Can I help you ?

What are you favorite towns along the Route des Vins Alscae (Alsace wine road - may have French a bit wrong) - or really villages and the best in your opinion wine tasting places and wine houses.

How is 2009 shaping up for Alsace wines

How many people in Alsace speak German as their first tongue - and thanks for your offer.

HI, you are my first one ! Welcome !
My favorites towns along the Route des vins d'Alsace are (from south to north) : Rouffach, Eguisheim, Colmar, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, Barr and Obernai.
I ought to be ashamed but I don't like Alsace wine. It's a white wine and I prefer red.
None of us speaks German as our first tongue.
Our first tongue is French. We have a dialect which is near to German but many of the young people don't speak it anymore.
Bye.

bertrand - you promise to provide a wealth of info for Fodorites on Alsace but i think you thread title is too generic - i'd repost with something like "Alsace - Can I Help" - put Alsace in title as current title many people looking for Alsatian clues may pass over. Just a thot to your expertise can have broader impact. Merci

OK, it's done.
Thanx for the tip.

Hi bertrand. My husband and I are planning on spending three nights in Strasbourg the beginning of Oct. We would like to take a day trip to Obernai, Ottrott, and Klingenthal. We are also interested in Mont Sainte Odile and Haut-Koenigsbourg. If we take the train to Obernai, is it possible to take buses in some kind of order to each place? Then ending up again at Obernai, to take the train back to Strasbourg. The reason for the cities is, I have paperwork showing an ancestor in the mid 1800's living in Ottrott Le Bas, and working in the Klingenthal Weapons Factory. I would like to see the towns and see where the factory was. Then spending some time in the area for the day. Is all this reasonable or to much? Trying to do some research I can't seem to find out if buses even go to these places. Is the tourist office in Obernai near the train station? Would we be better off trying to plan something from Strasbourg? Thank you for offering your knowledge of the area and for any information you can give me.

Hi Grace.
There is a bus line ( n° 257 ) departing from Strasbourg ( place des Halles ) and driving to Mont Saint-Odile via Obernai, Ottrott and Klingenthal. All the cities you'd like to visit with the same bus line BUT ONLY on saturdays and sundays during this period of the year.
You can take the train to Obernai if you prefer and then walk to the tourism office ( the distance is about half a mile ) and once here, they will give you all the informations you need.
I think going to Haut-Königsbourg castle in the same day is possible but you will have to wake up early and I don't know when the first bus leave. You'll feel better to go back to Strasbourg, enjoy the rest of your day strolling in town and visit the castle the day after. Colmar is a city you don't have to miss, why not this day after the castle ?
Bye.

Thank you, this was the kind of information I was looking for. We won't be there on a weekend, so it looks like we should just head to the tourist office in Obernai. From there we can figure out our options. Thanks again.

According to me, renting a car would be more convenient. You will gain plenty of time to see a maximum of things during your stay. Distances are short and roads aren't too busy ( except in Strasbourg but it ain't so bad ).
Don't be afraid of driving, it' pretty easy.

Is there any way you can take boat trips on that canal I keep seeing as my TGV roars through Saverne?

It looks great and I am wondering if you can cruise on it.

Thanks.

Hi Dukey,
Yes you can cruise on it. Take a look at this web-site ( www.boats-in-france.fr ) and search for the Canal de la Marne au Rhin. The site is in french. I will help you if you need.

Thanks VERY much!

bertie - how many times do they cheek kiss in Alsace - 2, 3 or 4 (was subject of a recent thread)? Cheers

Hi Bertrand and welcome on board. It is great you can offer your help with Alsace, the Fodorites loves it and you will have tons of questions! I saw you already met Palenque who likes to tease newbies Bonne chance!
Coco your neighbour from Burgundy (2 kisses here)

bertie: check out Coco's web site www.myhomeindijon.com - lots about La Ville de la Moutard et la chouette!

Generally we cheek kiss 2 times. Yes some people are afraid of the flu but they are very rare so far.
Could you do me a favor, please. I try to improve my english so don't hesitate to correct me. This message is for you and for all the others : show no mercy !!!
Thanx

Hi neighbour,
where are you from and what do you do in Burgundy ? Excuse me if you think it's none of my business. Please to meet you.

