Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the lane, a beautiful cemetery is the final resting place of 1,600 men who fought in the
French army (many gravestones are Muslim, for soldiers from France's North African
colonies—Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia). From this brilliant viewpoint you can survey
the entire southern section of the Route du Vin and into Germany. The castle hanging high
to the north is the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (described earlier).
This little village, wrapped in vineyards, is so picturesque today because it was so rich
centuries ago, thanks to wine exports. You can recognize its old wealth because it has the
most stone houses of any place in Alsace. The village is crammed with shops, cafés, gal-
leries, cobblestones, and flowers. Arrive early or visit late if you can as midday crowds
can trample its ample charms.
Buses drop you off at the lower end of the village, opposite the post office (drivers can
park in spaces along the ring road for €2). Enter the town under Hôtel de Ville's archway;
the main drag runs uphill from here. The
TI
is halfway up at 2 Rue de la 1ère Armée and
rents audioguides for €5 (Mon-Sat 9:30-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-13:00; tel. 03 89
73 23 23,
www.ribeauville-riquewihr.com
)
. A good WC is behind the TI. Quieter lanes
lead off the main drag. For a taxi, call 03 89 73 73 71 or 06 46 84 40 05.
Welcome to Riquewihr
Startyourwalkatthebottomoftown.Atthe
archway
goingthroughHôteldeVille,notice
the three flags: Europe, France, and Alsace. Notice also the clever bench just outside de-
signedforladieswithloadsontheirheads(perhapsbasketsofgrapes)tositandtakeaload
off their head. Entering the sleepy (except for tourism) town of 1,300 people, you realize
that if there was no wine and no tourism, this place would have no economy. Find the his-
toric map designed to help you imagine Riquewihr in 1644 and appreciate its double wall
and moat.
Strolling up Riquewihr's
main street
, Rue de Général de Gaulle, which cuts straight
throughtown,enjoythearchitecture. It'sfuntorememberthatbeforestreetnumbers,each
house had a name—often related to an animal—which made it a kind of landmark. Be-
