Itinerary

Sunday

We rendezvous in Strasbourg for the short journey to our hotel in the heart of Obernai, one of the loveliest villages in Alsace. Time to stroll around the village before an Introductory Talk and Welcome Dinner – our first taste of the renowned Alsatian cuisine.
Overnight: Obernai

Monday

Following a charming valley we leave Obernai to go to Boersch, a typical Alsacian fortress community. On the way we visit an handicraft marquetry studio. Heading through vineyards and pastures we arrive in Rosheim for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit the 12th century church before walking back through forests and vineyards to admire the view of the Alsace plain above the city of Obernai before returning to our hotel for dinner.
Overnight: Obernai

Tuesday

This morning we visit the mountain-top sanctuary of Mont Ste-Odile, a spiritual shrine much loved by the Alsatian people. The access to the monastery is through the only gateway, above which is written: “Here, in the days of yore, Holy Prioress Odile was living and forever she reigns over Alsace like a mother ". We can admire the panoramic views of the Rhine Valley beneath us. Crossing the majestic Vosgienne forest we descend to Barr, another Alsatian "kitch" village for our lunch. Our afternoon trail varies between woody hills and vineyards, and takes us to Bernardville for a wine tasting. We transfer by bus to our next hotel and have dinner in a traditional "winstub" in town.
Overnight: Ribeauvillé

Wednesday

We start the day with a visit to the great castle of Haut Koenigsberg, one of Europe’s most important medieval fortresses, restored in the 19th century by Kaiser Wilhelm II. We enjoy the far-reaching views to Germany’s Back Forest and then walk down through the forest to our lunch in a chalet in a mountain resort village. Continuing along the same path in the afternoon, we discover the ruins of three castles of the Ribeaupierre family.  Leaving forest and castles, the undulating vineyard slopes lead us back to our hotel.
Overnight: Ribeauvillé

Thursday

We walk along Alsace’s Wine Trail, stopping at local vineyards to sample their celebrated Grands Crus – Tokay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. We stroll through romantic Riquewihr, one of the most beautiful villages in all France, with its medieval courtyards and historic houses. We lunch in Kientzheim, which was unfortunate enough to be badly damaged by battles on two occasions – once in the Thirty Years War and again, 300 years later, in World War II when it was a German pocket of resistance. We pause to remember all the brave French and American soldiers at the memorial. On returning to Kaysersberg, we have option to relax in and around the hotel or to spend time in nearby Colmar. We will visit the Unterdenlinden Museum, with its collection of Renaissance masterpieces, and stroll along the streets and alley-ways, well-preserved since the Middle Ages; ancient houses reflected in the water, facades with ornate wooden carvings and the leather makers’ district known as the Venice of Alsace.
Overnight: Kaysersberg

Friday

We take to the Vosges Mountains on shaded forest paths and walk beside the region’s two most prominent lakes – the White and the Black. We will visit the Museum and Memorial at "Le Linge", scene one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. The battlefield is situated at the top of a rocky hillock, dotted with a few trees and lined with trenches dug out of the sandstone. The bunkers and barbed wire which crisscrossed the area have been retained. A very moving memorial site, the battlefield contains numerous black-and-white crosses marking the final resting place of French and German troops. After lunch in a typical local auberge and a tasting of the famous Munster cheese. We wind our way down in the company of cooling mountain streams and across the meadows to our hotel and our Farewell Dinner.
Overnight: Kaysersberg

Saturday

The Wayfarers provide a courtesy bus transfer to the TGV rail station in Strasbourg where we say Au Revoir.

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