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ALSACE
Castles and Medieval
Villages
Country : France
Type Holiday:
Independent walking tour
with overnight stays in hotels and luggage transfer
Description
of the area.
The Alsace lies
between the Vosges Mountains to the east and the river Rhine in the northeast
of France. To the west lie the
foothills of the Vosges Mountains with mixed forests with many edible chestnut
and beech trees.
In the lower regions
of these forests are a large number of castles and castle ruins,
such as Hagueneck, Hohlandsburg, Haut Koenigsbourg, Haut Ribeaupierre,
Ramstein and Ortembourg.
A little further down
the slopes lie the extensive vineyards of the Alsace between
which nestle small compact middle age villages with beautiful
names such as Niedermorschwihr, Ammerschwir, Kaysersberg and
its castle, the higher situated Thannenkirch, Riquewihr with
double reinforced walls built in the 12e and 14e
century, Ribeauvillé, Andlau and Ottrott.
Many of these villages are so beautifully laid
out and maintained they are quite breathtaking; small streets
with timbered houses ranging in colours from pink to green and
blue each lavishly decorated with flowers.
The wine industry in
this area is very important and in the autumn the faint smell
of fermenting yeast is overall. Lovers of wine will truly appreciate
this time of year.
Lower in the valley
is a farming community where a number of larger towns can also
be found, which are not so attractive. Colmar is an exception
with its perfect, well-maintained centre and is certainly worth
a visit.
Itinerary
Day 1. Via the Ardennes
the Alsace is quickly reached, the distance is approximately 300 miles from the UK coast. On arrival you will stay the first two
nights in a hotel in Turckheim, a village with character and many timbered houses
and where three town gates are still to be seen. The hotel is situated next to
one of these gates. Above the hotel is a stork’s nest. In and around the
village many storks are to be seen. Turckheim still has a town crier.
Day 2:
Turckheim to Turckheim, 16 or 23 km (10 or 14 miles)
The first walk is a
round trip beginning and ending in Turckheim. It is a attractive and very
varied walk, which alternatively takes you through vineyards and forests. At
the furthest point there is an option to take in the village of Eguisheim, one
of the most beautiful villages in the Alsace. On the return route via the ruin
of Hagueneck you pass the enormous Hohlandsburg, a castle, which is open to
visitors.
Height difference of
today’s walk is 640 or 860 metres.
Day 3,
Turckheim to Riquewihr, 16 km (10 miles)
The route today
follows the borders between the forests and vineyards whereby a fantastic view
of the lowland plain to the east can be seen. The walk passes splendid places
such as Kaysersberg. The woods are
mainly of deciduous trees of which sweet chestnut are in abundance. The day
ends in Riquewihr one of the more beautifully preserved and frequently visited
villages in the Alsace. The hotel is situated on the outskirts of the village.
Dinner will be served in a restaurant in the centre of the village
Height
difference of this walk is 580 metres.
Day 4,
Riquewihr to Thannenkirch, 11 km (7 miles)
The splendid and
characteristic hotel in Thannenkirch is frequently fully booked. When this is
the case the night will be spent in a guesthouse in Châtenois, ready for a
walkaround from the village. Normally the walk ends in the village of
Thannenkirch, the highest location where you will spend the night on this tour.
Height difference of
today’s walk is 460 metres
Day 5,
Thannenkirch to Châtenois, 12.5 km (8 miles)
As the hotel is
situated quite high it is not necessary to begin the day with a climb, you
remain at this elevation and walk to the enormous castle Chateau du Haut
Koenigsburg, the most famous castle in the Alsace. It is open to visitors.
Later in the morning your walk takes you past the Montange des Singes, an
monkey-garden where apes have been kept for many years. This monkey-garden can
also be visited. From this point you descend to the village of Châtenois which
lies at the bottom of the hills.
Height difference of
today’s walk is 260 metres
Day 6,
Châtenois to Andlau, 19 km (12 miles).
