Eurotrip 2022

[boomy]

Hilton Strasbourg

Located somewhere between old town and the European district. Not the most ideal location but only 3 tram stops to old town centre so not too bad.

Booked only one night and scored nice suite upgrade.









Hilton Strasbourg pros:

- Relatively cheap (when European Parliament not sitting).
- Good diamond benefits (suite upgrades and free parking).
- Executive lounge serve decent canapés and local wines.

Hilton Strasbourg cons:

- The hotel is VERY dated and needs urgent refurb.
- Location is not ideal for tourists, nothing to do in the area.
- Often expensive, particularly on weekdays. Not good value

 

[boomy]

Day 6

Alsace villages - Andlau, Barr, Obernai

We left Strasbourg and drove south towards the villages.
First stop was wine tasting at Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss.

The Domain

Small producer located in Andlau, specialises in unique white blends as well as strait Riesling and Pinot Gris. Tasting by appointment only, very intimate setting there were just us and another couple sitting down one on one with the winemaker. Didn’t take any photos, probably too busy appreciating the wines

I should say it was weekend, most shops were closed and weather not so good hence the villages were very quiet.

Couple photos of Andlau I took on the way from our car to cellar door. Didn’t spend any time there after tasting.





The village of Barr was close by so we stopped there.





Both Andlau and Barr are pretty but very small and not much to do there when everything is closed.

Our next destination was Obernai, a bigger village and also where our accommodation was for the next 3 nights.

Once we arrived we found a nice local restaurant for casual lunch. The proximity to Germany is reflected everywhere in Alsace, including the food. House special was sauerkraut with ham, potatoes and sausages. I’ve noticed almost everyone had that dish, must be good so we ordered it too. We also had mussels in garlic and white wine. Good homemade food.



We had a leisurely walk in Obernai to help digest the lunch then went to check in at our hotel.

 

[boomy]

Le Parc Hotel Obernai & Yonaguni Spa

Our home for the next 3 nights.



The bar.



We got nice room with balcony.



This hotel is most famous for it’s award winning Spa.

~ Yonaguni Spa | Alsace Spa | Saunas, Steam Rooms, Pools, & Massages

Official Website ✅ Relax at Yonaguni spa, a 2500 m² spa in Alsace dedicated to well-being. Enjoy our saunas, massages, hammam and revitalizing treatments.

www.leparchotel.fr

Among other things it won best luxury spa in 2021 and let me tell you, it’s absolutely incredible! We had our fare share of spas around the world but haven’t seen anything like this yet. I took a good video inside but unfortunately can’t post because it shows our faces and AFF is public site. I’ve also took some photos but they don’t do justice to this place.















All I can say is, if you’re in Alsace and fancy going to spa then a visit to Yonaguni is a must! We paid €20 pp for half day (3pm to 8pm) which is an absolute bargain compared to €90 for non-hotel guests.

 

[Matt_01]

For main I’ve ordered Beef Cheeks for BTC.
Unfortunately they were so chewy to the point it was inedible. First time ever on SQ I had to return a dish.

I am still reading through your TR, my recent experience on SQ EWR-SIN with book the cook was somewhat similar. The steak dish that was served first was inedible to the point the CC mentioned 'I had not touched it' and just pushed the food around the plate and would I like something else from the menu. The second meal, lamb was not much better but I did eat it as I did not want to offend the crew by sending a second dish back. Will this one experience stop me flying SQ the answer is no sometimes things just go wrong, I will post in the SQ trips and tales thread something that I did not expect.

 

[boomy]

Day 7

Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg

There are many châteaux in Alsace, most are just ruins but Haut-Koenigsbourg was rebuilt in 1900 by German Kaiser Wilhelm II.







Yes, this is a dragon hanging from the ceiling.



Beds were small back then. People used to sleep in fetal position as they believed sleeping strait on their backs will kill them.

 

[boomy]

Ribeauvillé

Our next stop was the town of Ribeauvillé.
Now we are getting into the top 5 towns in Alsace.

















After a stroll through town we had tasting at Maison Trimbach.

Trimbach - Grands Vins d'Alsace | Vins d'Alsace Trimbach à Ribeauvillé

La maison Trimbach est une maison familiale depuis 1626 à Ribeauvillé en Alsace. Nous sommes créateurs d'émotions depuis 13 générations, passionnés par le terroir d'Alsace, le riesling, et l'équilibre des grands vins.

www.trimbach.fr

Probably one of the more famous wine producers in Alsace.

 

[ellen10]

Ah brings back some lovely memories on our last trip to Alsace, we stayed in Ribeauvillé. Such pretty buildings and delicious food and wine!

