Alsatian Heritage & Culture

Kaysersberg - literally "Emperor's Mountain" - is one of the most captivating villages in Alsace. Nestled in the Weiss valley at the foot of the Vosges, it captivates with its ruined castle dominating the rooftops, its medieval fortified bridge unique in Alsace, its architecturally exceptional Renaissance half-timbered houses and its wines ranked among the finest in the region. Birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Kaysersberg wonderfully combines history, culture...

Mulhouse is the great misunderstood of Alsatian tourism. The region's third city with 110,000 inhabitants, it is too often ignored in favour of Strasbourg and Colmar. This is a mistake: Mulhouse houses a concentration of technical museums unique in Europe - the world's largest collection of vintage cars, France's largest railway museum, the electricity museum - and an unexpectedly rich Art Deco and Renaissance historic centre. A city absolutely worth rediscovering.

Eguisheim is often considered the most beautiful village in Alsace, and one of the finest in France. Its unique structure of concentric circles around a medieval castle, its cobbled lanes overflowing with geraniums, its shimmering colourful half-timbered houses and its Grands Crus among the most renowned in Alsace make it an essential destination. Birthplace of Pope Saint Leo IX, Eguisheim wonderfully combines exceptional historical heritage with authentic Alsatian way of life.

Riquewihr is nicknamed the "Pearl of Alsace" and the title is well-deserved. This medieval village of 1,200 inhabitants, nestled within its 16th-century ramparts at the heart of the Alsatian vineyard, is one of the best-preserved architectural ensembles in France. Its cobbled lanes lined with pastel-coloured Renaissance half-timbered houses, its flower-decked fountains and its renowned wine cellars make it a magical destination in every season - and particularly in winter when snow and...

Ribeauvillé is one of the most captivating medieval towns in Alsace. Dominated by three castles perched on the Vosges ridges, it stretches its main street lined with Renaissance half-timbered houses between the Alsatian plain and the first vineyard slopes. Town of the famous Pfifferdaj - the minstrels' festival - and cradle of wines ranked among the finest in Alsace, Ribeauvillé is an essential stop on the Wine Route that one never tires of revisiting.

Heiligenstein is a small wine village in the Vosges foothills that conceals a treasure unique in the world: the Klevener de Heiligenstein, a pink-berried grape variety grown nowhere else in Alsace and in no other French wine region. This discreet and distinguished wine, with its delicate aromas of rose and gentle spices, is one of the finest curiosities of the Alsatian vineyard. Discover the history of this village and its exceptional grape, a true ambassador of an authentic and preserved...

Haut-Koenigsbourg castle is the most visited tourist site in Alsace after Strasbourg, with nearly 500,000 visitors per year. Perched at 757 metres altitude on a rocky spur of the Vosges dominating the Alsatian plain and the Rhine, this medieval fortress magnificently restored at the beginning of the 20th century offers an exceptional panorama and a fascinating immersion in the history of medieval Alsace. An absolute must for every visitor to the region.

Obernai is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Alsace. Nestled at the foot of the Vosges some twenty kilometres south of Strasbourg, it captivates with its lively market square, its Gothic belfry, its medieval ramparts and its colourful half-timbered houses. Birthplace of Saint Odile, patron saint of Alsace, and the natural starting point of the Wine Route, Obernai is an essential stop for those wishing to discover authentic Alsace away from the crowds of Strasbourg and Colmar.

Alsatian pewter is one of the little-known treasures of regional craftsmanship. Rotund beer tankards, plates engraved with vine and stork motifs, ornate cutlery, candlesticks and spice boxes: for centuries, pewter was the noble metal of the Alsatian table and decoration before being supplanted by porcelain and steel. Today these antique objects are sought after by collectors and folk art enthusiasts, while a few craftspeople still perpetuate this ancestral knowledge in their Alsatian workshops.

Sélestat is one of the most overlooked and most captivating cities in Alsace. Sandwiched between Colmar and Strasbourg on the Wine Route, it is all too often driven through without stopping. This is a mistake: this medieval city is home to one of the most precious libraries in Europe, two remarkable churches and an authentic historic centre untouched by mass tourism. This guide invites you to discover it differently.

La Petite France is Strasbourg's most iconic neighbourhood. Its half-timbered houses leaning over the canals of the Ill, its cobbled lanes and its locks make it one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in Europe. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, this former quarter of tanners, millers and fishermen attracts millions of visitors from around the world every year. This guide takes you on a journey through its history, its monuments and its best-kept secrets.

Colmar is one of the most visited cities in France and the undisputed jewel of tourist Alsace. Its cobbled streets, colourful half-timbered houses and the famous Little Venice district make it a living postcard, spared by the destruction of the Second World War. The unofficial capital of Alsatian wines and the natural starting point of the Wine Route, Colmar deserves far more than a brief stopover - this complete guide helps you plan your visit and bring home the best of it.

The Colmar Wine Fair has been, for over seventy years, Alsace's largest wine event and one of France's most important wine fairs. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of visitors gather in the Alsatian capital to discover and taste the entire regional production.

The Barr harvest festival is one of Alsace's oldest and most spectacular wine celebrations. Each autumn, the town dresses in colour and flowers to honour the end of the grape harvest through a vibrant parade, blending agricultural tradition, regional folklore and popular festivity.

The Pfifferdaj, "day of the fife players", is one of Alsace's oldest and most colourful traditional festivals. Celebrated annually in Ribeauvillé at the heart of the vineyard, this minstrels' festival has perpetuated since the Middle Ages a unique festive heritage combining costumed parades, traditional music and wine-growing generosity.

Alsatian wood carving draws its origins from the forest abundance of the Vosges and from a centuries-old farming craft tradition. Storks, miniature half-timbered houses, nativity figures and Christmas decorations bear witness to skills passed down through generations, where the craftsman's gesture transforms raw material into objects charged with regional symbolism.

Alsatian weaving, with its characteristic colourful check patterns and centuries-old textile craftsmanship, constitutes one of the lesser-known pillars of the region's artisan heritage. Tablecloths, tea towels and household linen have for generations perpetuated a manufacturing tradition that helped shape Alsace's economy and visual identity.

Betschdorf pottery - in reality stoneware rather than faience in the strict sense - is one of Alsace's most distinctive ceramic traditions. Instantly recognisable for its characteristic grey-blue glaze and cobalt decorations, this pottery from northern Alsace bears witness to uninterrupted craftsmanship since the 17th century.