It rained and thundered all night… and was still raining in the morning and was expected to continue until lunchtime. No sunrise walk for me, but more disappointing was that we had booked a Four Wonders of Alsace tour for today.

The Alsace wine route (Route du Vin Alsace) is a designated section of the Alsace region that passes through some of the best wine-producing towns in France. Famed for its scenic vineyards and medieval villages, it is wonderful mix of French and German culture and food, with its wine also characterised by French and a German influences. And those flower boxes I’m obsessed with… apparently each town seems to be in competition with each other to have the best flowers. Flowers are everywhere… spilling out of flower boxes, lining the streets and adorning doors and windows.

Since we have decided to forgo the stress of driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, we took the opportunity of a small group tour to explore some of this area. We were picked up in a very comfortable Mercedes minivan and headed off with a handful of others to our first destination. The weather was misty but the rain seemed to have stopped.

When I arrived in Colmar I thought it would be hard to imagine a place more picture-perfect. But only minutes away, Eguisheim is a village that outdid itself in charm and beauty. It is said that it was the inspiration for Belles hometown in Beauty and the Beast- and it certainly felt like we had stepped into the middle of a fairy tale (I know I keep saying that).

Wherever I looked, I was spellbound!

We visited the church of the only Alsatian popes- Pope Leon IX (1049) who was committed to reforming the church and apparently instrumental in preventing the marriage of priests. Good job Leon 🙄. A beautiful chapel bursting with a diverse mix of contrasts and colours.

Our second stop… another storybook town to discover was the medieval town of Ribeauvillè. Surrounded by ancient walls, vineyards, mountains, and pretty streets, Ribeauville is such a picturesque town, the first thing you notice as you enter the gates is how vibrant and colourful everything is. Of course the area is known for their colourful half-timbered houses with flowers dripping from every windowsill, cobblestone streets, and charming alleyways.

What puts Ribeauville over the top is the castles perched up on the hill overlooking the town, which is just so stunning!

It is also the home of the story of the Pied Piper…

… and to several wonderful cheese shops , in one of which we had the opportunity to sample many of their delicious (cow and goat) cheeses which included tomato pesto, stinging nettles, truffle, nuts and other interesting ingredients.

Just a short drive from Ribeauville and we arrive at ithe enchanting town of Riquewihr. We took a stroll and admired once again the beauty of the half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and fairytale setting.

Mostly every windowsill is covered with flowers and kooky adornments… and many of the houses are even more brightly coloured than the other towns we have visited.

We continue through the narrow cobblestone streets and came across the 13^th century Dolder tower. Standing tall, and of course festooned with flowers, the tower has been protecting its village for more than seven centuries!

We walk to the edge of the town and you can see the vineyards literally surround the town- so pretty.

Our guide then takes us up for a stunning view over the town and the surrounding countryside and vineyards.

Next stop was Kaysersberg… another one of the most beautiful villages in France.

The town’s name means “emperor’s mountain” in German… and Kaysersberg actually belonged to Germany for 48 years–between the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War. And this Alsatian village was the birthplace of Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer. And also the brothers Grimm.

This was also the town when Anthony Bourdain had his 5 star hotel (where he sadly took his life a few years ago) and 2 Michelin star restaurant.

Visited a church that had a gorgeous cross that I would have loved for my collection- although I don’t think it would have fit in my little granny flat. But I have been unable to find one to add to my wall at this stage.

We walked through town and came to a 16th-century bridge (Pont Fortifie), offering a stunning view of the Weiss River.

We walked through town and came to a 16th-century bridge (Pont Fortifie), offering a stunning view of the Weiss River.

In the distance, we could catch a glimpse of the Château de Kaysersberg, a castle in ruins.

Our last stop for the day was to a local wine cave to taste some of the local wines from Cremánt to Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. A long but awesome day so we decided to stay in our apartment for the evening and eat a lovely fresh baguette with some of the delicious cheese we bought in Ribeauville.