 

[boomy]

Riquewihr

Next town on the list was Riquewihr which sits at No.4 on our list of the most prettiest towns in Alsace.









We had an amazing tasting at Hugel.
They opened some beautiful aged wines for us to try.





The photo below is just a small sample of the wines we had. They were extremely generous letting us choose anything we like from their full range.



After the tasting we bought few bottles and had another walk down the streets. Everywhere we looked there were pretty houses, such a beautiful town.

 

[OZDUCK]

Ribeauvillé

Our next stop was the town of Ribeauvillé.
Now we are getting into the top 5 towns in Alsace.

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After a stroll through town we had tasting at Maison Trimbach.

Trimbach - Grands Vins d'Alsace | Vins d'Alsace Trimbach à Ribeauvillé

La maison Trimbach est une maison familiale depuis 1626 à Ribeauvillé en Alsace. Nous sommes créateurs d'émotions depuis 13 générations, passionnés par le terroir d'Alsace, le riesling, et l'équilibre des grands vins.

www.trimbach.fr

Probably one of the more famous wine producers in Alsace.

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We had cake in Rebeauville and it is certainly a lovely place. Our wine tasting was done in small producers cellar in the valley up from there. We were with some German friends who live just across the border and went to a place they had been buying from for decades.

 

[boomy]

Day 8

Turckheim

The day started with wine tasting at Domaine Zind-Humbrecht. This is another premium producer who does tastings by appointment.

Zind-Humbrecht | Zind-Humbrecht

www.zindhumbrecht.fr

I’ve asked for the premium tasting which is done privately in a dedicated room down in the cellar. The cost for both of us was €25 which is to pay the staff member who spent an hour with us and is nothing compared to the details and incredible wines we got to taste.









Since we were already in the area mind as well check out the cute little village of Turckheim.

 

[ellen10]

Love, love, love your photos of our favourite village to stay in Alsace, Riquewihr! Our little apartment was actually in the wall. So many lovely memories of our first stay in Alsace. I feel that Alsace is a very little known area of France that Australians have visited. So many gorgeous villages close by, great food and wine. On our second visit we did a personal wine tour with a local man, so many good wines and great information about the soil and area.
I can't wait for the photos of the next villages as you travel down the main road. Thanks for the memories!

 

[boomy]

Love, love, love your photos of our favourite village to stay in Alsace, Riquewihr! Our little apartment was actually in the wall. So many lovely memories of our first stay in Alsace. I feel that Alsace is a very little known area of France that Australians have visited. So many gorgeous villages close by, great food and wine. On our second visit we did a personal wine tour with a local man, so many good wines and great information about the soil and area.
I can't wait for the photos of the next villages as you travel down the main road. Thanks for the memories!

It was our first visit and weren’t sure what to expect. We knew it’s beautiful but so is Paris and during our previous visit to the capital pre covid we were disappointed by some of the locals behaviour. They probably got sick of tourists taking over their city. My parents, who been to France many times kept saying the French outside Paris are actually very nice people and this was indeed the impression we got in Alsace. Arriving shortly after summer holiday season ended also helped I believe to have more relaxed and civilised interactions with the locals.

 

[boomy]

Kaysersberg

Next stop was Kaysersberg which sits at No.3 on our list of the prettiest towns in Alsace.












This is the famous hotel where Anthony Bourdain committed suicide in 2018. It also has a two Michelin star restaurant and a more casual Winstub where we made booking to eat tomorrow after a wine tasting in the area.





Lunch was at a restaurant that specialise in Tart Flambé.

Restaurant de Tarte Flambée Nouvelle Génération - Kaysersberg, Colmar

Flamme & Co vous propose un concept unique dans son restaurant de tarte flambée nouvelle génération à Kaysersberg proche de Colmar dans la région Alsace !

www.flammeandco.fr

It was stlightky thicker than the German version we had in Bade Baden.



Weather wasn’t great, it rained on and off. We walked a bit more in town after lunch and once the rain started to become more heavy we drove back to our hotel and spent the afternoon in the spa

 

[boomy]

Day 9

Back to Kaysersberg for the wine tasting I was most excited about at Domaine Weinbach. This producer makes some of the best wines in Alsace and it’s top Grand Crus often sell out upon release.

Grands Vins d'Alsace - Domaine Weinbach

Découvrez le Domaine Weinbach à Kaysersberg, un des grands noms du vin en Alsace.

www.domaineweinbach.com

Tasting was by appointment only. In the confirmation email we were told private tasting of their premium wines will cost €65 per person. Quite expensive but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to taste some of the great wines of Alsace.

