Riquewihr, France—A Fascinating Rhine River Cruise Port Village
By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value. These wonderful trips take you to unique places. One place, along the Rhine River, includes Riquewihr, France—a fascinating port village just a few miles from the Rhine River.
I had never visited this awesome place, or even known about it, until I was introduced to it while on a Europe River Cruise.
Riquewihr is located in the Alsace region of France.
One of my favorite regions of France is the Alsace. This is an area that has deep French and German roots. No wonder—it was controlled by Germany for about 700 years and France for 200 before the end of WW I.
It is this wonderful mix of German and French lifestyles that makes it so special to me—it seems the region has taken the best of the culture of these 2 wonderful countries and blended them into a unique place.
The 3 key port stops along the Rhine in France (all are in the Alsace region) are Strasbourg, Colmar and Riquewihr. While all are great port stops, the gem of the 3 has to be Riquewihr, in my opinion.
So, let me defend my thoughts—Why is Riquewihr the gem of these 3 stops?
A Little History of Alsace
France and Germany have coveted the wine growing region of Alsace for about 1000 years. The land dispute is a difference in the border boundaries each side chose to define who should control the region. France believed the dividing line should be the Rhine River. Germany decided the Vosges Mountains were the natural border.
As far back as the Holy Roman Empire, France has seen the Alsace-Lorraine region as their territory, while Germany saw it as its’ territory.
Historically, the area at first was at the center of Charlemagne’s Frankish empire in the 9th century.
But for most of its history, it has been controlled by Germany, as part of the German Holy Roman Empire under various Kings. German control continued until the 30 Year’s War when it lost Alsace by the 1684 treaty—known as the Peace of Westphalia—which gave control of this area back to France.
The Franco-Prussian War put the region firmly back into German control in 1871.
The Alsace region had been under French control since the end of WW I. confirmed by the famous Treaty of Versailles. WW II put it under German control again.
From 1871 to 1945—a period of about 74 years--Alsace had changed rulers between Germany and France 4 times!
A little dizzy yet?—you can see it was a region that changed hands often and resulted in its dual cultural influences.
But Alsace has not, or never will, lose its dual roots that include food, wine production, and cultural traditions. Most who live here speak both German and the French language.
The symbol of Alsace is the white stork. They return each year from Africa in the spring, letting the residents of Alsace know that a new season is here.
The symbol of Alsace—the white stork
As you can see, it is a unique blending of two cultures, a result of two countries that wanted this region to be part of the territory it controlled and ruled.
The Wine Road (Route du Vin) of Alsace
Riquewihr is on the Route du Vin, which is about 106 miles long from start to finish. It starts a little north of Strasbourg; Colmar is about the midpoint; and ends near Mulhouse.
You can drive, bike or take a tour, or see part of the route, as we did, by rivership. We visited Strasbourg and Riquewihr—both really hit the flavor and special nature of the Alsace region of France.
Strasbourg (population is over 450,000) is much larger than Colmar (about 91,000) and Riquewihr (about 1,100). While Strasbourg and Colmar have scenic canals, both have much more modern buildings that make up the majority of the total town. There are only part of sections of the old town areas that the most interesting areas to visit.
In contrast, Riquewihr is almost totally an old town area.
It is the small, quaintness of Riquewihr that sets it apart—small eye popping half-timbered homes that never stop and just invite you to get a glass of wine and perhaps a special meal.
Alsace’s Wines
The key grapes grown in the region of Alsace are Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. According to wine experts, although these grapes are also grown in Germany, the Alsace wines have more flavor and are much drier than those produced across on the eastern side of the Rhine River in Germany. These robust white wines are also named for the grapes—a common practice in Germany but much less common in France.
Alsace vineyard with Vosges Mountains in the background—picture by Mark Thomas
Since 1983, the official gran cru appellation status has been awarded to about 50 terroirs. Most of these gran cru appellation wines are dry whites.
Gran cru in French means great growth. This classification of wines is a regional designation of the vineyards that produces very good wines.
Trust me, they are excellent!
Riquewihr
Old cobblestone roads in Riquewihr
A village with a population of just over 1,100, it would be hard to find a more beautiful village in all of France. It actually is on the official list of most beautify cities in France.
So, what is so unique about Riquewihr?
It was part of the inspiration for the animation Disney film Beauty and the Beast. It doesn’t take much imagination to be transmitted to times past since the old style buildings evoke the feeling of being in a fairy tale.
Colorful buildings everywhere !
Roaming this small village, it is easy to see why the animators were inspired by Riquewihr.
One of our tour groups, on our AmaWaterways cruise, with the guide explaining a little history of the town
All decorated for Christmas
Here are my other reasons it is special:
This medieval walled city still has most of its walls—I have always liked walled cities.
Ramparts of Riquewihr
Outer walls of Riquewihr
Riquewihr is a constant splash of colors, half-timbered buildings and wine shops jumbled together that just is so charming you will not know where to look next.
There is a watch tower that today houses a museum about the defensive structures of the city, the people who manned the defensive structures and the weapons they used.
The main watch tower—there is a museum inside
Tower fountain
Don’t forget to shop, enjoy the food or a snack and sample the white wines this region is so famous for and brought wealth to this village, as explained above in this blog.
Looks inviting, doesn’t it?
Wine Tasting opportunities abound
But don’t take my description as my defense—let’s see these final photos and you judge for yourselves!
Even the side streets are wonderful!
Another wonderful lane in Riquewihr
Great Wrought Iron Sign—Photo from Mark Thomas, our Travel Chum!
My Final Thoughts
Riquewihr is just one of the many places we have been to visit because of a European River cruise. This is just one of the many port guides we have developed in our travels, to help you not miss the key sights in each port.
Why not visit our website and get your own guide—just go to www.dreamdestinations.com and click on the menu to find out about river cruises—you’ll be glad you did!
It is also easy to order this port guide or others like it—fill out the short request form and we will be happy to send all the guides you desire.
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Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
Hank Schrader
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
