Visit Alsace – My TOP 35 things to do, see and taste

1. Road-trip along the Alsace Wine Route

The Alsace Wine Route is a must-see in Alsace. The oldest wine road in France winds its way through the vineyards and across the slopes of the Vosges mountains, passing through villages, each more charming than the last, and offering magnificent views.

It’s impossible to get bored of it, and personally I’m still amazed every time I pass by (though I’ve ridden it many times!). For what I think is an even more pleasant (and greener) experience, don’t hesitate to cycle the Alsace Wine Route!

2. Stroll through Alsace’s villages

You will see it quickly if you come to visit Alsace, the region is very flowery! When spring comes, geraniums and other plants overflow from the window boxes and majestically adorn the facades of the magnificent half-timbered houses. Strolling through the narrow streets of small Alsatian towns like Obernai or villages like Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé and Kaysersberg (to name but a few) is a delight. But above all, don’t hesitate to go and see other villages than these: they are the most touristic, they are very beautiful but there are a lot of very beautiful villages, and you will also be more quiet…

3. Visit a winemaker

It’s impossible to come to Alsace without visiting a winery, tasting some good Alsace wine and, above all, taking the time to chat with the winemakers! Winemakers are often passionate people who love their work and, of course, have a wealth of knowledge. What better way to learn about the region’s culture? Wouldn’t it be a shame to miss out on a great encounter over a glass of crémant, riesling, gewuztraminer or pinot noir?

4. Visit Strasbourg

Strasbourg is a dynamic city that’s great to visit. Of course, Petite France and Notre-Dame de Strasbourg cathedral are not to be missed, but the city has so much more to offer. You’ll love wandering through its charming alleyways and enjoying its lively atmosphere: stores, bars, restaurants… Strasbourgers love to get out and about, and there’s no shortage of entertainment! Visit my dedicated articles to find out more.

My guide to Strasbourg

Plan an unforgettable stay in Strasbourg and the surrounding area without wasting any time, thanks to my guide ! You’ll find the best places to visit, activities not to be missed and the best addresses! The guide is only avaliable in FRENCH for the moment.

> Click here

5. Discover Colmar

Colmar is Alsace’s little postcard: you can hardly get more charming! It’s a great place to take a stroll (especially for a romantic weekend!) and a must for a little boat trip in Little Venice. Its only small flaw: it is very quiet, do not expect crazy parties! 😉

My guide to Colmar

Plan an unforgettable stay in Colmar and the surrounding area without wasting any time, thanks to my guide ! You’ll find the most beautiful places to visit, activities not to be missed and the best addresses!

> Click here

6. Visit the Musée Unterlinden in Colmar

Colmar’s Musée Unterlinden is a superb museum, acclaimed by art critics the world over. It boasts an impressively rich collection for such a small town, and the building is magnificent! An ideal place for art lovers…

7. Discover Mulhouse

Mulhouse is a little bit the unloved city of Alsace. This is a big mistake, in my opinion. It may not have the charm of Colmar but it has many other assets. It is an extremely dynamic and creative city with an impressive industrial past that has managed to reinvent itself. Don’t miss a visit to one of Mulhouse’ s many museums, such as the Musée National de l’Automobile, the Cité du Train or the Musée de l’Impression sur Etoffes.

8. Treat yourself in a winstub

Alsatian gastronomy is rich and tasty. Not very light on the other hand, especially since, as you’ll see, portions are generous in Alsace, but it would be a shame not to enjoy it at least once during your stay. Sauerkraut or other Alsatian specialitiesthere’s plenty to choose from… The important thing is to choose your restaurant carefully, so you can also enjoy the traditional warmth of a real Alsatian winstub (the local brasserie). Here are some of the best places to eat.

9. Conquer the castles of Alsace

Alsace has many castles. Many of them are in ruins but, good news, many of them are also very well preserved! The best-known and most impressive is undoubtedly the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, a must-see in Alsace, but other castles are also of interest, such as Château du Haut-Barr, Château du Hohlandsbourg, Château du Fleckenstein, Château du Lichtenberg and others. Not to mention the ruined castles that are also great places to walk.

10. The Route des Crêtes

The Route des Crêtes is the road on the crests of the Vosges mountains, between Sainte-Marie aux Mines and Cernay. It can be explored on foot, by car or by bike, and is also accessible in summer thanks to the Crêtes shuttle. In any case, it is magnificent and offers beautiful panoramic views of the Vosges peaks! Please note that the Route des Crêtes is totally closed in winter.

