The very best 10 top beautiful & charming & typical alsacien villages which you should visit!

Don’t get me started here. I had a chance to visit Alsace 2 times so far and I think there will be ‘more times’ coming. Because Alsace offers so much and I feel I haven’t done & seen all there!

But I could write and write about Alsace a lot yet…let me be reasonable …and let me present you just the very best 10 top beautiful & charming & typical alsacien villages which you should visit!

1. Eguisheim has been named one of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages of France’ since 2003. It’s so-calledd a cradle of the alsacien vineyard and it has its own castle. It’s also famous for being one of the most flowery place in France and i don’t have enough space here to list all the awards the village got for its flowery compositions.

   

2. Riquewihr is one of the most famous villages in the region, and probably the most visited. It’s located in the vineyards what gives it a charm and that is not all. Riquewihr is full of half-timbered houses, well developed and very flowery, all very well preserved.

   

3. Colmar is located in the center of Alsace, between the other two major industrial centers that are Strasbourg and Mulhouse. This medium size town has many interesting museums, including the famous Unterlinden Museum and its typical neighborhoods are particularly beautiful and well developed. You can not miss out this charming place.

   

4. Mulhouse is not a little village but the second largest city in Alsace and being more precise in the the south of Alsace. It offers some beautiful monuments and architectural ensembles, but its main tourist attraction comes from the very good museums. The best known are those of the Automobile and the Railway which are the reflection of the history of the city, strongly marked by the industry.

   

5. Ribeauvillé can be found on the Wine Route, between vineyards and mountains. It is a charming city that has been able to expand its historical heritage. You can admire 3 castles, whose ruins still dominate the city. Have you heard of those castles? St Ulrich Castle is the oldest and most important, than we have Girsberg Castle and lastly Castle Haut-Ribeaupierre – the highest of them. From its medieval fortifications, the city still retains part of its wall and some of its defensive towers, including the “Tower of Butchers”. Myself, I loved the Grand’rue and its picturesque districts, lined with flowered buildings and dotted with squares decorated with Renaissance fountains.

   

6. Mittelbergheim is located about 30 km south-west of Strasbourg in the Bas-Rhin department of Alsace, on the hill surrounded by vineyards. It is officially classified as one of the ‘most beautiful villages in France’ and has been a village of winegrowers since the 17th century. What’s interesting, it’s that Mittelbergheim is unusual village in Alsace because many of the buildings have not been painted – they have kept their natural pink color. A little bonus here: it seems that almost every house is offering wine tasting.

   

7. Hunawihr can also be found on the Wine Route, in the middle of the vineyards. It is a charming alsacien village, very flowery and a bit mysterious. You can admire there its 16th-century houses, its fortified church, and cemetery. Hunawihr is a great examples of defensive religious architecture. And a little bonus: Butterfly Garden.

   

8. Bergheim is located in the Haut-Rhin, north of Colmar, near the border with Bas-Rhin. The history of the city was rather eventful, and even reported the hysteria of witch hunts at the end of XVI century. That’s why the local museum is very interesting. In terms of culture and leisure, there is everything in Bergheim: wine merchants, artists, sportsmen, innkeepers, and librarians.

   

9. Ungersheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin region, located in the north of Mulhouse. This little charming village is well known for its famous Écomusée d’Alsace, which I had a chance to visit and will recommend highly. There is also ‘Le Bioscope“, a leisure park dedicated to environmental questions, proposing amusing and educating activities which I haven’t visited. ..yet!

   

10. Strasbourg is not a small village but a very big city! And I had to mention it as it is a must when visiting Alsace. Did you know that it has been called the capital of Europe and Alsace? Moreover, thanks to its historical (its city center is the part of the UNESCO World Heritage) and architectural heritage, Strasbourg is the richest city in the region. Famous for its monuments and history, the city is also a young and dynamic place. It will surprise you by its sparkling and cultural side: museums, theaters, opera, concert halls, festivals … Everything is there, not to mention the very famous Christmas markets! And the little bonus: you can find there a very good food! Well, I could and should write more about this city as, to be honest, it deserves the whole long article. Here, I just wanted to tell you – visit it if you have a chance or make an opportunity to visit Strasbourg! It is worth it!

    

So, it’s is all for now. Do do you know any of the alsacien villages I listed above? Maybe you know other beautiful & charming towns in Alsace?

Please share with me so I can put on my list of things to do in Alsace. Merci beaucoup!