Description
- Ribeauvillé (German: Rappoltsweilen)
Ribeauville is one of the prettiest towns in the Alsace. It was first mentioned in 768 AD. It was the property of the Dukes of Alsace, the Counts of Equisheim, the Emperor of Germany and the Bishop of Basel. The last lords of the town were the Counts of Ribeaupierre. There are three ruined castles in the mountains above the town. You can do a fun hike and visit them all. Best of all Ribeauvillé has an annual festival of the pipers the first weekend in September.
- Alsace
Alsace has through its history changed hands between Germany and France on several occasions. The local culture is distinct, and the region offers historic cities and castles, and interesting countryside. A popular itinerary is the Alsatian Vineyard Route – fabulous for walking from town to town trying a whole bunch of local wines.
Alsace also has some of the most beautiful cathedrals and churches in Western Europe. The stunning Strasbourg Cathedral is a unique example of a mix of roman and gothic architecture and has the peculiarity of having one tower only and of being built with pink Vosges gres.
Due to their tumultuous past history, Alsatians are extremely proud to be French and take great offence in being mistaken for Germans when they go overseas or inland France. You will not see more French flags on the streets of any other inland French cities. Alsatians have a very deep attachment to France even if the French Government has not always reciprocated. During WWII, all Alsatians men were sent by the Germans to the Russian front. Some boys managed to escape before being sent there and went to Paris to enrol in the French army. This act of courage however came at a dire price as the family of those "malgré nous" would often be killed or sent to concentration camps.
Access
- By car
Ribeauvillé is about 8km north of Colmar and a similar distance south east of Sélestat. Take the D106 east from Guémar junction on the A35/E25 motorway directly to Ribeauvillé.
Lodging
See the listing of the Hotels in Ribeauville