Walking Tours in france

Alsace is a green and mountainous corridor wedged between Lorraine on the west, Germany to the north and east and Switzerland to the south. The main town of the region is Colmar, with carved and painted houses and an old Venetian quarter. This is a delightful walk through the foothills of the Vosges mountains.

The route takes you through pretty villages full of twisting streets, small squares and picturesque half-timbered houses with neat window boxes and roofs topped in places by nesting storks. Between the medieval village of Turckheim (where you can find the last remaining nightwatch men in France) and Riquewihr, with its medieval centre and perfectly preserved double city wall, you will visit the villages of Niedermorschwir, Amerschwihr and Kayserberg, with its castle overlooking the plain of Alsace. Then onto Thannenkirch which retains many traces of its rich history. There are fortifications dating from the 13th and 14th centuries at Ribeauville, and on the last days of your walk, at Barr and Ottrot. You can climb to the summits of Steinkoepfel, Schaentzel, and Odilienberg or Mont Saint Odile (an ancient monastery perched proudly on a rocky spur). You can also explore the 12th century fortresses of Haut Koenigsbourg, Haut Ribeauspierre, Ramstein and Ortembourg. A good area for lovers of food and wine. Sylvaner, Reisling, Gewurstraminer, and Pinot Blanc are all produced in this area and there are many opportunities to sample them at caves along the route.