Laurène

Maison D’Hôtes La Vallée is located in Kuttolsheim, in the rural region of the Kochersberg in Alsace. Here, we are approximately 20 km west of Strasbourg, which is in fact an ideal place to enjoy the traditional backdrop of a typical Alsatian village whilst being within easy reach of the big city. The B&B La Vallée is a charming, renovated property recently acquired by Caroline and Patrick. Caroline, who is of Swiss/British origins and multilingual, having lived as an expat in various parts of the world, has always dreamt of running a B&B and of welcoming guests to her...

La Villa du Coteau is a bed and breakfast located in Obernai, on the Alsace Wine Route, in a house dating back from the 19th century, and which has been entirely renovated by Nicolas and Hoby, the very kind owners. After several years spent in Shanghai, where they’ve met, the couple had wanted to carry out another project and decided to settle in Alsace, Nicolas’s native region, to establish the Villa du Coteau. It was a real opportunity for this house, which was then entirely restored after 9 months of intensive works, and for the visitors who are very lucky to stay there!...

Strasbourg Christmas Market is probably, with Colmar Christmas Market, the most famous market in Alsace. It should be said that this tradition is not new: far from being an event created for tourists, Strasbourg Christmas Market (called Christkindelsmärik) dates back from the Middle Ages, making it one of the oldest European markets! The reason why I never wrote about this market before, is that I didn’t enjoy it so much a few years ago: it had lost its soul, giving in to the siren calls of stands with very industrial products and with sometimes the appearance of a funfair. Fortunately, the city...

Have you ever heard about the OFF Market in Strasbourg? It’s an event held simultaneously to the traditional Strasbourg Christmas market, inviting visitors to think Christmas differently, by rethinking their consumption patterns. The OFF Market is indeed a social and solidarity Christmas Market! If you are looking for Strasbourg locals in December, you’ll probably find a lot of them at the OFF Market! Meeting friends after work to grab a glass of mulled wine, going around the stands and taking part in the countless activities, has become a classic. I must admit that you quickly get used to it! The atmosphere is...

Sélestat Christmas market is not strictly speaking a Christmas market. There is indeed a small Christmas village with a few chalets, but it’s not the main attraction in town during the holidays. Actually, visitors come to Sélestat for all the activities surrounding the Christmas tree. The tree holds a very important place here, as the first written mention of the Christmas Tree was found in Sélestat, dating back from 1521. Yes, it’s pretty impressive! If you want to know more about the history of the Christmas tree, let me recommend you to download this short and very informative guide. Thanks to...