Riquewihr

Riquewihr is a picturesque village in the Haut-Rhin department in the Grand Est region,Alsace ,France.
Riquewiere, located in the heart of the Alsace vineyards, is an important stop on the wine route.
Since the Middle Ages, Riquewihr has been one of the centers of the local wine trade with a specialization in Riesling. The appearance of the village has changed little since the 16th century, when the rulers of the Wurttemberg House built a castle and a number of other structures here.

Today ,is a popular tourist destination due to its historical architecture Riquewihr was classified as one of the Plus beaux villages de France (most beautiful villages in France) due to its intactly preserved cityscape from the 16th century and in the tourist route “Wine Route of Alsace”.
The important old town from the 16th century, including the fortifications, has been almost completely preserved. The half-timbered houses nestled close together attract many tourists, it is one of the most visited cities on the Alsace Wine Route.

Access : Coordinates: 48.1672, 7.2978 / By train : The place does not have a train station. The nearest train station with a TGV stop is in Colmar. / By bus : A 106 bus connects the town with Colmar via Beblenheim and Bennwihr every 4 hours./ by car : Riquewihr is 3 km from Hunawihr where the stork park is located, 5 km from Ribeauvillé, 5 km from Kaysersberg, 13 km from Colmar and 70 km from Strasbourg.

Highlights :

• Riquewihr is famous for Riesling and other great wines produced in the village: Riesling is a variety of vines used to make white wines, It is first mentioned in the 15th century in the Rhine and Moselle valleys. It has larger areas in Germany and France, mainly in Alsace.
• Riquewihr is a Ville fleurie, a “flower-adorned city” and wears 2 out of 4 roses in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris (“Competition of flower-adorned cities and towns”).
• Old town: Riquewihr is important because of its unique old town, which including the fortifications is almost completely preserved. The half-timbered upper Dolder gate tower is a landmark of the city. Diebesturm, northwest corner tower of the city fortifications. / Castle of the Dukes of Wuttemburg-Montbeliard.
• The Reichenstein castle ruins from the 13th century, whose pentagonal keep is in acute danger of collapsing, is located about two kilometers northwest of the city in the forest.
• City Hall : The old City Hall located in the city center was demolished in 1789. It was replaced by a new, neo-classical style, erected in 1809 near the Lower Riquvier Gate.
• Maison schickhardt : This house was built in 1606 for Ambroise Dieffenbach  by the architect Heinrich Schikhadrdt (court architect of the Duke Frederick I of Wuttemburg, who was a military engineer and machine designer.
• Place des Trois Eglises: The name is translated from French as “Square of Three Churches”: in the past, there were exactly three churches on the square: the parish church, dating from the 12th and 15th centuries, dedicated to Saint Margaret, was abandoned in 1883 / the pilgrimage church of Notre Dame : built by the Ribeaupierre family in 1337 to house the “Holy Image”, which was considered miraculous / St. Erarda: dates from the early 14th century. This chapel was connected to the adjoining hospital. In 1539, with the arrival of the Reformation, it became a boys’ school.
• Maison Jung-Selig – “Skyscraper House ”  :Combining two separate buildings from 1561 under one roof, this house consists of 5 half-timbered floors, and the lower stone floor is decorated with the motives of sella curulus,The building, 25 meters high, is the tallest half-timbered house in Alsace.
• Maison dite du cloutier / Fontaine de la Sinne , “Measuring Fountain”. At this fountain, built in 1560, the capacity of wine barrels and other containers was first checked. / rue Kilian, the Brauer house at the end of rue Kilian with a beautiful Renaissance portal from 1618.
• Dolder : Bell tower, lookout tower and Rikvir upper gate, this 25 meter tower is the symbol of the city. It was built in 1291 / Cour de l’abbaye d’Autrey , The building is made with a two-level balcony facing the street. From the courtyard, an ancient staircase from 1510 leads down to the cellar. There is also a well that dates back to 1587.
• Maison conrad ortlieb: This house was built in 1574 for the inn owner, Ortlieb, who acted as an intermediary between winemakers and vintners / Maison Disler.
• Cour de Strasbourg :“Strasbourg courtyard”. Initially, and until 1324, it was the tithe yard of the Strasbourg diocese, which levied a tax in the form of 1/10 of the harvest. / Maison 13, 13 rue du general de Gaulle.
• Chateau de Bilstein : Chateau du Bilstein (Castle Bilstein) is a ruined castle , It was classified as a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture 1898.
• Hellerturm (Maison de vigneron), 12 rue Saint-Nicolas: the current building has an unknown construction date, perhaps from the 17th or 18th centuries, and was remodeled in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• The Musee Hansi shows the work of the graphic artist Jean-Jacques Waltz. / The Musee de la Poste (Postal Museum) is located in the former Wurttemberg castle.
• The Musee de la Tour de Voleurs with prison and torture chamber is located in the former Jewish quarter. / La Porte Haute , the gate ,On both sides of the Dolder and Porte Haute, you can see the preserved fortifications from 1291 and 1500s.
• The courtyard of the aristocratic Berkhaim mansion / House of the grocery store “A l’etoile” This town-owned house was rebuilt in 1686 in the Baroque style.
• The Thieves Tower- La Tour des Voleurs : The name is translated from French as “Tower of Thieves”This 18-meter pentagonal tower built in 1563 and is square from the outside.
• The quality of local wines is so high that Riquewihr has been nicknamed “The Pearls of the Alsatian Vineyards”.
• Christmas market, on rue du Général de Gaulle: A traditional Christmas market awaits you on Christmas Day.

Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / Scenic Driving- Auto Touring / walk through the alleys to see the beautiful half-timbered houses.

Go next :  Kaysersberg / Ribeauvillé / Bergheim / Colmar, a city in Alsace / Strasbourg , the capital of the Grand-Est region of France / Sélestat , located 35 minutes from Strasbourg.