WINNING TIP: Tour d’Alsace

With almost 1,000km of cycle routes and paths, Alsace is a cyclists’ paradise. There are routes for all abilities and bikes, all signposted with great clarity, amid sun-kissed rolling hills and vineyards – though go prepared for frequent showers. Start at Strasbourg, and head down the flat valleys to the wonderful medieval streets of Colmar, for an easy, scenic start. Bike hire from €20 at day at Strasbourg’s many youth hostels.
Routes and accommodation at alsaceavelo.fr
funinfinland

Sentier viticole des Grands Crus

The Grands Crus wine trail is a scenic 17km loop linking six Alsace winemaking villages. Tackle it on foot or mountain bike for unbeatable views across the vines to the rooftops below, learning a little about the winemaking process from the info boards along the route. Highlights include the half-timbered honeypot of Riquewihr, deservedly one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and many opportunities for a dégustation in each village. Hunawihr, another of the plus beaux villages is peaceful, with a great lunch spot at Chez Suzel: we had abundant salads on the flower-filled terrace.
alsace-wine-route.com, suzel-hunawihr.com
marthah

Traditional dining

The Winstub of Hôtel Le Chambard in Kaysersberg has traditional wooden furniture and red-checked tablecloths, but shares a kitchen with the Michelin-starred 64o restaurant. We also loved the restaurant at Hotel Diette in Fouchy, near Villé. It’s not the most picturesque place but the local dishes are a delight. Be sure to start with a unique aperitif called aspérule, made of wild flowers and white wine: it tastes like you are drinking a meadow!
lechambard.fr, hotel-diette.fr
crowsnest

Mulhouse

Mulhouse is a lovely small town an hour and a quarter south of Strasbourg by train. An extensive tram system allowed us to visit outlying attractions including the car and train museums. Staff in shops and restaurants were welcoming and friendly and menu prices were reasonable. We stayed at the Mercure Centre (doubles from €98 room-only, mercure.com), opposite the station. Trips to Basel and Strasbourg and smaller towns in the region, are easily accomplished by train, which makes Mulhouse an excellent base.
tourisme-mulhouse.com
MrsSue

Restaurant La Chouc’, Strasbourg

La Choucrouterie restaurant-theatre is an authentic slice of Alsace life in a Strasbourg backstreet. Wise-cracking moustachioued waiters weave in and out of the tables serving steaming plates of local cuisine based on cheese, chicken, sausages and potatoes for €12 including a little jug of wine. The whole place is like an improvised theatre – learn a few words of Alsace dialect and you’ll get extra food or a discount. They also put on shows, sometimes in dialect, in the theatre at the back.
restaurantdelachouc.com
TheCapeCruiser

Hôtel des Princes, Strasbourg

This hotel offers great value and is in a quiet neighbourhood close to a botanical garden. It is also a great base for exploring other areas by foot and train – the station is a short walk from the hotel. There’s also a beautiful river nearby, for a relaxing stroll, and there’s an affordable Alsatian restaurant round the corner.
Doubles from €82 room-only, hotel-princes.com
cool_camper

Le Struthof concentration camp

For a very different day out, head to Schirmeck, some 50km from Strasbourg (accessible by car or by train and shuttle bus), for some sobering 20th-century history. During the second world war, Alsace was annexed by Germany, and the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp was opened in 1941. Shrouded by forests, today the camp and museum are well-preserved and information is presented in a thoughtful manner. Nearby is the Alsace-Moselle memorial museum which traces the history of the region from 1870 to the present day, focusing on the annexations that have shaped it. You need at least two hours to visit this impressive museum, whose sights and sounds will fascinate and move you.
struthof.fr, memorial-alsace-moselle.com
Michelle Anne Harrison

Hôtel de la Poste in Le Bonhomme

Really good accommodation with friendly and helpful staff plus a most unexpectedly good restaurant make Hotel de la Poste, up in the Vosges mountains, a must if you’re holidaying, or hiking in that part of Alsace. Hotel de la Poste was a revelation on our hike across the ridges of the Vosges from the railway station at Saint-Amarin via Le Grand Ballon to Riquewihr.
Doubles from €84 B&B, +33 3 89 47 51 10, hotel-la-poste.com
simsh47

Sundgau, southern Alsace

As a year-abroad student, I was given a tour of the Sundgau (an area in southern Alsace close to the borders of Franche-Comté, Switzerland and Germany) in exchange for some English lessons. Visit a boulangerie in the morning to pick up some items for a picnic (Alsatian specialities include bretzels, kugelhopf, tarte au fromage blanc...) and head into the Sundgau, to enjoy views of the Jura mountains and thick forests. The medieval village of Ferrette is particularly beautiful, and the château offers stunning views to enjoy while tucking into your picnic.
sundgau-sudalsace.fr
Michelle Anne Harrison

Perfect petit déjeuner at Claude Dolder patisserie, Strasbourg

On a little square, more reminiscent of a village than a nondescript neighbourhood of Strasbourg (La Meinau) sits this bakery that may have the freshest, tastiest pastries to ever pass these lips (and there have been many), whether it be a pain au chocolat, an eclair or a chausson aux pommes (apple turnover but it tastes better in French). It makes a perfect start to the day and you can burn off the calories walking the hills of Alsace or the alleyways of medieval Strasbourg.
19 place Jean Macé
catchytitled