Will The Flowers be in Bloom in Late May in Alsace?
May 23rd, 2006, 06:24 AM
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Will The Flowers be in Bloom in Late May in Alsace?
I am planning a trip to Alsace and would love to be there when the spring flowers are in full display. Would late May be a good time to go? Would that time also be a good time to avoid the tourist crush?
May 23rd, 2006, 06:50 AM
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I live in Stuttgart which is just a couple hours' drive east, with a similar climate. I haven't been to Alsace yet this spring but I would imagine late May would be perfectly lovely - you should get lots of flowers, balmy weather, and will miss the summer rush.
May 23rd, 2006, 07:22 AM
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Judy...just got back two weeks ago (barge trip in Alsace)...the flowers were in wild abundance, everywhere..the rape seed fields were a massive swatch of yellow...weather very comfortable, 60-7-F. Enjoy.
Stu T.
Stu T.
May 23rd, 2006, 07:39 AM
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Hi tower:
My wife and I and another couple are spending 4 days in Alsace (Orbey area) at the end of June. We're staying at a gite. Never been before and curious about your experience. Any advice / recommendations on things to do and see and eat would be very welcome.
Thanks.
My wife and I and another couple are spending 4 days in Alsace (Orbey area) at the end of June. We're staying at a gite. Never been before and curious about your experience. Any advice / recommendations on things to do and see and eat would be very welcome.
Thanks.
May 23rd, 2006, 09:26 AM
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Francoli....you're in luck....Orbbey is a great place to stay...it's very close to Colmar (a beautiful town, truly Alsatian) and the Route du Vin..picturesque villages all along the way. Mittelwihr, Riquewihr, Ribeaville, etc..further north is Obernai, a very fine town to visit. Each one has dozens of restaurants and wine tasting cellars...don't ignore Stasbourg, well worth a visit just to see the canals and the cathedral. Very large city, headquarters for European Parliament.
The distances are fairly short, but the toruist crowds will probably be massive.
in June.
Enjoy.
Stu T. (In Riquewihr, be sure to visit the Ernet Preiss "Caveau"..wine tasting and a restaurant, also The Maison Zimmer, wine cellar, for a fun time of it.)
The distances are fairly short, but the toruist crowds will probably be massive.
in June.
Enjoy.
Stu T. (In Riquewihr, be sure to visit the Ernet Preiss "Caveau"..wine tasting and a restaurant, also The Maison Zimmer, wine cellar, for a fun time of it.)
May 23rd, 2006, 12:02 PM
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Francoli,
I assume you'll be coming north on the A81. You'll want to get on the A8 to Stuttgart, then the B27 to Stuttgart. Tubinger Strasse is very close (and parallel to) the Konigstrasse, the main pedestrian shopping street through downtown Stuttgart, so I'd suggest following the signs on the B-27 for "Stuttgart-Zentrum". You can get more specific directions at www.map24.de.
Back on topic...I haven't been there yet but my parents' favorite Alsatian town is Kaysersberg (not quite sure on the spelling).
I assume you'll be coming north on the A81. You'll want to get on the A8 to Stuttgart, then the B27 to Stuttgart. Tubinger Strasse is very close (and parallel to) the Konigstrasse, the main pedestrian shopping street through downtown Stuttgart, so I'd suggest following the signs on the B-27 for "Stuttgart-Zentrum". You can get more specific directions at www.map24.de.
Back on topic...I haven't been there yet but my parents' favorite Alsatian town is Kaysersberg (not quite sure on the spelling).
May 23rd, 2006, 07:36 PM
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Francoli: Don't like to highjack judyjay's thread but she might be interested as well.
I spent 4 months in a gite near Orbey at Pairis (note spelling!), and managed to explore the surrounds in quite some detail. 4 days is not really long enough, but here's some suggestions of places to eat.
First, in the category of good food at very reasonable prices:
1* Wetterers, at Basses Huttes, near Orbey but higher up in the hills. Excellent food, and great wine list, including Colette Faller, one of the top three producers in Alsace.
2* A L'Arbre Vert in Ammerschwihr. Great set menu with appropriate choices.
3* Faude at La Poutroie.
4* Winstub Au Sommelier in Bergheim.
5* Relais Des Menetrieurs in Ribeauville.
For excellent lunches:
1* Caveau Morakopf at Niedermorschwihr. Try the choucroute: all the locals do!
2* Aux Trois Merles in Ammerschwihr: you certainly won't need an evening meal!
3* Auberge De Pere Floranc in Wettolsheim. More upmarket and more expensive and very good.
For excellent meals in one star Michelin restaurants:
1* Maximiliens at Zellenberg
2* Philippe Bohrer at Rouffach.
For one of the best meals in France:
1* Auberge De L'Ill in Illhaeusern. Lunch is somewhat cheaper, but still expensive. Worth every euro! Has had 3 Michelin stars forever.
I spent 4 months in a gite near Orbey at Pairis (note spelling!), and managed to explore the surrounds in quite some detail. 4 days is not really long enough, but here's some suggestions of places to eat.
First, in the category of good food at very reasonable prices:
1* Wetterers, at Basses Huttes, near Orbey but higher up in the hills. Excellent food, and great wine list, including Colette Faller, one of the top three producers in Alsace.
2* A L'Arbre Vert in Ammerschwihr. Great set menu with appropriate choices.
3* Faude at La Poutroie.
4* Winstub Au Sommelier in Bergheim.
5* Relais Des Menetrieurs in Ribeauville.
For excellent lunches:
1* Caveau Morakopf at Niedermorschwihr. Try the choucroute: all the locals do!
2* Aux Trois Merles in Ammerschwihr: you certainly won't need an evening meal!
3* Auberge De Pere Floranc in Wettolsheim. More upmarket and more expensive and very good.
For excellent meals in one star Michelin restaurants:
1* Maximiliens at Zellenberg
2* Philippe Bohrer at Rouffach.
For one of the best meals in France:
1* Auberge De L'Ill in Illhaeusern. Lunch is somewhat cheaper, but still expensive. Worth every euro! Has had 3 Michelin stars forever.
May 23rd, 2006, 08:26 PM
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For the best floral displays, look for the places displaying "village fleuri" symbols on markers outside the town. That means the spot has been a winner in the national competition. Alsace is usually among the highest number of villages fleuris in all France, and displays can be spectacular. Townspeople contribute by developing gardens, and those without one do windowboxes. Communities are awarded one, two, or three stars by a committee, and it's considered quite an honor to win a designation.
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