Eguisheim
Our first village stop, with its tightly packed historic streets and classic Alsatian houses. We also visited Stoecklé for a wine tasting here.
🇫🇷 AlsaceColmar · Wine RouteOur 2026 trip
Alsace — fairytale villages, wine cellars and a brilliant few days in Colmar
We returned to France in July 2026 for a trip that took us from Basel into Colmar and the Alsace Wine Route. Colourful half-timbered houses, vineyards, medieval villages and two very different wine-tasting experiences made this one of those short trips that somehow felt packed with memories.
🏘️ ColmarOur Alsace base
🍷 2 tastingsVillage & cellar
🚐 4 villagesOne brilliant day
🇫🇷 July 2026Back to France
ColmarAlsace Wine RouteEguisheimKaysersbergRiquewihrRibeauvillé
🏘️ Our Colmar Story
Yes, it really does look like that
We based ourselves in Colmar, and it gave us exactly the Alsace atmosphere we'd hoped for: colourful façades, half-timbered buildings, cobbled streets and the canals of Little Venice. The official tourist office describes Little Venice as the stretch of the Lauch running through the south-east of the city, historically associated with winegrowers, market gardeners and boatmen.
Colmar is also exceptionally well positioned for the wine country around it. The official tourism office calls the Alsace Wine Route a 170 km route through vineyards, medieval and Renaissance villages and wine cellars — and Colmar sits right in the middle of that world.
🌊 Little Venice
One of Colmar's signature areas, with the Lauch, bridges and colourful historic houses creating the view everybody associates with the city.
🍇 Wine capital
Colmar's central position makes it a natural jumping-off point for the Alsace Wine Route and the villages scattered through the surrounding vineyards.
🚐 Our Day on the Alsace Wine Route
Eguisheim → Kaysersberg → Riquewihr → Ribeauvillé
On 25 July we headed out with Didier for our full-day Wonders of Alsace tour. This wasn't a generic “we've been to Alsace” visit — we actually spent the day moving through four of the region's best-known wine villages, with a tasting along the way.
The tour we did: This is the actual 4 Wonders of Alsace tour we took from Colmar. The booking page lists Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr, and recent reviews specifically mention Didier.
Kaysersberg
Another gorgeous stop along the route, with historic streets and vineyards reinforcing just how quickly the Alsace trip moves from town to wine country.
Riquewihr
One of the villages most associated with the Alsace Wine Route, surrounded by vineyards and packed with the architecture that makes this region so recognisable.
Ribeauvillé
Our fourth village of the day — proof that you can see a lot of the wine route in one organised excursion without having to worry about driving between tastings.
🍷 Wine Tasting — Twice
Two tastings, two completely different settings
Wine wasn't just scenery on this trip. During our full-day Alsace excursion we stopped for a tasting at Stoecklé. Then the following day, our Colmar walking tour with Nicolas finished with another tasting in the cellar at Domaine Karcher, where we tried three wines.
That second experience worked particularly well because it connected Colmar itself to the vineyards surrounding it. The city's wine identity isn't merely something you have to leave town to experience — wine production and cellars are part of Colmar's own story too.
🍾 Stoecklé
Part of our full-day tour through the villages, giving us a tasting in the middle of the Wine Route experience.
🍷 Domaine Karcher
Our Colmar walking tour ended underground in the cellar with three wines — a very good way to finish exploring the city.
🚶 Colmar on Foot
Our walking tour with Nicolas
On 26 July we explored Colmar on a walking-and-wine tour with Nicolas. After the previous day's village-hopping, slowing down and concentrating on the city itself gave us a different perspective on Alsace.
The tour we did: This is the actual Colmar walking-and-wine tour. The booking page confirms the wine tasting at Robert Karcher & Fils, and reviews specifically mention Nicolas as the guide.
Colmar's historic centre is made for wandering. Little Venice gets the photographs, but there is far more to look at: the Quai de la Poissonnerie, Renaissance architecture such as the Pfister House and streets where the region's French and Germanic influences sit side by side.
Our tip: if you're doing both Colmar and the Wine Route, give them separate time. The villages are gorgeous, but don't use Colmar merely as somewhere to sleep between excursions.
🎬 Watch Our Alsace Trip
Two for the Row'd on YouTubeOur July 2026 trip
Colmar, the Alsace Wine Route & those fairytale villages
This is our full video from the trip — including Colmar and our day exploring the Alsace Wine Route villages. If you're planning a similar break, it'll give you a much better feel for what the region actually looks like than photographs alone.
🗺️ How We'd Do Alsace Again
Base yourself in Colmar and let somebody else drive on wine day
Stay in Colmar
It gives you a destination in its own right at night and easy access to the surrounding wine villages by day.
Take a Wine Route tour
For us, having Didier drive meant four villages and a tasting without anybody having to volunteer as designated driver.
Walk Colmar separately
A guided city walk gave us context we wouldn't have got simply rushing through Little Venice for photographs.
🚗 Explore Strasbourg from Home
Drive From HomeStrasbourg
Virtually explore another side of Alsace
We don't have a Colmar virtual drive in the current Drive From Home collection, but Strasbourg is available and belongs squarely on the Alsace page. Use the city guide for inspiration or jump straight into the virtual drive.
🎟 Plan Your Own Alsace Trip
Browse Alsace experiences with GetYourGuide
Use the widget below to browse current Colmar and Alsace Wine Route experiences. These are planning options and don't imply that we personally took the exact activities displayed.
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Common questions
Alsace FAQ
Where did we base ourselves in Alsace?
Colmar. It worked brilliantly for enjoying the city itself while also giving us easy access to the Alsace Wine Route villages.
Which villages did we actually visit?
Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé on our full-day tour with Didier.
Did we do wine tasting?
Yes — twice. We had a tasting at Stoecklé during our village tour, then three wines at Domaine Karcher during our Colmar walking tour with Nicolas.
What is Little Venice?
It's the picturesque Colmar district along the Lauch, characterised by canals, bridges and colourful historic buildings.
Can you explore Alsace virtually?
Yes. Strasbourg has both a Drive From Home city guide and virtual drive, linked above.
🇫🇷 More France
Alsace absolutely deserves its own chapter
From Colmar and the Wine Route, our France collection keeps going — next to Lyon and another completely different French food-and-city experience.