I live in a small village very close to Dijon(5km?)and I rent out an apartment in the town center (see Pal's posting ). Many Fodorites went to Dijon already and I try to help the new comers the best I can. I wish there were more questions though! A bientot. Coco

bertrand - Votre Anglais me semble parfait - un peu meilleur que celui de Coco!

That's great. I was born and I still live in Mulhouse ( the second largest but the most unknown city in Alsace ).I would be glad to welcome Fodorites in my town, it's not as charming as Strasbourg or Colmar but there are lot of things to do. Just ask !

bertie - i once biked thru Mulhouse but only camped nearby - i will though visit again just to see the great French Transports Museum - any insights on that place?

Bertrand,

Thanks for this very nice offer!

Bookmarking for a trip in December to your "neighborhood".

gruezi

There are 2 museums not to be missed in Mulhouse :
- le musée du chemin de fer ( railroad museum ) web-site : citedutrain.com
- le musée de l'automobile ( car museum ) web-site : collection-schlumpf.com ( one of the largest car museum in the world...really !!! ).

bertie - thanks for the citedutrain.com link - i am a rail nut not so much for cars but have heard about the car museum, which i believe is in an architectural gem of some type - so i'll come to see the museum structure more than to ogle the cars.

Coco Cheri - i was just fooling about your English being a tad worse than bertie's - in actuality you both write perfect English - much better than most of my former high-school English students could! Bravo!

Hi Palenque,
If you are fond of trains, go to this web-site : train-doller.org
This old line runs through the valley about 10 miles from my place, it's very nice and only for tourists.

Je te pardonne chouchou Did you actually write this French sentence yourself? I suspect Sylvain was around to help you...

How funny the train dooler is going to Beaune in October! What a pleasant way to go from Alsace to Burgundy!

Bertie - merci pour les infos du Train Doller!

Coco Cherie - Pourquoi te me doute? A Le 31em Sett approche! Je ne puet pas attendre! Rendez-vous au Hertoir Quai n 3?

H Gruezi,
are you posting from Switzerland ?

I was in Mulhouse a couple of years ago on one of my road trips to nowhere. About twice a year I take my mother out of the Alzheimer's nursing home for 2 or 3 days and drive her around. As long as she is riding in a car she is happy, but it is impossible to actually visit any of the sights. So I go to places where I would like to go, but I can't actually see anything.

Mulhouse was one of the places we spent a night -- very close to the two museums, but I could not visit either of them! The only important thing is to drive at least 500 km a day, so I have been frustrated absolutely everywhere in France on these trips -- as well as Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain!

kerouac - how about taking the Peripherique round and round? It's touching your excursions with Mom - i cared at home for my Alzheimers mum for several years and she always like to go out driving as well - but i was lucky i could visit things with her and she was always happy going out and about and rarely a problem except when she would say something about someone like the time she saw an obese women in a wheelchair - 'if you weren't so fat you wouldn't need that'. Kudos for taking her on your road trips!

Oh, I could be a taxi driver in Paris by now, having driven on just about every street in the city and the suburbs. When I take her to Léon de Bruxelles for mussels, I take her to one that is 30km out of the city instead of one of the Paris locations.

The only trouble is that I don't own a car and have to rent one for each outing (such as this weekend -- but I have a Smart this time, and that's always fun).

Every mum should have such a son or daughter!

Bertie - arcane question for you - why is the Territoire de Belfort (sp?) a territory and not a department or if it is a dept then why is it called a Territory?

curious

Hi, the Territoire de Belfort is a department (90) located is the southwest of the Haut-Rhin department (68) in the Franche-Comté région. The major city is Belfort (50 000 inhabitants) with a nice historic downtown and the famous Lion de Belfort sculpted by Bartholdi (statue of liberty).
It's called a territory because it was part of Alsace and when Alsace was annexed by Germany in 1870-71, Belfort didn't surrender and became a territory between France and Germany.
In 1918, Alsace came back to France in two departments (haut-rhin and bas-rhin), Belfort also became a department but the name territory stayed.
I hope that's the information you were looking for.
Bye

I thouhgt there was a printing museum in Mulhouse. I seem to remember its one of the best in the world. Am I confused?

hi, in fact there are two printing museums.
One is about wallpaper (museepapierpeint.org) located in the suburb town of Rixheim and the other is about textile (musee-impression.com) and is located in downtown Mulhouse, steps from the main railroad station.
Of course, these museums are some of the best in the world...like everything else coming from Alsace !!!
Did I mention I was born in Mulhouse ?
Don't be confused.

