The Alsace region of eastern France shares a border with south west Germany and is replete with Christmas markets.
This is the third installment of our Christmas market tour of France, Germany and Poland, the preceding leg of which began in Dijon- Homeless in Burgundy, France.
Before heading to Alsace, we detoured south from Dijon a little to explore some of the idyllic villages and the smaller, yet no less significant wine region of Jura. After an overnight stay in the charming wine capital of Arbois, we jingled on toward Alsace.
Now travelling north east, we made a pitstop in the gorgeous village of Lods, on the banks of the River Loue. Views of the Loue valley from Renedale and Moine panoramic viewpoints are absolutely stunning.
Eguisheim
The old town, well the entire town actually, is built in concentric circles. It was hard to get too lost, since you'd eventually retrace your steps. It was evident that Christmas was in full swing here. It was a sign of things to come.
Colmar
The following day, we set off for Colmar, the unmistakable jewel in the crown of Alsace Christmas markets. It's chock full of the usual suspects - food, wine, handicrafts, knickknacks, a smattering of amusement rides, and a heaping of people.
The main markets are concentrated in or near the CBD area, within easy walking distance of the train station:
Colmar was our first choice for our stay in the region, but it's on the pricey side at this time of year, so we went off brand. That said, Colmar is reasonably accessible by train, although the village we stayed in required a connecting bus trip.
Before wrapping up Colmar, I just have to mention this crazy ride we witnessed, that seemed to be enjoyed more by adults than children. The horses trotted around a fixed circuit, while the jockeys did their best to look serious. It might fall into the category of "you had to be there", but it was hilarious.
Our plan for the following day was to get back in the car and tour the nearby smaller villages. Five villages distributed along a route of around 28 km:
Fairly modest by our standards, or so we thought. Apparently (and kind of obvious in retrospect), the worst time to visit the Alsace Christmas markets is on the weekend.
It was on the foggy side when we arrived in Kaysersberg, but nonetheless it didn't disappoint. A charming village full of picture book cottages and cobbled streets, but also big enough to offer up some non-Yuletide points of interest, including the 12th century ruins of Château de Kaysersberg and the Albert Schweitzer Centre.
Riquewihr
Our next stop was Riquewihr, and as these photos of Kaysersberg and Riquewihr illustrate, Alsace was starting to get its crazy on.
Kaysersberg, France
Riquewihr, France
The warning signs were there, even before entering the town - gridlock in both directions and cars being parked seemingly in the middle of nowhere, amongst the vineyards. Given the going was so slow, we decided to take a chance while there was still parking within a day's walk.
Riquewihr was nice, but the tourist population had ramped up to the point where even the Glühwein wasn't helping. It was time to move on.
The Others
Cars continued to snake and queue as we fought our way to the next village, and while we made a valiant attempt to park, ultimately, we gave up. Your loss Ribeauvillé.
We eventually found our way to Bergheim, which by extreme contrast was almost deserted. And not a Christmas market in sight. Hmmm.
It was so deserted in fact, that we couldn't find a place to eat, so we pushed onto Kintzheim - our final village for the day.
Footnote
We're no stranger to how busy Christmas markets can be, or for that matter, anywhere at this time of year, but as we learned later, coming earlier in the week is a much better proposition.
Strasbourg
The following day, we set off for Strasbourg on the French German border. It's a beautiful city that successfully marries the culture and architecture of both countries. It's also an extremely walkable city, with little to no car traffic in the historic centre.
Strasbourg has a rich history, an abundance of beautiful architecture, and interesting attractions like the Alsatian Museum, Orangerie Park and the Astronomical Clock. We headed straight for Petite France - a picturesque part of Strasbourg, easily reached on foot, despite the crowds.
But wait, there's also more Christmas markets, naturally, which can be found around these locations:
Strasbourg is easily reached by train from Colmar, and it's a great stepping off point for Germany by rail, where our next chapter awaits in "Back to Christmas market roots in Germany" (coming soon).
More from this Journey
All the photographs from this story — plus a few that didn't make the article.
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