What to do in Ribeauvillé? – My ideas of visits and good addresses

Ribeauvillé is one of those villages that are touristy but have also kept a real local life. A very nice mix that gives it a particular charm: I love coming to Ribeauvillé!

What to do, see and visit in Ribeauvillé? My activity ideas

Tourism in the city center of Ribeauvillé

My advice for visiting Ribeauvillé is relatively simple: walk around! Strolling in the Grand Rue and regularly taking the small streets perpendicular to the Grand Rue is a real pleasure as there are so many nice things to see in the historical center: colorful and flowery Alsatian half-timbered houses, nice stores, beautiful signs, sculptures at the corner of the houses… Ribeauvillé is a really charming medieval village. It is necessary to raise the eyes to watch the details on the facades, there are very many to admire!

During the walk, you will discover many remarkable buildingsThe town hall, dating from the 18th century, the ramparts (part of which have been preserved) and the Butchers’ Tower (the town’s former defensive tower, dating from the 13th century and raised in the 16th), the former 15th century wheat market and its beautiful Gothic porches, the Saint Gregory church and the Augustinian Convent church.

Various traditional half-timbered houses also bear witness to the rich history of the city. The most beautiful of these houses is undoubtedly the Maison des Ménétriers (Pfifferhüss), located at 14 Grand Rue, which has a unique decoration on its façade dating from 1683. It was the seat of the corporation of minstrels (musicians). Another original building to see is the Elephant Inn (located at the n°1 of the First Army Square).

Where to walk in Ribeauvillé? Hike to the Three Castles

Don’t hesitate to leave the walls of this ancient fortified city to admire the vineyards and the three castles of Ribeauvillé (Château du Girsberg, Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre and Château de Saint-Ulrich), classified as Historic Monuments.

If you have a little time in front of you and like to walk, I advise you the hike of the Three Castles of Ribeauvillé. It is beautiful! In fact, I recommend it even if you don’t have much time because you will quickly have a very nice view of the vineyards and the village: you can only do a very small portion, you will already enjoy a beautiful panorama typically Alsatian!

Relaxing at the Ribeauvillé spa

Ribeauvillé has a very nice spa located outside the city, in the Casino Barrière. To relax in the middle of a stay full of visits or if the weather is a bit sad, the spa of Ribeauvillé is a really good option!

Discover many different beers in an unusual bar

If you are a beer lover, don’t miss the Bar Saint-Ulrich, a very nice little bar offering a huge choice of beers… Discoveries and conviviality at the rendez-vous!

Taste one of the best cordon bleu in Alsace

Want to taste a good Alsatian specialty? The cordon bleu in Alsace is sacred… And one of the best and most generous is served in Ribeauvillé, at the Restaurant Aux Trois Châteaux. Notice to amateurs, you will enjoy it! 😉

Visit a winemaker and taste wine in a cellar

Ribeauvillé being located on the Alsace Wine Route, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it to visit a winegrower and taste some Alsace wine. In Ribeauvillé, I advise you to book a tasting at the Domaine Bott Frères, where you will be very well received and will be able to taste wines of great quality. For more winemakers, here is my selection of good addresses to visit a vineyard and cellars.

Fill up on chocolate at Daniel Stoffel

The Daniel Stoffel chocolate factory, a family-owned Alsatian chocolate factory, is located in Ribeauvillé: you can go there to stock up on chocolates, but also participate in numerous workshops on the theme of chocolate. Yummy!

Buy linens from Beauvillé

The factory of Beauvillé, the famous brand of household linen, is located in Ribeauvillé. High quality products are made on site and you can visit the factory store for great deals. Ideal to bring back a nice souvenir from Alsace or as a gift idea!

Visit the Christmas market of Ribeauvillé

The Christmas market of Ribeauvillé is very famous in Alsace because it is original: it is a medieval Christmas market really superbly organized and I can only recommend it to you!

Attend the oldest festival in Alsace, the Pfifferdaj

The Pfifferdaj (Fête des Ménétriers) is, with the Christmas market, the biggest annual event in Ribeauvillé. This festival celebrating the brotherhood of the Ménétriers dates from 1481, which makes it the oldest festival in Alsace!

Every first Sunday of September, the appointment is unmissable for all the associations of the city as well as for many Alsatians. It must be said that the festival is superb, with parades of floats and bands whose theme (always medieval) varies over the years. A very nice event!

My good addresses in Ribeauvillé

Where to sleep in Ribeauvillé?

Looking for a place to live? Here is my selection of hotels in Ribeauvillé.

Where to eat in Ribeauvillé

I haven’t tried many restaurants in Ribeauvillé, but theAuberge Au Zahnacker is a great place to try Alsatian cuisine!

Where can you enjoy good pastries?

Here is a very important subject: pastries 😉 Here are two addresses that I can recommend to you:

• to buy delicious pastries to take away: Gilg (which I also ranked in the best pastry shops in Colmar!).
• to taste good Alsatian pastries on site: Pâtisserie Vilmain

Visit Riquewihr or Ribeauvillé ?

I advise you to visit both villages, they are only 5km away from each other! Both are really worth it but are a bit different: Ribeauvillé has kept more of a local atmosphere while Riquewihr is more touristy.

Brief history of Ribeauvillé

The origins of Ribeauvillé are unknown, but the village belonged to the German emperors around the 11th century, after having been ceded by Henry IV to the bishop of Basel in 1084. The lords took up residence there, fortified it and raised it to the rank of city. Around the end of the 13th century, Ribeaupierre had several lords and was divided into four different cities, each with a wall.

As early as the 16th century, the German emperors, then the French kings, had entrusted the Counts of Ribeaupierre with the jurisdiction of the minstrels of Alsace. This is how the Minstrels’ Festival was born, and it continues to this day. Today, the city is known for its wines, its rich heritage and its “Carola” water (one of the most famous Alsatian waters!).