11. Explore Mont Sainte-Odile

Mont Sainte-Odile is an ancient abbey in the Vosges mountains, high aboveObernai. It’s a magnificent, soothing place, with superb views over the Alsace plain, the Black Forest and the Vosges mountains. An ideal place to recharge your batteries…

12. Visit the Ecomusée d’Alsace

The Alsace Ecomuseum is an atypical museum: it’s an open-air museum, designed like a large village in which to wander. It includes authentic half-timbered houses saved from destruction (Alsatian houses have the particularity of being able to be dismantled: the houses in the ecomuseum were therefore dismantled and transported here to preserve the heritage) and a host of activities. The program is impressive and appealing to young and old alike: I love this place! A visit is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in Alsatian culture.

13. Enjoy a flammekueche (flambé tart)

As you’ll see, tarte flambée is everywhere in Alsace! But beware, they’re often pale, frozen counterfeits of the real flammekueche. Alsatians will tell you that the best way to avoid being fooled is to go to the villages outside the towns. The best place to go is Kochersberg, the birthplace of tarte flambée, where you’ll find plenty of good restaurants to sample it, but you’ll also find good ones elsewhere in Alsace. Here are my top addresses.

14. Hiking in the Vosges

In Alsace, we’re lucky enough to have mountains: the Vosges! Nothing to do with the high, sharp peaks of the Alps, but the Vosges are pretty mountains with forests that are great to explore on foot, mountain bike or horseback. There’s no shortage of hiking trails, signposted by the Club Vosgien: from the Hautes-Vosges to the Vosges du Nord or the Alsatian Jura, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to ideas for walks, and there are often castles to discover along the way!

15. Eat a marcaire meal at a farm inn

After effort, comfort… Good food is never far away in Alsace! 😉 In spring and summer, the farm inns of the Vosges open their doors to welcome hikers (and others).

The marcaire meal is one of the great classics of the farmhouse inn, and includes a winegrower’s pie, followed by roïgabrageldi (sliced potatoes, onions and butter, all slow-cooked in a cast-iron pot) served with smoked pork (collar or chuck, for example) and finally a dessert, traditionally Siesskass (fresh cheese of the day with sugar and kirsch) or homemade tart.

16. Take your children to visit wildlife parks

Alsace is home to a number of animal parks that are great for families to visit: the Montagne des Singes, with its free-ranging Barbary macaques; the Volerie des Aigles, with its impressive birds of prey; and the Naturoparc, which has been instrumental in saving the storks, otters and hamsters of Alsace. Your kids (and yourself) should love it!

17. Play jump borders

One of the things I love about Alsace? Its location in the heart of Europe, which allows easy access to many countries. This is of course particularly true for Germany and Switzerland. You only need to take one of the bridges over the Rhine to cross into Germany, and this can be done easily by car, bicycle, foot or even by streetcar in Strasbourg! On the Swiss side, the border is south of Alsace and it is easy to get to the beautiful city of Basel, for example, during a stay in Alsace. I love this mix of cultures!

18. A family trip to an amusement park

Alsace has a number of theme parks, including the Parc du Petit Prince. But above all, it is located just a stone’s throw from the famous Europapark located in Germany and elected many times best amusement park in Europe and even in the world! Yes, just that!

19. Visit Alsace’s memorial sites

Alsace has had a rather complex history: its proximity to Germany made it one of the strategic locations for the two World Wars, the scars of which remain. To dive into this painful part of history through the tourism of memory is very useful in my opinion: to know is the way to understand and thus not to reproduce! Among the most visited places of remembrance are the former Struthof concentration camp, the Alsace-Moselle Memorial,Hartmannswillerkopf and the Linge Memorial Museum.

guide to places of remembrance

Discover the complexity of Alsatian history and plan your visits to the various places of remembrance in Alsace! The guide is only available in FRENCH for the moment.

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20. Discover the biodiversity of the Ried d’Alsace

The Ried d’Alsace is a natural region on the Alsace plain. It’s an area that is often shunned by visitors, as it’s less “typical” of the image of Alsace that we often have in mind, with its half-timbered houses and vineyards. But it’s also an area of great interest and one that I love, for its peace and quiet and its incredible biodiversity. If you love nature, go for it!

21. Cycling on Alsace’s cycle paths

Did you know that Alsace has one of the largest networks of cycle paths in France? It would be a real shame not to make the most of it –Alsace by bike is the best!

22. Visit a microbrewery

We love beer in Alsace, and the region is home to many artisanal micro-breweries. Some breweries are open to the public, provided you book a visit in advance. Another great opportunity to meet a passionate brewer who will tell you all about his craft!

23. Lounging in a spa

Want to bubble? We’re lucky to have a number of top-quality spas in Alsace, my favorite being the Spa de la Cheneaudière. Don’t hesitate to go and have a look at Germany, there are beautiful spas at very affordable prices (just don’t be bothered by the naturist areas, very common in Germany).

