France – Eguisheim (En)
Located at the southern exit of Colmar, Eguisheim has been ranked as “One of the Most Beautiful Villages in France” since 2003 and won the title of “France’s Favourite Village” in 2013 on a TV show. This charmingly small, typical Alsatian village features brightly coloured old houses with pointed roofs and half-timbered facades. It’s like a fairy tale!
Where to stay
We stayed in the motorhome area of the town (48.041426, 7.309842 lat, long). It is 21.50 euros per day with electricity included. It has almost everything, to fill and empty grey and black water and public toilets. What it does not have is showers or an area to wash dishes. The good thing about this area is its location since it is right in the centre of town, so you have to walk in this beautiful place.
What to see
The five of us, Hanna, Stuart, Ben, myself and Asha, visited the town, which is extremely charming, and colourful, and has managed to preserve a wonderful medieval atmosphere. As you walk its picturesque cobbled streets admiring colourful houses with pointed roofs and timber-framed facades, you feel like you stepped into a real-life fairytale. Yes, it’s that beautiful!
The streets and colourful half-timbered houses are all built in concentric circles around the 13th-century octagonal castle, Château de Sain-Léon-Pfalz in a beautiful square. We were able to enter to see the chapel, full of a diverse mix of contrasts and colours, whose nave immortalizes the life of Pope Leo IX.
We continue touring this magnificent town and we find its Church, where at the foot of the 13th-century bell tower is the entrance to the church destroyed in 1807. Hidden behind the doors you will find the Statue of the Virgin from the 14th century, made of polychrome wood.
Throughout the old town, you’ll find cafés, restaurants, and lots of small shops selling local produce and traditional souvenirs. We sat down to try the traditional wines and we found a place where they made their beers, a small brewery run by a father and his daughter, where we, including myself, tried their typical beer.
I highly recommend coming to this charming town, the most beautiful we have seen in Alsace. And we went to Colmar, whose old town has cobblestone streets lined with medieval and early Renaissance half-timbered buildings, which you can see in the next blog!
