After an unmissable stop in Strasbourg, one of the capitals of the European Union, with its enchanting streets and stunning cathedral, leave the city via the banks of the Ill River and the Canal de la Bruche. Designed by Louis XIV’s engineering genius, Vauban, to transport sandstone blocks from the Vosges Range to Strasbourg, this old canal acts as a guiding thread, taking you through a bucolic natural setting. The way links Strasbourg to Alsace’s Route des Vins (Wine Route) and is a favourite weekend outing for Strasbourg’s inhabitants.

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.

After Châtenois, the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace follows the historic Roman way that ran along the bottom of the Vosges’s foothills, providing panoramic views over the sea of vines beyond. Typical wine-producing villages follow in quick succession, a short spin on your bike allowing you to reach prestigious viticultural stops such as Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr or Kaysersberg, while the great town of Colmar, with its utterly picturesque Petite Venise Quarter, lies not far off.