What souvenir or gift to bring back from Alsace?

Choice of Alsatian products to take home

As you’ll quickly realize during your stay, gastronomy plays an important role in Alsace, and there’s no shortage of Alsatian specialities to try. For some, such as kougelhopf, pretzels or mannele, I advise you to taste them on the spot rather than bring them back, as they dry out quickly and won’t taste as good. Or bring back a kouglof, but enjoy it the very next day!

As far as decorative objects, textiles and other Alsatian souvenirs that can’t be eaten are concerned, I must recommend that you avoid the poor-quality stuffed storks or aprons that you’ll find in every souvenir store… Well, do what you like, but know what you’re getting into: these objects are generally made in China, so you could have found the same ones anywhere (except that a stork looks Alsatian, I know!). Give preference to objects made by craftsmen: they’re the ones who make the real Made in Alsace!

1. Alsace wines

Bottles of Alsace wine are certainly the most popular souvenirs brought back from the region! You don’t often come to a wine-growing region without leaving with a few bottles, especially if you’ve enjoyed a wine tasting at one of the winegrowers on the Wine Route. If you’d like to make a gift, you can also offer the glasses in which Alsace wines were traditionally served (this is no longer always the case), recognizable by their green stems.

2. Alsatian craft beers

Alsace isn’t just about wine! The region has a strong brewing tradition (it’s one of the few areas in France where hops are still grown, in the Wingersheim region), and there are a large number of craft breweries. It’s impossible to list them all, but you’ll find them easily enough in stores, including supermarkets, or directly from the brewers themselves, of course.

3. Alsatian gingerbread

If I say Alsace, you’re bound to think of gingerbread, right? You’re right, the region is home to Gertwiller, the gingerbread capital. But beware: there’s more bad gingerbread than good in the stores. Even if they are Alsatian, I find the Fortwenger ones you’ll find everywhere extremely dry, for example. I advise you to opt for those from Lipswhich are softer and better in my opinion. Those from Mireille Osterknown as the queen of gingerbread, are also worth trying: they’re not cheap, but they’re top quality and really delicious.

4. Munster cheese

It’s impossible to talk about a gourmet souvenir to bring back from Alsace without mentioning Munster, isn’t it? This strong-tasting cheese will easily find its way into your suitcase, as cheesemakers are used to vacuum-packing it for travel. This way, you won’t get the smell of munster on your clothes: that’s better, isn’t it? You can buy it directly from the producer at Ferme du Versant du Soleil, for example. Alternatively, you can visit a producer’s store or one of Alsace’s finest cheesemakers: Fromagerie Saint-Nicolas in Colmar, Maison Lorho in Strasbourg or Fromagerie Anthony in Ferrette.

5. Jams

We are lucky in Alsace to have Christine Ferber, the Queen of Jams, known throughout the world! Her jams are a real treat. You can buy them directly in his store in Niedermorschwihr on the Wine Route but also in many stores in Alsace. The price is high but they are really excellent! Les Confitures du Climont are also very good jams that you can buy on site (and visit!) or buy in many stores.

6. Alsatian brandies, liqueurs, gin or whisky

It’s often overlooked, but there are several artisan distilleries still in existence in Alsace: it has to be said that there were many distillers at the time, particularly in the Val de Villé region. You should easily find bottles from the Lehman distillery, or the Nusbaumer distillery or the Meyer distillery. You can even buy Alsatian whisky or gin!

7. Bredele, Alsace’s Christmas cookies

Bredele (or bredalas) are the small cookies that are traditionally eaten at the time of the end of the year in Alsace. So it’s definitely a gift to bring back at Christmas time, but I don’t think anyone will mind if you buy it at another time of the year. You will easily find them at the Maison alsacienne de biscuiterie, present in several cities in Alsace and whose bredalas are delicious. Enjoy!

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9. Soufflenheim pottery

You’ll find kougelhopf molds, baeckeoffe dishes, lamalas molds, as well as plates, cups, etc… Depending on the potters, the designs can be classic or more modern and original, so there’s something for everyone! In Colmar, for example, you’ll find them at Douceurs et plaisirs d’Alsace. In Strasbourg, at Poterie d’Alsace.

It’s impossible to talk about souvenirs from Alsace without mentioning the famous Soufflenheim pottery. Here again, be careful: many of the potteries sold in the stores don’t come from Soufflenheim at all. It’s best to buy them directly from the potters if you’re going to visit the potteries, but you can also find real ones just about anywhere in Alsace. Just be careful!

10. Christmas decorations

Christmas markets in Alsace are sacred! And the Christmas decorations too. In fact, you can buy them all year long in some stores. My favorites? Christmas Fairy in Riquewihr, The Magic of Christmas in Colmar, The House of Hanssen and Gretel and A Christmas in Alsace in Strasbourg.

Don’t forget to bring back a Christmas bauble from Meisenthal. These balls are handmade in the neighboring department of Moselle and a new one comes out every year. One of the great traditions for some families in the region is to buy the new creation every year!

11. Household linen

It’s often overlooked, but Alsace has a strong textile tradition, particularly in the Mulhouse area. In addition to Linge des Vosges, renowned for its quality, which you’ll find on the Lorraine side in the Gérardmer region, you can also buy high-quality textiles in Alsace. Take a look at the Beauvillé factory outlet, the Musée de l’Impression sur Etoffe store in Mulhouse and the Parc de Wesserling textile eco-museum.

At Christmas time, don’t miss the Christmas fabric, different every year and which is the queen of the Mulhouse Christmas market. It is available for purchase, along with fabrics from previous years, in the beautiful store on the first floor of City Hall, which is open during the market. This is one of my favorite stores of the month of December in Alsace!

12. Alsatian crafts

It is obviously impossible to list all the artisans doing great work in the area, but here are some ideas of designer stores where you can shop locally and find great quality items:

• Our favorite designer stores in Strasbourg
• Alsatrucs art and craft store in Strasbourg
• Régine’s workshop in Fessenheim-le-Bas, west of Strasbourg

Otherwise, in bulk, I can mention some artisans and creators that I love:

• Julia Tisserant‘s fabrics
• Avenue d’Alsace fabrics
• Christiane Koch‘s fabric hearts
• Muriel’s Christmas decorations fromAu P’tit Bonheur
• Marc’s organic soaps from the Scala Soapery
• the candles of Lady Candle
• the ceramics of Carole K Céramiste
• the ceramics ofElodie Lesigne
• Alsatian embroidery and kelsch work from Alsacienne en Rouge et Blanc

13. Tea, coffee and chocolate

Tea, coffee and chocolate from Alsace? Yes and no, we agree that there are no tea, coffee or cocoa plantations in Alsace. But we do have our own local companies whose products I can recommend. Le Jardins de Gaïa organic teas are well known for their high quality. When it comes to coffee, you’ll want to go for either Sati or Henri (I like them both!).

For chocolate, I’m particularly partial to the Cabosse chocolatier in Mulhouse, and here are our favorite chocolatiers in Strasbourg. More industrial but good too, I can recommend Jacques Bockel, whose stores you’ll find all over Alsace. You can even bring back Nut’Alsace, the Alsatian nutella!