Soultz-les-Bains / Châtenois
La Route des Vins d'Alsace (or Alsace Wine Route) wends its way along the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains. Running parallel to it, the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace (or Alsace Vineyards Cycle Route), crosses picture-postcard landscapes, with ruined castles, flowery villages, Romanesque abbeys, orchards, and a sea of vines. The northern part of the cycle route starts at Marlenheim and goes up to Châtenois, passing via Molsheim, Rosheim, Obernai, Barr and Dambach-la-Ville, under the protective gaze of the Mont Sainte-Odile and the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg.
The route
The Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace takes you along disused railway lines, stretches of old Roman road, plus many portions of surfaced paths going between vines and orchards. There is specific signposting for the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace, its logo in the shape of a bunch of grapes, displayed alongside the logo for EuroVelo 5.
Gradients and elevation
Road types
Surface
Don’t miss
- Molsheim: Musée de la Chartreuse and Fondation Bugatti (of car fame).
- Rosheim: Romanesque Church of St Peter and St Paul.
- Obernai: an historic town, part of the association of Les Plus Beaux Détours de France. Place du Beffroi.
- Near Obernai: Mont Sainte-Odile, an unmissable hill topped by a convent.
- Barr: Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, a Renaissance square.
- Mittelbregheim: a member of the association of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.
- Andlau: Romanesque Abbey of St Peter and St Paul; Les Ateliers de la Seigneurie Centre d'interprétation du Patrimoine (a Heritage Interpretation Centre).
- Gertwiller: Musée et Palais du Pain d'épice (on the local speciality of spiced honey cake).
- Itterswiller: a village awarded four flowers for its floral displays in the national French scheme.