24. A taste of Alsatian sweets

Kougelhopf, pain d’épices, bredele, tarte au fromage blanc, torche aux marrons…there’s no shortage of sweet treats in Alsace! Don’t hesitate to try these delicious sweet specialties for breakfast, snack or dessert!

25. Discover Northern Alsace

The north of Alsace is often shunned by tourists because it is less known. However, it is full of riches! Take a stroll through the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park, stroll through beautiful Wissembourg, visit the villages ofHunspach and Seebach, see the amazing troglodyte houses of Graufthal, visit Lichtenberg castle, wander through the immense Haguenau forest and visit the potters and glassworks I’ve mentioned below.

26. Watch Alsatian potters at work

Alsatian pottery is famous for its quality. You can admire the work of the potters and, of course, shop directly in the two potters’ villages, Soufflenheim (which produces terracotta pottery for firing) and Betschdorf (which produces stoneware pottery for storage). Be careful, though, if you buy them elsewhere, particularly in touristy villages, as there are many counterfeits!

27. Discover the art of glass and crystal

Northwestern Alsace has a rich history of glassmaking and crystal production. There are still a few sites in activity in this area between Alsace and Lorraine. Here, for example, you’ll find the Lalique factory (not open to the public, but you can visit the beautiful Lalique museum), the Cristallerie saint-Louis and the Centre international d’Art Verrier de Meisenthal. Really interesting visits!

28. Explore off the beaten track

Tourists in Alsace are generally concentrated in the same area, between Colmar and Strasbourg. If you’d like to get off the beaten track a bit, I invite you to check out some of Alsace’s other great spots. For example, the north of Alsace, which I’ve just mentioned, but also the pretty hills of the Sundgau (to the south), the lovely town of Sélestat, the Ried, and the northern and southern parts of the Alsace Wine Route (Couronne d’or vineyards, for example).

29. Discover Alsace’s mining history

Okay, maybe not a must-see, but it’s unusual and super interesting! In the past, Alsace exploited potash and silver mines. You can follow in the footsteps of this mining history by visiting the Carreau Rodolphe or old silver mines.

30. Bringing back memories of Alsace

Fortunately, the region still boasts a large number of craftsmen who make objects with talent and love. Why not buy your Alsace souvenirs from craftsmen rather than bringing home a stuffed stork made in china? 😉

31. Alsace without a car

We don’t always realize it, but it’s perfectly possible to visit Alsace without a car! We’re particularly fortunate to have a good rail network in the region. Of course, we won’t be able to do everything, but there’s plenty to keep you busy. Here’s a list of ideas for visits and activities to do without a car, as well as an entire weekend program.

32. Bathing in summer!

Ok, we don’t have the sea in Alsace… It’s true, but fortunately we have mountain lakes and gravel pits! There’s nothing quite like taking a dip in the water when the summer heat takes over the region… I haven’t listed them all (yet!), but here are a few examples of places to swim around Strasbourg and, in southern Alsace, Lac de Kruth.

33. In December, marvel at the Christmas markets

Christmas markets in Alsace are certainly THE most famous thing about them. It has to be said that this is a genuine tradition, which has absolutely nothing to do with the purely commercial side of the Christmas markets that have been springing up all over the world for several years now. Sure, they’re commercial too, but overall, quality and craftsmanship are still very much in the spotlight; as for the magical atmosphere of Alsatian towns and villages richly decorated for Christmas… I think you have to experience it once in your life, honestly!

34. In winter, explore the Vosges

Let’s be honest, winter isn’t a very cheerful time to visit Alsace: it’s gray, foggy, cold and pretty dreary. Everything except the Vosges! There’s nothing like a trip to the mountains, easily accessible from the plains, to cheer you up! The sun often shines, and you can sometimes enjoy the pleasures of the snow: downhill or cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding… The choice is yours! 😉 What’s more, there are plenty of other fun things to do during the season!

35. In March, attend a carnival

Carnival is a real tradition in Alsace, as it is in Germany and Basel (Switzerland). The number of carnivals organized between February and March is truly impressive! For example, I’d recommend going to Mulhouse, Sélestat or Rosheim to get a feel for the atmosphere (but there are plenty of others!).

Bonus – Pronounce the names of Alsatian villages!

Here’s one last experience in Alsace: pronouncing the names of villages. Yes, I know, it’s not easy at first, but I promise you, you’ll get the hang of it! Come on, a little practice before your vacations to get you into the swing of things: Scharrachbergheim, Oberschaeffolsheim, Krautergerstheim, Voegtlinshoffen, Helfrantzkirch… Oh, the sweet melody 😉