Last night I finished reading Cara Black's "Murder in the Sentier". A character in this novel is from Mulhouse. Have never heard of it before and now I find Bertrand from Mulhouse on Fodors. How interesting. By the way Cara Black is an American author who writes mysteries based in Paris.

kay

Mercie Bien, Bertie!

Trivia Q- Will i see a bundle of Alsatian dogs in Alsace? do these dogs speak English or German?

Anyway enjoying your expertise and insights on Alsace!

Hello, in fact, the name Alsatian is not in use. We call these dogs German Shepherds. They can maybe speak in English but they for sure bite in German !!!
I love your questions, they bring me back to school years !

Ok one more and i do appreciate your willingness to entertain such arcane questions - you say you call them Bergers Allemands? (pardon my French) and i often heard my French son call them "Chiens loup" or to me wolf dogs - is the term Chien Loup only applied to Bergers Allemands or to any large German shephed-like dog?

And i was always amused by the term 'chien loup'

Encore merci bien.

The "chien-loup" is the result from the mating of a wolf and a German Shepherd ( I believe that eastern Europe armies do such a thing ).
We call'em "chien-loup" when we don't exactly know what kind of dog they are, espacially when big and scary.

We call'em "chien-loup" when we don't exactly know what kind of dog they are, especially when big and scary.>

and that's why my son, Sylvain, would then as a child call any German Shepherd-like dog 'chien loup' - because at age 8 or so they all seem scary!

I'll have to ask him now, aged 26 and living here with me whilst studying Aeronautical Engineering at the local U what he would call what we call a German Shepherd. Again thanks for your accessibility for these rather silly Qs and more importantly to help Fodorites plan Alsatian journeys

BTW your English is, like Coco's impeccable - did you spend time in an English-speaking country - seems like you must have to have such a command of not only proper English but also colloquialism like call'em though technically this would be call 'em!

Cheers

I try to do my best. I'm a travellin'man so it's important to speak a foreign language. I only spent 3 years learning English at school (like other French students) and that's not enough so I completed this lacking by myself.
I also have to say that I've been several times in the US on vacations and that's the best way to learn English.
Next trip for "travellin'man" is Shanghai, Hong-Kong and Macau. I have now 30 days to learn Chinese !!!
Like "Ike" said : "OK We go !!!"

Even if you find my English "impeccable", feel free to correct me. I'm open-minded.

bonjour, Bertrand! My ancestors are from Alsace, but I think they were really German occupiers. Have you heard of the surname Quell around there?

Another language question -- I thought all French students studied English for about 6 years in school. Is 3 years of English in school more typical? What is the foreign language requirement for French public students. I assume it may be different for those students who want to go to university and those who do not, is that correct?

When I was in high school in the US, we did not have to take any foreign language to meet the government standards, but I think those who wanted to be accepted at a university had to take at least three years, but they could choose their own language (in my school, it was Spanish or French or German or Latin, that is all). Are French students required to take English or can they choose a language to study? I know many will want to take English for business or job reasons, I just wonder what the requirements are.

Your English is excellent for someone who had only 3 years. Once I had a friend I met online who was a student at Bordeaux and I helped him with his English homework, it was fun for me as I could explain things in French.

Nobody's fault but mine !!!
It's not 3 years but 5 years. I'm sorry.
At the age of 11, we have to choose our first foreign language. Living near the German border I chose....German (much easier for me). Two years later I started to learn English and so it went, 'til the end of my studies.
I've never been to University. School drove me nuts !
Never heard about the name of Quell, sorry about that.

My son says that in Orleans (i think it could vary a bit by region even though it is a centralized education system i believe) that kids going for their BAC take a foreign language - mainly English for at least six years - he took it for 8 even though he often spoke better than the teachers, accent-wise.

