Alsace is one of my favourite directions from Zurich when somebody wants something completely different without flying anywhere.
Drive through Basel, cross into France, and a few hours later you are surrounded by half timbered houses, vineyards, French food and villages sitting beneath the Vosges.
Strasbourg is the city.
Colmar and the wine villages are the romantic side.
And in December, I would arrange the whole day differently.
Strasbourg first
The centre of Strasbourg is dominated by its enormous pink sandstone cathedral.
Go inside, but also give yourself time simply to stand outside and look at it.
Then walk towards Petite France, where canals cut through the old quarter and timbered houses lean over the water.
This is the Strasbourg everybody photographs.
It is busy for a reason.
But I would not spend the entire day here if you have come all the way from Zurich.
Alsace gets even better when you head south.
Colmar and the wine road
Colmar feels smaller, prettier and more intimate.
Canals run through the old centre, colourful houses line the streets and the vineyards begin almost immediately outside town.
From here, I like having the freedom to choose one or two villages along the Alsace Wine Route rather than trying to collect all of them.
Riquewihr is surrounded by vineyards and still sits within its historic walls.
Eguisheim is completely different, with little streets curving around its medieval centre.
And there are smaller villages I choose depending on the season, how busy the region is and who I have with me.
Wine, or no wine at all
Alsace is one of France’s great wine regions, so for somebody interested in wine a private tasting with a local producer is part of the day.
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Crémant d’Alsace.
But this does not have to become a wine tour.
Come for lunch.
Walk through the villages.
Stop at a bakery.
Spend longer in Colmar.
Have a glass of wine somewhere because you feel like it rather than because the itinerary says “wine tasting at 15:00.”
That works too.
Then Christmas changes everything
December is when I particularly like arranging this journey.
Strasbourg and Colmar have two of the most famous Christmas settings in Alsace, and the smaller villages along the wine route become part of the experience as well.
Strasbourg is the grand version. The historic centre fills with Christmas markets and lights, with the enormous tree at Place Kléber and stalls spread across several squares.
Colmar feels completely different.
Smaller.
More intimate.
The illuminated houses, canals and different Christmas markets throughout the old centre make the entire town feel like part of the market.
And then there are the villages.
Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Kaysersberg and others can be beautiful at Christmas, but they can also become extremely busy.
This is where having your own driver matters.
I choose the route around the day, parking, traffic and where I think your time is actually worth spending.
A few places I keep for the right guest
There are wine villages I prefer when Riquewihr is overflowing with visitors.
There are winstubs where I would rather have lunch than eat beside the busiest Christmas market.
There are small producers I choose when somebody genuinely cares about wine.
And there are viewpoints among the vineyards where sometimes I simply stop.
I don’t need to publish every one of them.
That is part of arranging the day privately.
From Zurich and back again
Your private driver collects you at your hotel in Zurich, and the day is built according to the season.
Strasbourg and Colmar.
Or Colmar and the wine villages.
A private wine tasting if you want one.
A long Alsatian lunch.
And in December, I build it around the Christmas markets, when timing becomes much more important.
You don’t need to see everything.
Give me the day and I will choose the Alsace that makes sense for you.
This is one of the private days we arrange from Zurich. Begin the conversation.