Ribeauvillé

The beautiful half-timber town of Ribeauvillé, surrounded by rolling vineyards and three imposing châteaux, produces some of the best wines in Alsace. (The Trimbach family has made Riesling and superb Gewürztraminer here since 1626.) The town's narrow main street, crowded with winstubs, pottery shops, bakeries, and wine sellers, is bisected by the 13th-century Tour des Bouchers, a clock-belfry completed (gargoyles and all) in the 15th century. Storks' nests crown several towers in the village, while streets are adorned with quaint shop signs, fairy-tale turrets, and tour guides herding the crowds with directions in French and German. Make for the Place de la Marie and its Hôtel de Ville to see its famous collection of silver-gilt 16th-century tankards and chalices.