Turckheim / Cernay

The southern half of the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace is wilder, providing beautiful views of vine-covered slopes and up to the Ballons d'Alsace, the highest summits of the Haut-Vosges Mountains. There are several unmissable stops, such as Eguisheim, Alsace’s famed circular village and a member of the association of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, or Guebwiller, winning awards for its floral displays and declared a Territoire Vélo by the French Cycling Federation. Cernay and Thann are the final places to visit along the Route des Vins d'Alsace, below the protective gaze of Le Vieil Armand, with its national First World War monument atop a spectacular rocky outcrop.

The route

This last stage of the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace takes you along asphalt farm tracks and very quiet roads. The signposting includes the route’s specific logo in the shape of a bunch of grapes, with the names of both the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace and EuroVelo 5 clearly marked.

Don’t miss

• Turckheim: Musée Mémorial des Combats de la Poche de Colmar, a World War II museum.
• Eguisheim: part of the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, and awarded four flowers for its floral displays in the French national scheme.
• Pfaffenheim: Notre-Dame de Schauenberg Chapel.
• Soultzmatt: a village awarded four flowers in the national scheme.
• Guebwiller: designated a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire for its rich heritage; awarded four flowers in the national scheme; recognized as a town specifically geared to cyclists; Dominicains de Haute-Alsace Cultural Centre in a former monastery.
• Cernay: First World War Monument National du Hartmannswillerkopf (Vieil Armand), with museum; train from Thur to Doller.