I don't need too many words for Riquewihr, just take a look at my photos. This is a charming and…read moreinteresting little city to visit. Definitely worth making a trip to see! On my river cruise we went to many small villages and tourist towns, however Riquewihr really shines!

This was a colorful, charming town on the Alsace Wine Route. Our cruise took an excursion to both…read moreColmar and Riquewihr, and these beautiful towns, with cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses are straight out of a fairy tale. Colmar is the inspiration for Howl's Moving Castle, as well for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Riquewihr was a smaller town, but every bit as delightful, and both towns were decorated for Christmas when we visited in December.

If Colmar is the prettiest town in the region of Alsace, then Eguisheim is definitely the prettiest…read morevillage. 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 spring. Can't wait.

Eguisheim--what a remarkably charming medieval French village! It is a popular tourist…read moredestination, in part because the Alsace "Wine Route" passes the village. Its circular town formation is for both protection and commerce purposes. Unlike some other medieval fortified towns I'm familiar with this town was formed by connecting houses and businesses to form a circular town formation. Eguisheim is a medieval village in France's Alsace wine region. The narrow, concentric streets of its old town are lined with many preserved half-timbered houses. The central Château Saint-Léon dates back to the first part of the 13th century. The castle was built by the Counts of Eguisheim and taken over by the Bishop of Strasbourg during the 13th century. An episcopal bailiff occupied it until the French Revolution (1789). It has been listed since 1903 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. The village is also known as a Village Cigogne d'Alsace (in Alsatian: Elsässisches Storckadorf), meaning that there are storks in the village. Eguisheim has a park dedicated to the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) which is freely accessible.

The "country town" of Colmar in Alsace is sweet and charming. The colorfully painted traditional…read morehouses, canals, displays and atmosphere cast a fairy tale spell over the town and is said to be the inspiration behind Disney's Beauty and the Beast. One of my companions remarked that Howl's Moving Castle is modeled after Colmar as well. So maybe you can get a picture in your mind. You must visit to see for yourself. The half-timbered houses, the cobblestone streets, the canals (Little Venice), the historic center -- this is a very lovely town and one of the highlights of our trip. Also, we visited in December and the Christmas markets were in full swing. I'm sure that summer would be a great time to visit, but Colmar is especially magical during the Christmas season. Be prepared for crowds.

Taking a break from the big cities, Colmar is a charming gem in the Alsace region of France…read more Arriving a few days before the Christmas markets start, I find the hotel I'm staying at and the town itself busily building up it's appearance. It's a seasonal thing. But do they really need to? The town is like a medieval setting in a Disney movie! The architecture of timbered wood, houses with pointy roofs and even little nooks with Disney characters is amazing! This town has all levels of dining establishments: fine dining to snack nooks. It's the combination of French and German influences that make this region different from others in France. I just visited the Musée Underlinden. It's impressive for the Triptyque altar pieces on display. A surprise is the size of this museum (quite large!) as well as a Claude Monet piece and other better known French artists. The Petite Venise neighborhood is filled with canals which have flatboat rides cruising down the waterways. 5-star picturesque! If you happen to travel to Eastern France, I highly recommend a stay in Colmar. It's one of the nicest small towns I've seen in my travels!