Cycling holidays in Alsace

The eastern-most part of France, the Alsace, sparkles with lots of small wine villages, pretty timber-framed houses, medieval castles, seemingly endless vineyards and gastronomic pleasures! Sometimes part of Germany, sometimes France, the historic fluctuations of the last centuries can be seen today. German thoroughness and the French savoir-vivre combine here to make the Alsace region a very special experience. Between Vosges and the Rhine Valley there is some great cycling to be had between Strasbourg and Mülhausen. On our cycling holidays in Alsace you'll get to know the Alsace Wine Route, admire Europe's capital of Strasbourg, see the Isenheim Altar in Colmar and be enchanted by Riquewihr's picturesque townscape. Cast a glance around you from the almost 800-metre high castle, Haut-Koenigsbourg, over the Vosges and the Rhine Valley. See the monumental Rohan Castle in Saverne or get to know the Alsace on a bike & boat tour. While you're on your way you might well see some of the storks that live here. The stork is the inofficial state animal!  

On a cycling holiday in Alsace you will inevitably come across Sauerkraut. Sauerkraut? Choucroute alsacienne is cabbage cooked in white wine and served with either sausage or some other salty kind of meat. Foie gras d‘Alsace, tarte flambee or a hearty Munster cheese are welcome guests to the table. Enjoy Alsace's typical white wines - Pinot Gris, Muscat d'Alsace or Gewürzstraminer. Or a little sparklier? Then try a glass of Crémant d‘Alsace. You'll see that Alsace cuisine is exciting and varied. It is counts among the best in France. Reason enough why man top chefs have settled here to magic the traditional Alsace dishes to your table.

If you want to get to know France's eastern-most region, look forward to a cycling tour in Alsace. Your starting point, Strasbourg, is a great place to begin getting to know the area around the Alsace Wine Route. The impressive church, made of red Vosges sand, the historic quarter, La Petite France and the seat of the European Institutions all contribute to the international flair of this lovely town. Passing picturesque ruins and luscious green vineyards, your route takes you to Colmar and Riquewihr - one of France's most beautiful towns. A detour to the castle at Haut-Koenigsbourg, one of the most magnificent fortresses in Europe, gives you wonderful views of the surrounding area. There are plenty of places to take a break in any of the many wine cellars along the way.

The wine town of Colmar is considered the capital of the Alsace wine-growing region. On a star tour in and around Colmar you have enough time to see this medieval town and visit the Musée Unterlinden. Hunawihr, known for its many storks, is on your route after cycling through green vineyards. As ist the castle ruins of Kayersberg. The route is more level as you cycle over the Rhine into German Breisach. Criss the fortified town of Neuf-Brisach, designed by Vauban. Strasbourg, almost 75 kilometres away, should be included on this cycling holiday in Alsace. Hop on to your bike for a few kilometres and then get the train. Whichever way you like!

A very special tour combines Strasbourg in Alsace with the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. Having left Strasbourg's Munster church behind you, you cycle to Saverne, Alsace's Versailles. The mightiness of the Château des Rohan is definitely a match for the original. In this tour, crossing borders, you visit Saarbrücken and see with your own eyes why the area around the Mosel-Franonian Merzig is called Äppelkischd. Once you've passed the Saar Blow, Trier - Germany's oldest town - is one of your next destinations.

Get to know the Alsace by water too. While the MS Andante accompanies you on the river from Basel to Mainz, you cycle to the most beautiful places the Rhine rift valley has to offer. On the Alsace side of the Rhine, visit Colmar's Petite Venise, Neuf-Brisach - which seems like a museum - and then Europe's capital of Strasbourg - before you head for the old Imperial City of Speyer and the Rhineland-Palatinate capital of Mainz. This tour can also be done in reverse order.