Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the top of town, it's rewarding to turn left and explore the quiet lanes and their
picturesque houses. Pass under the bell tower, take a left on Rue des Remparts, and ex-
plore.Turnrightwhenyouseestepsdowntothemoat(andthebigwinepress),anddouble
back to the top of the town along the moat.
Tourist Train
Withinafewyardsofthetownentry,you'llseethetouristtrain(€6.50,nextdeparturetime
posted,30minutes).Forthosewithoutacar,it'shandyasitchoo-choosintothevineyards,
offering terrific views over the village.
Wine-Tasting
The vines surrounding Riquewihr produce some of Alsace's most prestigious wines—and
the village is lined with good places to sample them.
Caves Dopff et Irion
sits just above
Hôtel de Ville and provides a handsome wine-tasting experience with an English-speak-
ing staff (€7-20 bottles, most about €10, special counter for
eau-de-vie
tastings, daily
10:00-19:00, shorter hours in winter, tel. 03 89 49 08 92).
Caves Hugel,
another well-re-
spected producer, has an intimate tasting room on the main drag a bit past the TI (daily
10:00-18:00, tel. 03 89 47 92 15).
Musée de la Communication
This museum, located near the bottom of town (at its château), takes you through the
evolution of man's ability to send messages, from mail delivery to mobile phones. The
fascinating and substantial museum, with lots of historic artifacts, is by far the most im-
portant sight to see in town (€4.50, some English descriptions, April-Oct and Dec daily
10:00-17:30, closed Nov and Jan-March).
Scenic Routes from Riquewihr
A path with sensational views leads from the north edge of town. Find the
sentier viticole
at the lower end of town (a few blocks to the right as you face Hôtel de Ville) and climb
into the vineyards as high as your legs allow.
On the town's south side, another
sentier viticole
leads to Kientzheim (then Kaysers-
berg), starting from the TI and heading out Rue de la 1ère Armée. Follow blue signs to
Kientzheim
on this beautiful walk or bike ride. The lane rises, then drops into the vil-
lage—revealing spectacular views all the way (allow 1.75 hours to hike at a steady pace
to Kaysersberg, 40 minutes by bike). Drivers can follow the same route and get the same
great views, but must go slow and watch out for bikers.