But even his friends who did not go to Lycee but became apprentices did take some English before dropping out as well - but their English skills are IMO non-existent.

Thank you for the infos.

Here's a question you might be able to help with: we will be staying in Riquewihr and although I'd like to buy a couple of pieces of Soufflenheim or Betschdorf faience, we probably won't drive that far north to those towns. Do you have any idea where we might buy the pottery that wouldn't be as expensive as, for example, buying it in a shop next to the cathedrale in Strasbourg, where I imagine it is highly priced. I would guess the same would be true about "tourist" shops in Riquewihr, also.

This is not a high priority question, but I thought I would ask in case you might have an opinion. Merci!

Bertrand - are you familiar with Sarreguemines? I have several pieces of very old porcelain made by Utzschneider & Co, which factory I know no longer exists. I've wondered whether I'd be able to find more information about this porcelain or the factory if I visited Sarreguemines. Are there any museums or such there that might have information? Or might you know where I could inquire? Or maybe I should just visit the town -- is it worth a visit? Would appreciate any info. Thank you!

Great thread Bertrand! Hopefully I will have an intelligent question to ask sometime soon, but in the meantime I will just read and learn.

Hi Grandmere, I'm sorry but I'm not familiar with pottery.
According to me, cheap faience coud be fake and imported.
There are only 2 hours drive from Riquewihr to Soufflenheim and the village worth the visit.
When in Alsace, ask locals where they buy such stuff.
I'm so sorry I can't help you.
You should try to go to the supermarkets like CORA, there is a big one in Colmar and I'm pretty sure you will find what you're looking for here.
Hope I will be more help another time.
Bye

Thank you, Bertrand; perhaps we will go to Souffleheim since you say the village is worth the visit. I don't want cheap faience-- just didn't want to buy it at the most expensive place and assumed that would be near major tourist sites.

Thank you, also, for the tip about where a nearby supermarket is located; we are staying in a rented house so will need supplies.

Hello, when driving northbound to Selestat, the supermarket CORA is located a short distance after the round-about, the one in which you can see a replica of the statue of liberty. As you surely knew, Colmar is the city where Bartholdi was born, his mother was the model he use for the statue.
If you plan to drive to Soufflenheim and Betschdorf :
There is a pottery museum in Betschdorf (open from Easter to Halloween only).
Don't hesitate to drive 15 miles further north to visit the beautiful villages of Hunspach and Seebach. You will see streets lined with half-timbered houses but, here, no colors, only black and white. I've found that wonderful.
Bye

message to travlsolo2 :
Sorry but I know nothing about Sarreguemines. I drove once in this area and I remember a sad city, grey and boring.
A friend of mine who I had on the phone yesterday and had lived 20 years in this town told me that's if you have one thing to do when arriving in Sarreguemines is to turn and walk away ! Even the crows fly on their backside when above !
I'm sorry for the people who like the city but she doesn't !!! And she was born there.

I've found some web-sites which might help you :
sarregueminesvaisselle.com
sarreguemines-passion.fr
sarreguemines-museum.com

Bye

Another tip :
I mentioned the city of Selestat, between Strasbourg and Colmar. Very lovely historic downtown with a museum I'm sure you will appreciate, you Americans who are mad about our bread :
La maison du pain ( museum in which one can assist in making bread , free tasting ). Pretty nice, worth the visit.

Thank you so much for all the helpful advice! It's good to know about these places that we might otherwise miss.

ttt

What does "ttt" mean ?

It means "to the top", used to get this thread to the top again so it is kept current.

OK, thank you.

Thank you for the info, Bertrand. Sarreguemines doesn't sound like a very pretty place. I think I'll stay away, too.
(I'll check the websites, though.)

Bertrand, How nice of you to help! Four of us will be going to Alsace for a week in June, 2010. We have rented une maison in Obernai. Before we get to France, we will be traveling in Switzerland for a week. We plan to pick up a car at the Basel /Mulhouse airport on the French side. Do you know if this a good plan and is it easy to do?

