Situated just a few kilometres south of Colmar, the small medieval town of Eguisheim offers a halt packed with charm. Built in concentric circles, the village is great fun to roam as you always find yourself back where you started from.
Walk the length of the town walls and admire the pretty, colourful half-timbered houses brimming with flowers, and read the ancient inscriptions on their lintels. Stop off at the village bakery and try the bretzels or sip a glass of Eichberg Grand Cru, star of the Eguisheim vineyards.
Perhaps nature is more your thing? Up above the town, the ruins of an imperial castle stand proud in the midst of the vineyards. All that remains of the castle today is part of the perimeter wall and the main tower. Kaysersberg is not only full of character, it is also famous as the birthplace of Dr Albert Schweitzer, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in The house where he was born is now a museum. After surviving the wars untouched, it is packed with historic buildings and never fails to delight.
Surrounded a double set of town walls dating from the 13th century, the village is dominated by the Dolder watch tower, which serves as the town emblem. On either side of the main street stand rows of magnificent half-timbered or stone buildings, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, others to the Renaissance, each one as attractive as the next. Continue your visit in the adjacent lanes, where you will find many other houses with some fine oriel windows.
There are numerous wine-growing families in the village, some of which can trace their line back for 13 generations. Their wine cellars are odes to Alsatian wines in themselves, with their exceptional collections of large wine barrels.
