerbread in Strasbourg!
We spent 3 or 4 days in Strasbourg a couple years ago and loved it! With the ability to get German (ish) cooking and French pastries, I thught it was some fine eating!
It makes me so excited to see all the places you’ve visited, Karen. Thank you for always sharing your best tips so we can have a beautiful experience too. I learn so much from you! Hugs, CoCo