Bicycle ride to discover the Ried d’Alsace (3h)

What if you went by bike to discover the Ried, this part of Alsace less known than others but which is also interesting? The Ried is the plain of Alsace, located between the Vosges on one side and the Rhine on the other (with the Black Forest on the German side). It is an interesting area for its nature, its biodiversity and the omnipresence of water. But it is also an area that has beautiful villages, with an interesting heritage to admire. The local loop 463 entitled “Waterways and Sailors is the ideal way to discover it!

An easy bike ride in the Alsace ried

This loop allows you to discover its landscapes, its built heritage… And even its culinary heritage if you wish! The itinerary is about 40km long and easy because it is quite flat: this is one of the big advantages compared to the Route des Vins, for example 😉 You can count on about 3 hours of cycling. This loop is fully marked: you have signs BL 463 (local loop 463) allowing you to follow the route easily 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 immediately the canal to take the cycle track in direction of Benfeld, while passing by Herbsheim. We find in Benfeld a plan of water where you can swim in the summer: it’s up to you if you already make a stop or if you prefer to make the loop in the opposite direction to enjoy the swim at the end of the walk, it can also be nice.

We then join the downtown Benfeldwhich is a really nice little town: there are beautiful houses and a beautiful city hall dating from the 16th century, with a Renaissance-style turret and a Jacquemart clock. If you are hungry or want to buy a picnic, do not hesitate to stop at the store Fifty Shades of Seed,a zero-waste grocery store where you’ll find lots of good stuff. 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. We arrive at Huttenheim, where you can also buy something to picnic at the bakery Aux saveurs de Cathy (the cakes are very good there!). Then we go along the Ill: there are tables and pontoons which are perfect places to take a break, with a view on 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 want more ideas, don’t hesitate to consult my article on my ideas of 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).