Leaving the village
of Châtenois in a northerly direction you will very quickly find the red
markers of the GR 5. After 6 kilometres (4 miles) you will reach the friendly
village of Dambach-la-ville, where a large number of wines come from. After
Dambach the route passes mainly through the woods, you’ll only pass one other
small village. You spend the night in the outskirts of the village of Andlau in
a charming hotel with a view over a hill covered with vineyards.
Height difference of
today’s walk is 575 metres.
Day 7:
Andlau to Obernai, 20 km (12 miles)
The final stage to Obernai is very beautiful. From the village you climb
to the ruin of Chateau d’Andlau. Hereafter you follow the route markers in the
direction of Chateau Landsberg and eventually you will find this large ruin in
the middle of the woods. After crossing a road a little further up you follow a
pretty path in the direction of Mont-Sainte-Odile. The closer you approach the
sanctuary the number of route markers increases. The Mont-Sainte-Odile is a
place of pilgrimage which is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each
year. Naturally you can look around here.
You are now at a height of 800 metres and from here you descend
continually to the town of Obernai, where you spend the night in a hotel in the
centre of town.
Height difference of today’s walk is 650 metres.
Day 8: Departure.
Accommodation
The appointments of the hotels vary and are of good quality with good
food and en suite rooms. They are all situated in places of exceptional beauty,
small streets coloured timbered houses and masses of flowers.
Who is the holiday
meant for?
This is a perfect walking trip for those who not only enjoy walking but
also would like to visit points of interest along the way, of which there are
many. The daily routes are not too long so that there is time to stop. The
Alsace has an especially warm and sunny climate for those who enjoy good
weather. (It doesn’t mean to say that it never rains.)
Fitness: A reasonable physical
fitness is desirable.
Dates: Spring
to end October.
Included:
7 overnight stops on
the basis of a double room, breakfast and dinner, luggage transport, detailed
area maps 1:25000 with indicated routes, route descriptions and information.
Not included:
Travel to the
Vosges, insurance, lunch, return travel on the last day from Obernai to
Turckheim (If that is where you left your car).
Equipment
Good hill walking
shoes and a light rucksack that is large enough to carry a jersey, rain
clothing, food, enough drink(s) camera etc.
Meals
Breakfast and dinner
are included. Lunch is not. A lunch packet can be ordered in the hotel. Each
day during the tour you pass through villages where food and drink can be
purchased and of course local fare. Make sure you always have something to eat
in your rucksack. In the summer you must make sure that you have enough to
drink.
Weather
The Alsace has a very mild
climate. It is protected from the prevailing weather by the Vosges Mountains,
and receives less rain, while the number of hours of sun is quite high. This is
also very good for the wine industry.
Getting there: The nearest airport is Strasbourg. To
reach the starting point at Turkheim you take the train to Colmar
(30 minutes) and then a short bus ride to Turkheim (12 minutes).
Rail/bus tickets can be booked and included in the package.
Alternatively you could take Le Shuttle from London to Paris,
and high speed train from Paris to Colmar (5/6 hours).
End of tour departure: Direct train connection from
Obernai to Strasbourg, then as above in reverse
Public Transport
The area where the
walking tour takes place is easily reached by public transport by train to Colmar
and then by taxi or bus to Turckheim. There is also a station in Obernai, which
can be used when you depart on day 08.
Price:
Is per person based on two people sharing a double or twin
room.
Please
see contact details below to request latest price
Single person price
available – please ask
PAYMENT
A
deposit of 30% of the total holiday cost is payable immediately upon
confirmation of availability. Celtic
Trails can accept Visa or Mastercard, or personal cheques. The balance is due not later than 30 days
before the start of the holiday. If you
are booking within 30 days of the start of the holiday then the whole amount is
payable upon confirmation of availability.
We strongly advise that you take out holiday cancellation insurance and
personal accident insurance as refunds are not possible once payments have been
made.
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