Village d'Eguisheim — Attraction in Colmar-Ribeauvillé

If Colmar is the prettiest town in the region of Alsace, then Eguisheim is definitely the prettiest village. And that's even quite official: Eguisheim has been ranked as "One of the Most Beautiful Villages in France" since 2003 and won the title of "France's Favourite Village" in 2013 on a TV show.

And one can easily see why. After you drop your car on the massive parking lot just at the entrance of town (east-side) you'll find yourself in a fairy-tale style old village where time seemed to have stopped a long time ago.

The whole village is easily walkable. Be sure to start with the "ring"-walk leading around the whole village through the nicest streets and lanes. All cobbled. Countless shops and restaurants along the way. Yes, it is very popular with national and international visitors, but there are really some good shops with high quality products.

Built in 1257 Eguisheim has an endless number of beautiful and colourful old buildings and houses. When you walk along the outer ring, you really could stop every few seconds to admire the amazing architecture.

After doing the ring-walk you should also walk around the center. The Château de Saint-Léon-Pfalz, Fontaine de Saint-Léon, Chapelle Saint-Léon IX, Presbytère Catholique and more sights can be found here. Along with even more restaurants to sit down and watch the world go by.

A visit to Eguisheim is not complete without doing some wine tasting. For Eguisheim has many wineries. It is impossible to check them all out in one day - you'd be driven away in an ambulance if you attempt to do so. We chose the "Wolfberger" winery. Regular red, white and rosé. But also Crèmant (sparkling wine - on par with Champagne quality-wise), liquors and dessert wine. Free tasting (a flight of three) even. Get your hands on one of their Rosé-Crèmants. Tasty.

Eguisheim. A real highlight on our 5-week Road Trip through France. We'll be back this...

Eguisheim is one of the most beautiful and fairytale-like villages in the Alsace region of France, and it is officially recognized by the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The Most Beautiful Villages of France"). Although we only stayed for half a day, we did spot the famous stork (Cigogne), which had built a large nest on a chimney. It is said that seeing these birds brings good luck! We saw several of them, and heard that they are migratory birds that fly all the way from the Sahara Desert in Africa.

We also bought high-quality black truffle cheese and hand-made cow’s milk cheese produced by small local farms. In addition, we enjoyed a traditional "farmhouse meal" at a local restaurant, which featured regional dishes and delicious beer—overall, a very interesting experience!

We arrived by bus, which stopped on a main road about two kilometers outside the village, and then we walked in on foot. Later, as it started to get dark and rain was approaching, we discovered a small bus stop tucked away on a corner street within the village itself. To our surprise, we were able to catch a bus from there back to the center of Colmar. This meant we didn’t have to walk the two kilometers back again.

If you plan to visit, be sure to check the transportation schedules carefully and do your homework in advance. Be aware that bus schedules posted at the stops may not always match the actual arrival times, especially in different seasons. Sometimes, the buses might not...

Perhaps the best of the les plus beaux villages de France in Alsace. The village centre is well preserved and the concentric circles construction of the old village is both joyful and covenient unlike the straight path/main street construction of Riquewihr, Hunawihr or Berghiem. The old charm of the village is well preserved and somehow there are less crowds here than Riquewihr or Ribeauvillé (which felt more touristy). Also this village is not as empty or as unlively like two other plus beaux villages, Hunawihr and Berghiem. If you are here to eat, please reserve in advance (which is perhaps true of whole of France). Although there are restaurants which do make exceptions and take on gate arrivals but these are few and far in between. The village square or rather circle is stunning. You could stroll for hours, going round and round, and admiring the beauty of the buildings, the narrow lanes, the shops, the colourful flowers & their arrangements, the atmosphere, the flammkuchen, the creme bruele, the wine tasting and the list goes on. If you are in Alsace and you had to visit one place, Eguishiem should be the top and foremost...