Alsace-Lorraine
At the foot of Mount Saint Odile, surrounded by vineyards, this village is the preserve of the Zotzenberg grand cru and bears a definite stamp of its winegrowing culture : from the architecture of its houses opening onto large courtyards flanked by buildings for winemaking to the "Weinschlag", a precious compendium containing a wealth of information about vineyards and wine since 1510 that can be seen in the charming Renaissance town hall.
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Just a short distance from Colmar, Eguisheim is the birthplace of winegrowing in Alsace and also the village where Pope Leo IX was born. The village is proud of its concentric, cobblestone streets and its floral decoration, which has won national and European awards. Visitors can admire the beauty of its 16C and 17C houses with their pointed roofs, bright colours and half-timbering.
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This village is one of Alsace’s gems and its excellent wines match the excellence of its architecture. A stroll around the village is a delight and the flower-decked balconies, sculpted windows and old paved courtyards are everywhere to be seen. Houses dating from the 15C to 18C, castle of the Dukes of Wurtemberg, squares and fountains : everything is wonderful !
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Located on the Wine Route, right in the middle of the vineyards, this flower-decked village of Alsace conceals a wealth of treasures and unusual sights : its 16C houses, its fortified church and cemetery, which make Hunawihr one of the few examples of defensive religious architecture, and for a romantic touch, its Butterfly Garden.
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Saint Quirin is situated in a land of green hills in the Vosges Mountains and has been here since Gallo-Roman times as the archaeological site of La Croix Guillaume shows. In the more recent past, the priory and its twin-towered church each with three onion-shaped domes are evidence of the village’s religious calling in the 13C. Traditional glass making and the legend of a miracle fountain are also features of this pleasant stop.
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Rodemack is in the Pays des "Trois Frontières" or Land of the Three Frontiers, on the borders of France, Germany (which it is only 20 km away from) and Luxembourg (6 km) and it is steeped in these three cultures. The village is nicknamed "Petite Carcassonne Lorraine" and is still surrounded by 700 m of ramparts dating from the 15C. Entrance is via the fortified gate of Sierck, which was built by the inhabitants themselves in the 14C.
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With their half-timbering on dazzling white walls, hipped gables and geraniums at the windows, the impressive houses of Hunspach are typical of the Wissembourg region and line the main street of the village. Some of them have kept a distinguishing feature of Hunspach : the rounded glass in the windows which allows their inhabitants to see out without being seen !
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