17/7 - Rue des vins d'Alsace, Obernai - Ribeauville

Driving from Paris to Strasbourg three years ago, we came into Alsace late at night, and what we saw, in the dark and despite utter exhaustion (we'd already spent the best part of the day in Disneyland) made us curious to explore it more.

One way to do this is to follow the 'wine route', a meandering road through the vineyards, with vines as far as the eye can see in every direction, and every so often little medieval villages of such unspeakable beauty I'm not even going to attempt to describe them.. You'll have to wait till I upload some photos.  Driving into each village was like going back in time to the Middle Ages.  Cobbled streets, houses painted all the colours imaginable, with their steep rooves and storks nesting on the chimney stacks.  Boulangiere, patisserie, magical words.  Too many sights and impressions to make sense of.

We started off in Obernai, which is about 40 minutes south east of Strasbourg, and drove as far as Ribeauville to the South.  The road extends a bit more, both north and south, and for wine afficionados, is a bit of a must.  You can stay over night in chateaux and hostelries, wine tasting as you go.  It's perfect too for walkers and cyclists, with gentle hills, manageable distances between the villages and as much picturesque scenery as any heart can stand.