Before embarking on my trip to this region of France, I kept reading articles about the most beautiful villages in Alsace, where Riquewihr always appeared at the top of the list.
And having been there twice (on the same trip), I can vouch for the fact that it is one of the most charming villages in Alsace.
Do you want to come and explore it?
Riquewihr, along with Ribeauvillé and Kayserberg, was one of the first villages I made a note to see during my Christmas tour of Alsace. It is a walled municipality, where traffic is strictly forbidden in its old town.
đ Where to Park in Riquewihr
There are several paid car parks scattered around the town centre. We used two different car parks. The first one is located in Place des Charpentiers, and was the one we used when we went early in the morning to see Riquewihr. The second is located on Avenue MĂ©quillet. The latter is the closest to the Christmas market and is located in a sort of wasteland.
đ Where to sleep in Riquewihr
The best hotels to stay at in Riquewihr are Best Western Hotel & SPA Le Schoenenbourg, Hotel Ă lâOriel y HĂŽtel le Saint Nicolas.
đŽWhere to eat in Riquewihr
We arrived in Riquewihr around 8.30am, if I remember correctly. We went quite early because we wanted to see its deserted streets. Unfortunately, however, the weather was not too kind to us and it started to rain heavily. We had to take shelter somewhere, and we decided to take the opportunity to have breakfast.
That’s how we found the main street first thing in the morning.
The only place open that we saw was Hotel Restaurant Au Cerf. Breakfast cost us 10⏠per person and included coffee, orange juice, toast, croissant and a piece of Kugelhopf, a typical Christmas sweet in Alsace.
đș Things to do and see in Riquewihr
Located 15 km from Colmar, Riquewihr is one of the most visited places in the Alsace region. It is part of the wine route, and from the first minute you walk through its streets, you will be captivated.
We enter Riquewhir through Porte Haute (or the upper gate of the town). This is the site of Dolder, a defensive tower.
Riquewhirh – like most towns in Alsace – is quick to see. We went early in the morning, and returned after dark to see the Christmas market. A couple of hours will be enough to see it in its entirety.
If you go early in the morning (or at a time when the main street isn’t crowded), my recommendation is to walk down Rue du GĂ©nĂ©ral de Gaulle from start to finish just as you arrive.
As the main street, it will be the most crowded and the most crowded with tourists.
The two starting and ending points of this street are: Dolder and L’hĂŽtel de ville.
Afterwards, I advise you to wander around the streets and let yourself be surprised by the Alsatian architecture. And the Christmas decorations, if you are travelling at this time of year.
All the streets (or almost all of them) lead to Rue du GĂ©nĂ©ral de Gaulle, so you’ll be able to keep track of the streets you’ve already passed through without the need for maps.
The streets of Riquewihr are beautiful, and too photogenic – you won’t want to put your camera away for a second! I had a hard time trying to stop capturing the essence I saw around every corner. It’s hard not to want to take home memories of the distinctive style of these half-timbered, colourful houses.
If you travel during the Christmas season to Alsace, you will fall in love with every corner. They go to great lengths to decorate the streets – and to make you put on a few pounds.
What I liked the most was this road sign.
The highlight of our visit to Riquewihr was the Bredalas, typical Alsatian butter pastries. We bought them at Maison Alsacienne de Biscuiterie, a shop that – from what I discovered during the following days – has more establishments in other villages.
I quite liked the Riquewihr market, but Mulhouse is at the top of the list of my Christmas markets in Alsace.
The Christmas market is concentrated in Place Fernand Zeyer and the main street. We went straight to Place Fernand Zeyer, where most of the stalls are concentrated. Here you can taste the famous mulled wine or glĂŒhwein, buy some handicrafts or try some local sweets.
We then walked the other way along the Rue du Général de Gaulle. On this street there are numerous restaurants, food stalls, and food markets.
I can’t tell you much more about the Riquewihr Christmas market because it’s a matter of visiting it, stopping at the stalls and having a good time eating and drinking.