The road to the estate (which has an interesting history) went through the vines. When we arrived we were welcomed by the owner’s son who gave us brief history of the place and winery. At that point his mom, the owner, came to sit down with us and basically took over the tasting. We talked about wine and Alsace and France and Germany and Australia. She was very well traveled and loved sharing stories, all that while the tasting amazing wines. We were supposed to be there an hour but ended up almost 3 hours and left just because we had lunch booking in town. She refused to take money for the tasting saying it was a pleasure to sit down and talk as not many people from Australia visit their winery.

Unfortunately we had such a great time that I completely forgot to take photos inside. At least I took a few outside.







We went back to town for lunch.
The restaurant on the left called Flamme & Co is where we had lunch yesterday and opposite is Le Chambard where we are going today.



We didn’t book the fancy Michelin Star dining room called La Table d’Olivier Nasti as we preferred the more casual atmosphere of the Winstub.

The Winstub · Traditional Brasserie in Kaysersberg,Alsace

OFFICIAL WEBSITE | The Winstub at Le Chambard, Traditional Alsatian Cuisine updated by the Michelin-star Chef Olivier Nasti.

www.lechambard.fr

From what I read online before booking some of the dishes served at Olivier Nasti can be found on the Winstub menu at half the cost. I’ve ordered the signature Foie Gras and steak tartare with a bottle of local Pinot Noir.

 

[boomy]

Some more photos of Kaysersberg.

 

[boomy]

Day 10

James Boutique Hotel

When talking to friends before the trip who been to Alsace they all said you MUST spend at least one night in Colmar, so we did.

We booked James Boutique Hotel which had good reviews online and sits just at the entrance to old town.

→ James Hotel Colmar · 4-star Boutique Hotel in Colmar Alsace

James Hotel Colmar. 4 star boutique hotel located in the centre of Colmar, the capital of Alsatian wines. Enjoy the luxurious rooms and suites of a hotel in the center of Colmar.

www.jameshotel-colmar.com

The hotel was new and modern, completely different from our hotel in Obernai. Our room was good size with balcony.



There was Nespresso machine in the room as we had in Obernai as well. Small detail but important to someone who needs their shot of coffee first thing in the morning and particularly important since we didn’t have breakfast included. Thought it will be nicer to eat at local café than having another generic buffet breakfast.

 

[boomy]

Colmar

The biggest and arguably most famous town in Alsace.

This postcard perfect town sits at No.2 on our list of the most prettiest towns in Alsace.

 

[boomy]

For dinner I found this most incredible wine bar in old town Le Cercle Des Aromes which serve > 200 wines by the glass!

Le Cercle des Arômes - Colmar — Wine Bar in Colmar | Le Cercle des Arômes - Colmar

Taste over 180 wines by the glass in Colmar What if, in Colmar, in another wine bar concept, you could take a sensory journey into the world of Alsace wines, with their nuances of flavour, fruit, flowers, wood, spices, minerals...

www.lecercledesaromes.fr

This is exactly what we wanted, light dinner of charcuterie and few glasses of various local Grand Crus.







Price per glass was between €10-20 which is fantastic for such amazing aged wines. I wish someone would open similar concept wine bar in Australia serving top wines by the glass AND decently priced. With Coravin being widely used these days it’s no brainer to open multiple bottles and keep them for months with no worries at all.

 

[ellen10]

It was our first visit and weren’t sure what to expect. We knew it’s beautiful but so is Paris and during our previous visit to the capital pre covid we were disappointed by some of the locals behaviour. They probably got sick of tourists taking over their city. My parents, who been to France many times kept saying the French outside Paris are actually very nice people and this was indeed the impression we got in Alsace. Arriving shortly after summer holiday season ended also helped I believe to have more relaxed and civilised interactions with the locals.

Oh my gosh your photos are killing me! So many memories of the Alsatian villages keep flooding back! Those pretty half timbered colourful houses. And I bet I know your number 1 village Eguisheim!

France is my happy place I have been to all corners of France and I agree its the staying in rural France where the beautiful French experience is most enjoyed. We love staying in little gites and shopping at the local produce markets (the tastiest fruits and berries I have ever eaten) and interacting with the locals. And the rural French love Australians. And those foie gras photos are making my mouth water!

 

[boomy]

Day 11

Eguisheim

For our final day in France we kept the best for last.

It was not intentional, we simply traveled down south from Strasbourg and checked out villages along the way. Eguisheim happened to be the last village we planned to visit and (as Ellen10 guessed) it wins the No.1 spot on our list of the prettiest towns in Alsace.

My +1 said that children who grow up here must have a happy childhood because this place is like taken from a fairytale. Don’t think my photos do justice to how picturesque it is but I did my best (with an iPhone camera).

The streets are slightly curved, once you start walking down one street, you eventually end up back at the starting point. Basically walking in a circle without even noticing!