Alsace walking tours - Alsace bike tours

Alsace highlights 

See here our Self-guided tours in Alsace and Vosges

Alsace is a small region but with a rich History.

A mix of French and German culture due to its location on the German border.

The region consists in 2 departments, the High Rhine and the Low Rhine.

The 3 main cities are Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse

GEOGRAPHY

The region is bounded by 3 frontiers, close to Germany and Switzerland.

• The plain of the Rhine

A 68 km strip of land between the Rhine and the Vosges, the plain of the Ile and of the Rhine has many rivers.

The Grand Ried is also a land of memory of the war, with the memorial of the Maginot Line in Marckolsheim.

• The Vosges Mountains

The Regional Nature Park of the Northern Vosges consists in 113 villages, a natural heritage with a varied wildlife and flora.

Lakes, forests, crests, the location is idyllic to go hiking on the marked trails. The folk arts and traditions are still vivid.

• The Wine Road

Green hilly landscape dotted with picturesque flowery villages, small well-known wine-making towns offering breathtaking views of the richness and diversity of Alsace's terroirs.

HERITAGE

Many castles and fortification built by Vauban as :

• Haut Koenigsbourg castle : Built in the 12th century, the Castle occupied a strategic position. It was built to watch over the wine and wheat routes to the North and the silver and salt routes from West to East
• Neuf Brisach citadel : it was founded in 1699 at Louis XIV's behest. It is considered as Vauban's masterpiece. It is on UNESCO World Heritage list. 

GASTRONOMY

• Famous wines as Gewürztraminer, Pinot of all colors (Red, Black and Grey), Sylvaner..
• Famous local recipes as Choucroute, Baeckeoffe, Kougelhopf

Hiking and Cycling tours in Alsace and Vosges

The Wine road, an itinerary between typical villages among the most attractive of the area, can be discovered by bike or by foot.

The fortified castles of the Vosges mountain can be discovered by following the footpaths and the waymarking.

From Strasbourg you can start plenty of cycling itineraries, follow the cycling lanes or the canal banks to reach Luxembourg or even Basel and Switzerland.