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Noël Alsacien

A December day trip on the Alsace wine route

By Steven Yan

January 19^th, 2020

C'est la vie!

Ah, the inevitable French transit strike. Upon arriving in Strasbourg during our European Christmas market trip, we learned that trains running between Strasbourg and Colmar have been cancelled. Sacré bleu.

What’s a couple of avid roadtrippers to do when the trains don't run on time? Rent a hatchback and drive the Alsace wine route, of course. We ventured south from Strasbourg through the French countryside to the towns of Colmar, Kayserberg, and Riquewihr.

La Petite Venise

The half-timbered homes and flat clay tiled roofs of Colmar exude a unique charm in any season. In December, Christmas decor creeps and climbs along the canals and streets, meandering down alleyways and adorning the window shutters of this timeless town.

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

The canals of Petite Venise in Colmar.

Noël Alsacien

Color matched decorations on the shutters. What?

As we've come to expect by this point in our trip, Christmas markets materialize in nearly every plaza as we wind our way through Colmar. This savvy shop owner hands out free piping hot chocolate macaroon samples. They're delicious and rejuvenating on this cold winter day. We buy more -- chocolate and pistachio -- for the short trip to Kayserberg.

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

"Little town, full of..."

The towns of Alsace inspired Belle's hometown in Beauty and the Beast. Walking these streets feels like stepping into a fairy tale -- but where? Nestled on the France-Germany border, Kayserberg -- as its name suggests -- is a collision of French and German influences.

Kayserberg

Rue du Collège, Kayserberg

Noël Alsacien

La Weiss flowing through Kayserberg

Noël Alsacien

These lebkuchen (German gingerbread cookies) are a good example of German influence in the Alsace region.

The window sills and shutters of Kayserberg brim with Christmas charm. These colorful decorations give each home a whimsy and character all its own, never repeated. We couldn't help but stop to admire the care and detail of each, no doubt refined to their current form over the years.

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

L'heure bleue a Riquewihr

It's only 4:30 PM, but the sun has already dipped below the horizon as we make our last stop for the day. The town of Riquewihr begins to glow. It's mid-week, but the streets are packed with locals and tourists alike.

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

At the main Christmas market in Riquewihr, a mug of vin chaude blanc keeps us toasty as we discover local specialties: cured bacon; smoked pork shank; praline-filled chestnuts coated with marzipan; and incredibly realistic marzipan-crafted fruits -- a culinary optical illusion.

Noël Alsacien

cured bacon

smoked pork shank

Chataigne fourrée praliné enrobée pâte d'amande -- praline filled chestnut coated with marzipan

There's no better way to enjoy a stroll through Riquewihr than with a vin chaude blanc in hand.

Very real-looking marzipan fruits!

Yup. That's marzipan too.

Bonne nuit, Alsace

Night falls over Riquewihr. It's time to make the hour drive back to Strasbourg. We take one last bag of fresh macaroons for the road. We're grateful for a memorable day, the kind that often only come from broken plans.

Maison Alsacienne de Biscuiterie. Look this place up when you're in Alsace.

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

Noël Alsacien

© 2026 Steven Yan

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