Europe's Best Drives

View over the vineyards ©Trubble

The Alsace wine route (Route de Vins) take a path through the beautiful traditional towns, villages and vineyards of Alsace, forming one of the most popular wine routes in France. The winding highway passes endless colourful vineyards and half-timbered houses, beautiful flower displays and stunning scenery with views up towards the mountains. It is a fantastic way to experience the region, and get first hand insight into the produce for which the area is so famous.

Starting out near Strasbourg in the town of Marlenheim, the route travels over 170 km south to Thann. Running along the base of the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace region is sheltered from the elements, experiencing one of the lowest rainfalls in France.

The town of Colmar, passed through on route ©timo_w2s

Of course one of the most important reasons why visitors come to this area is the wine, and there is no shortage of opportunities to experience the wine making process or taste the different varieties. Wine taverns (winstuben) can be found in the different towns the route passes through, where wines can be tasted in a traditional and atmospheric setting. Strolling through the different vineyards along well marked paths, visitors can find out about the wine growers and the variety of grapes being grown by reading signs and information boards.

The most famous wines of the region are white wines, particularly Riesling, however a small amout of rosé and red wine is produced with the pinot noir grapes. Wine is not the only local produce which can be sampled and enjoyed in this area. Ribeaupierre cheese is a notable highlight, a creamy white variety made in one of the larger towns, Ribeauville. Also worth a visit is the Kronenbourg brewery in Strasbourg, which is open to tourists and visitors to learn more about the brewing process and sample some of the beers produced.

Route through one of the Alsace vineyards ©Francios Schnell

Driving the Alsace wine route is a great way to experience all that the region has to offer. With so many surrounding towns and villages, there is plenty of opportunity to break away from the beaten track and explore deeper into the region to discover hidden gems One tip – look out for the storks of Alsace on many of the roofs and buildings you drive past – you can see them in large nests high above the ground.