Discover the Ried d’Alsace by bike (40km)

My summary

An easy bike ride in the Alsace ried

This cycling itinerary allows you to discover its landscapes, its built heritage… And even its culinary heritage if you wish! The route is around 40km long and fairly flat, which is one of the big advantages over the Route des Vins, for example 😉 You can expect to cycle for about 3 hours.

This loop is fully signposted: there are BL 463 (local loop 463) signs so you can easily follow the route without even looking at the map. Really practical!

Benfeld – Water level and city center

The route starts in Boofzheim, on the Rhone-Rhine Canal, on the parking lot of the marina (where you can rent a boat, another way to discover the region!). We leave the canal straight away to take the cycle path towards Benfeld, passing through Herbsheim.

In Benfeld, there’s a lake where you can take a dip in summer: it’s up to you whether you make a stop along the way, or whether you prefer to do the loop in the opposite direction to enjoy a swim at the end of the walk, which can also be fun.

Then it’s on to downtown Benfeld, which is a really lovely little town: there are some lovely houses and a superb 16th-century town hall, with a Renaissance-style turret and Jacquemart clock.

If you’re feeling peckish or want to buy a picnic, don’t hesitate to stop off at Le Marchand d’Oz, a zero-waste café-grocery where you’ll find plenty of goodies. As you leave the city center, don’t forget to go slightly off the route to see the Villa Jaeger, a 19th century bourgeois residence.

Huttenheim, on the banks of the Ill

We leave then the cycle track to drive on the road, but I reassure you the traffic is very moderate. You arrive in Huttenheim and then follow the Ill: there are tables and pontoons that are perfect places to take a break, with a view of the village on the other side. It’s really pretty! In Huttenheim there is also a second lake, which is located a little further away and where it is also possible to swim.

Through villages and fields

We continue with the crossing of the villages of Sermersheim and Kogenheim, both cute, before driving on a cycle track through fields until Ebersmunster.

Ebersmunster – Matelote and abbey

Ebersmunster is a place that I like very much: the village is pretty and crossed by several rivers, we are really immersed in the atmosphere of the ried. In addition, there is the Ebersmunter Abbey, which is certainly one of the most beautiful churches in eastern France! You really have to take the time to enter it: it is decorated in a rich baroque style that you would not expect at all, it is magnificent.

It is also in Ebersmunter that you will be able to taste a matelote du Ried if you wish: this Alsatian speciality is not very well known because it is typical of the Alsatian plain only and is only served by a few rare restaurants, including Aux Deux Clefs in Ebersmunster. It consists of several freshwater fish (pike perch, pike, eel, tench, perch, trout …) cooked with a sauce of white wine from Alsace and accompanied by noodles.

Our Lady of Neunkirch

The road then goes back toHilsenheim, then Witternheim, before arriving in Neunkirch, where the church of Notre-Dame de Neunkirch is located, which became a place of pilgrimage following the discovery of a statuette of the Virgin Mary. According to the legend, the statuette would have been taken 9 times elsewhere but would have always returned here. It’s a beautiful place!

Canal du Rhône au Rhin

We finally reach the canal from the Rhone to the Rhine for the last part of the itinerary: it is good to have a little shade and freshness, because there is little of it along the loop. One thus returns to Boofzheim, after this beautiful discovery of the ried. If you’d like more ideas, check out my article on my ideas for things to do in the Ried!

Bike rental

You can rent an electrically assisted bicycle from theTourist Office of the Grand Ried. You will then leave from Rhinau, which will add 10km to reach Boofzheim (5km outward and 5km return).

Practical information

Departure and arrival

Marina Boofzheim

Features

• Distance: about 40km
• Difference in altitude: about 100m
• Duration: about 3 hours

Itinerary

Find the details of the itinerary and the GPX route on the website Alsace à vélo .

Access

By car

Boofzheim is located in:

• 37km from Strasbourg (about 35 minutes)
• 50km from Colmar (about 50 minutes)
• 92km from Mulhouse (about 1h10)

By public transport

You can calculate your route on Fluo Grand Est.