Get ready for some adorableness!
Alsace is a region of modern day France located across the Rhine River from Germany. The region was heavily Germanic culturally until relatively recently. The area didn’t belong to France until the 16th century, later returning to the German empire in 1871 until WWI. The architecture of Alsace is very similar to what is found in Germany right across the river. Half-timbered buildings all over the place.
Alsace has a bunch of adorable smaller cities and towns. I was able to get to one small city and two smaller towns in a single day using public transportation. I was just lucky everything was running on time. There is more bus service during the warmer months. However, you will be able to see so much more by renting a car.
*Note: this is going to be a long one because I don’t feel like splitting this up.
Sélestat
Sélestat is a small city south of the more famous Alsatian city of Strasbourg. Its not as adorable as some of the other towns in the area but I chose it because it’s very well connected to public transportation. It also has a very convenient and frequent bus connection to my next destination.
Jana Irving Starting off cute.
Jana Irving The main town square is adorable.
Jana Irving Arsenal Ste Barbe (larger building in the center). Did I mention this is the least cute of the Alsatian places I visited?
Jana Irving Buildings don’t have to be half-timbered to be awesome.
Jana Irving Tour de l’horloge, part of the old city walls.
Jana Irving Half-timbered and painted. Love it.
Jana Irving Église Sainte-Foy de Sélestat (St. Faith’s Church), a gorgeous 12th century Romanesque church that was amazingly built in 10 years. Extremely impressive. It’s constructed of local pinkish sandstone.
Jana Irving Love this window.
Jana Irving Église Saint-Georges de Sélestat (St. George’s Church).
Jana Irving Very, very Gothic.
Jana Irving I love this Neo-Gothic chapel.
Jana Irving Can’t be a Gothic church without some stained-glass windows.
Jana Irving More excellent painted buildings.
Jana Irving Neat old building.
Jana Irving Very cute.
Jana Irving Maison Ziegler, a very fancy and large house.
Jana Irving Only slightly crooked.
Ribeauvillé
Ribeauville was main destination for the day. The city center is very compact and easy to explore. Is it a little Disneyfied? Yep, but there is nothing wrong with that.
Jana Irving The cuteness is coming.
Jana Irving Very cute.
Jana Irving Ribeauvillé’s historic center is centered on the La Grand’Rue.
Jana Irving The town gets cuter the farther you go up hill.
Jana Irving Not far from farm fields.
Jana Irving Love this.
Jana Irving And now you can probably understand why I, hater of intercity buses, took a intercity bus here.
Jana Irving A very interesting looking church.
Jana Irving So much half-timber!
Jana Irving Mairie de Ribeauvillé (city hall).
Jana Irving Sooooo cute!
Jana Irving Tour des Bouchers.
Jana Irving Right next to the tower is this restaurant with interesting decorations. That pig head on the plate has broccoli stuffed into its ears and nostrils.
Jana Irving The cuteness continues.
Jana Irving Never ending adorableness.
Jana Irving The adorableness is getting ridiculous.
Jana Irving This town is totally worth dealing with inter-city buses.
Jana Irving Now it is beyond ridiculous.
Jana Irving When you think it could get anymore adorable, bam! You round a corner and find this.
Jana Irving Skipping to the end of my visit. One of the old city towers, complete with a stork’s nest on top.
Riquewihr
Riquewihr was my last stop of the day. I am so glad I had enough time to run around for about an hour between buses. Luckily the historic center is extremely compact.
Jana Irving Starting off with some strong cuteness.
Jana Irving OMG, that well.
Jana Irving Giant house/building.
Jana Irving Riquewihr is definitely the most Disneyfied of the towns I visited.
Jana Irving I love places like this. Yeah, it is a bit fake and gussied up for tourism. But, you know what, it is unique. I love things that make places unique.
Jana Irving I especially love the color scheme of the town.
Jana Irving And the cobblestones.
Jana Irving Very cute!
Jana Irving Just so much cute!
Jana Irving More of that local sandstone.
Jana Irving The town still has quite a bit of its old walls.
Jana Irving Old city gate which looks like it once had a drawbridge.
Jana Irving I love this town.
Jana Irving That’s quite a tower.
Jana Irving That detail is amazing.
Jana Irving It was a very long, exhausting day, but so worth it.
These are only three places in Alsace. There are even more small towns and castles in the region to explore. I barely covered what I saw. Everything was just so cute.
Check out my next update where I explore another Alsatian city, Colmar!
or
Start at the beginning of this European adventure!
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