Hi, thanks for coming.
You plan on landing in Basel/Mulhouse, pick up your car, traveling a week in Switzerland and then driving to Obernai to spend a few days in Alsace. Is that right ?
It's sounds nice. Switzerland is a beautiful country and yes, it's easy to pick up the car at the airport ( I think the French side is cheaper ).
IMO, I'd rather rented a house in Colmar which is more centrally located to make day-trips ( Germany is not that far and Freiburg worth a day ).
If you need anything, just ask. It's a pleasure.

Hello Bertrand--

Actually, our itinerary is to arrive in Geneva and spend our first week in Switzerland using their trains. We always use a car while in Europe, but have decided to use the trains for Switzerland. Once we get to France, we will pick up a car and use it for our week in Alsace and a couple of days in Champagne.

We have already made arrangements for the house in Obernai, and it seems to be a nice town...perhaps your suggestion would be better, but we are committed now. We thought it would be easy to take the train in to Strasbourg from Obernai for a day trip.

We will definitely go to Freiburg one day. I see your recommended towns above and will include them in my list! I am sure to have more questions for you.

I see that you are going to Texas this month--enjoy--the hill country and Austin should be very nice at this time of year.

Hi Bertrand,

Yes, I'm posting from Zuerich.

Finally I'm back from my wanderings and work and ready to focus on a bit of planning for when my friend comes from the US in a few weeks to visit.

She will be here the second week of December. She has visited Italy many times but only the southern part of Switzerland. We have 5 full days excluding her arrival and departure day. As she has two sons and does lots of snow sports with her family, I wanted to do the type of things her husband and teen sons might find boring. So, I was thinking a Christmas market trip to Alsace or Munich or Nurenberg. Last year I went to Colmar and Strasbourg by train and it was great (freezing cold but charming and so Christmasy plus we went to the Musee Unterlinden in Colmar). I am tempted to go back to Colmar because it won't disappoint, but life is short and perhaps you have a better idea? I would prefer to take the train, but could drive if necessary.

Any suggestions you have would be appreciated. Also, we stayed overnight in Strasbourg and paid a fortune for a distinctly uncharming hotel. If you know of charming accommodations that would be helpful too. As it is only one night, and a special friend coming from far away, I am willing to spend for a nice place in a good location.

So, I'm seeking a town like Colmar, delicious restaurant suggestions and possibly an inn or hotel... possibly without just going back to Colmar!

Looking forward to hearing from you - and wishing you good travels to your exotic destinations!!

gruezi

Hi Wren,
First I should have been in China at this time but I had to cancel. Then, in a hurry, we decided to go to Texas instead but we have to cancel too. Pardon me but this year is a bitch ! I know what I'm talking about ! Exotic destinations will be from my house to hospital ( cancer unit ). Do you know what is the worth ? It's not me who is sick, it's my wife ! It's gonna be a long and hard fight but we shall overcome !!!
Excuse me, it's not the topic.
OK for Obernai, it's lovely town and a day trip to Strasbourg will be fine ( train is the best way to do it ).
There are plenty of wonderful villages to see. Feel free to ask tons of questions, it will help you and it will help me ( you know what I mean )
Thank you.

Yikes Bertrand... I am sorry to hear of all your bad news. I am an oncology nurse so I do understand to an extent what your life must be like. I send you the very best thoughts for healing. Yes, sometimes Fodor's can be a helpful diversion from things that are troubling us. Plus, in the lounge you will find many people coping with cancer who can provide some support and advice as well.

Best to you and your wife...


gruezi

Désolée d'apprendre cette triste nouvelle Bertrand. J'espère vraiment que ce ne sera rien de grave et qu'elle se rétablira vite. Courage à vous deux

Bertrand, Desolee aussi! Traveling is great, of course, but the health of your family is the most important. I am really sorry to hear of your wife's cancer. My thoughts and prayers will be that the doctors will have the wisdom to treat her in the best way available; also, that she heals quickly and your lives return to normal soon. (Somehow, words never work so well in these times)

ditto to the above - thankfully you have the world's best health care service IMO at your disposal and won't have to go bankrupt like many Americans would with such a diagnosis.

Bob Marley's "Everything Will Be Allright" will prove right.