Riquewihr (68 Haut-Rhin, Grand Est) is one of prettiest of Alsace wine villages and base for several top producers of Alsace wine e.g Dopff & Irion and Hugel. It is also surrounded by other attractive wine villages being only 11 kilometres from Colmar and near the wine villages of Ribeauvillé, Eguisheim and Kaysersberg.
The village is protected by middle-ages ramparts and a castle which has preserved its charm and character. Situated between the peaks of the Vosges mountains and the Plain of Alsace, Riquewihr is a medieval town right in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards, classified as one of the «Most Beautiful Villages in France».
For centuries this magnificent town has managed to combine the quality of its architecture with the quality of its world-famous wines, from where it gets its nickname «The Gem of the Alsace Vineyards».
Riquewihr, not to be missed when visiting Alsace, is an «open-air museum» .It has managed to preserve its authentic character behind its city walls, which are now besieged only by the vines.
The village comprises:
- half-timbered houses dating back to the 15th – 18th centuries,
- the Dolder (a 13th century defensive gate),
making an impressive Alsace wine village, which is both historically interesting and hugely attractive.
See Riquewihr Tourist Office website
Holiday accommodation in Riquewihr – B&Bs, self-catering, hotels, guest houses including the self-catering Remparts de Riquewihr – a collection of 3 beautifully renovated romantic holiday gites in a historical and unique environment part of the medieval ramparts of Riquewihr, built in the year 1500.
The Western side of the properties are part of the ramparts. On the eastern side, in the picturesque ‘rue des Remparts‘, the house appears as a traditional Alsatian timber framed house. where you can discover the wines of Alsace and the nearby Route des Vins
Alsatian wines are mainly white, with a few reds made from Pinot Noir. Although usually sold in fluted bottles with gothic writing these wines are very different from the German wines across the border. Alsace wines are mainly dry and elegant. There are some sweeter, specialist wines which are more “dessert wines” from late harvests and unusually for French wines they are classified primarily by grape variety – e.g. Gewurztraminer, Riesling etc.
airport: Strasbourg SXB 64 km/40 miles
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