Alsatian Vacation
- June 21, 2018
- by
- The Glambassador
Back in April we spent a weekend in the Alsace region of France, visiting a few little villages along the wine route, on our way to the Colmar Spring Festival.
First we stopped in Riquewihr, a darling little village of only 1228 inhabitants. It looks more or less as it did in the 16th century with cobbled stone streets and half-timbered houses and shops.
We spent the weekend in Colmar for their annual Fête le Primtemps (Spring Festival). Our bed and breakfast was housed in a 14th century building (updated and modernized of course), right near the Saint Martin Cathedral.
On our last day we visited the village of Ribeauville which dates from around the 8th century. I really loved this village, it sits at the foot of three castle ruins and the forest of Ribeauville is home to the largest giant sequoia outside of the U.S.
After we left Ribeauville, we drove up the mountain to visit The Château du Haute Königsbourg. The first records of a castle built on this site by the Hohenstaufens date back to 1147. It has been destroyed and re-built several times throughout history. But in 1900 a Berlin-based architect and historian was commissioned by Kaiser Willhelm II to rebuild the fortress completely, just as it would have been in the 15th century. The project took 8 years to finish and it really is an amazing feat of construction and technology of the time.
I absolutely love this castle. We did a self guided tour and learned a lot about the history and construction of the castle. Here in Germany, we have a lot of castle ruins, which are awesome in their own right, but it is really something amazing to see an “intact” castle with furnishings and everything so you can really imagine what life might have been like living there.
And the topper to the weekend was that we saw two storks in a nest onto of a building in Ribeauville. The stork is the symbol of Alsace and are seen everywhere on signs, souvenirs, storefronts, etc. But this was our first sighting of an actual stork.
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6 Comments
VenusMantrap
21st Jun 2018 - 11:34 amWhat gorgeous locations, and I love your dresses!
Annie
21st Jun 2018 - 1:22 pmWhat a breathtaking, beautiful area! You captured stories in your photos, historical places make me quiver. Love your dresses, especially the blue one with cherry blossoms (?). You inspire me Christine, but I’d never be able to pull off your glam!
The Glambassador
22nd Jun 2018 - 7:01 pmOf course you can! Glamour is for everyone! Embrace it.
scottishlassuna
21st Jun 2018 - 2:13 pmI love the Alsace region, it has such a rich and beautiful landscape and culture.
Your dresses are gorgeous, same goes for the shoes. I never seem to find t-straps that seem to fit me 🙁
The Glambassador
22nd Jun 2018 - 7:04 pmI love Alsace too, it is so charming. My t-strap shoes are Cobb Hill and are super comfortable. I have wide feet and I have plantar fasciitis, so good, comfortable shoes are very important to me.
Janey
28th Jun 2018 - 8:01 pmThis place looks like its out of a storybook! It is beyond charming and adorable! Also, you look fabulous!!
xoxo
-Janey