Strasbourg is a fairytale city. Situated along the Rhine, it is lush and charming. We took the train from Bruges around 6am and arrived in Strasbourg at 11am. We had just a few to-dos here on arrival and spent our only full day in France biking to wineries from Colmar. We were gifted two beautiful sunny days and I am pinching myself as I look back at the photos because it doesn't even look real! Read on for a full guide about biking to wineries and enjoying the best of France.

Staying in Strasbourg

We stayed in a small, economical hotel in Strasbourg because we planned to spend very little time there. The Hotel Victoria was a nice fit and while the rooms were tiny compared to our palace in Bruges, the location was situated close to the train station and Petite-France. We walked to pick up fresh pastries every morning and left well rested.

Day 1: Wind Whipped in Petite-France

Upon arrival, we immediately dropped our bags and RAN to Petite-France. This tourist-heavy area is filled with people for a reason. The half-timbered houses, bridges, and canals are so beautiful that you could walk in circles and never tire of the view. We were pretty hungry after our long train ride and found a lovely outdoor cafe along the canal and under some trees. The setting was ideal, and while the service was slow, we were in no rush to leave. After our meal, we meandered along the cobblestone streets, which are free from cars, and slowly headed towards the cathedral.

The Cathédrale Notre Dame is quite a spectacle. The wind really picked up as we arrived and the clouds were booking it across the sky. As we looked way way up at the tower, it looked like it was about to fall over! We got quite a kick out of watching everyone squeal as they saw the same sight. The inside of the cathedral was regal and I love the silence as everyone takes in these European masterpieces. We just missed the time slot to head up to the top, but we were ok to skip it with all the wind. Instead, we headed for some gelato and stuffed our already full bellies with as much food as possible. The area just outside the Cathedral is more commercial and if you want to do some shopping, this is your place!

After our gelato indulgence, we walked all the way back towards the Barrage Vauban. This is a 17th century defense that served as a lock for raising the river. The covered bridge is a major component of Strasbourg’s history and you get a lovely view of Petite-France from a distance.

With tired feet, we headed back to our rooms to prep for dinner as individual couples. The skies looked dark as Luke and I headed out on a hunt for food… and boy did they open up. We huddled under an awning during the worst of it and ducked into the nearest cafe we could see. The red and white checkered tablecloths were our sign that it was time to order the local speciality, Tarte Flambée. This is a thin, rectangular pizza with a white fromage blanc sauce, thinly sliced onions, and bacon pieces. Sometimes you can find these with Munster or Gouda cheese as well. As we devoured each slice, Amanda and Alec saw us through the window and we all met up for a late night crêpes run. Be ready, all you will do here is eat. Fortunately, we had a long day of biking planned for day two. Biking to drink wine, but still biking!

Day 2: Winery Hopping via Bicycles

I am about to tell you about the best day of my life. Amanda's birthday fell on the France leg of friendcation and it was her birthday wish to drink French wine in the countryside. Man, did this day DELIVER. We caught the morning train to Colmar (30 min ride) and rented bikes right outside the train station. The employees here understand English quite well and a one-day rental is less than 15 euros. Your bike comes with a helmet and bike lock so you can lock up and explore on foot as needed. We started off in Colmar and headed to Little Venice, another storybook corner of France with canals and overflowing flower boxes. Head to the Saint Pierre Bridge for one of the most photographed spots in Colmar before the tourists arrive and lock up your bike for a bit of exploring. Walking along the streets felt like being in Disney World. The houses are so colorful and so well maintained that it is hard to believe this is how people live everyday. If you walk through town and don’t immediately think of Beauty and the Beast are you even human? After an hour or so of exploring by foot, we hopped back on the bikes and headed south to Eguisheim.

Biking the 7km to Eguisheim is a pretty easy feat. You will need to download the area on Google Maps or something before you arrive so that you can use a phone for guidance, but once you get onto the main road, you will see designated bike lands. Getting out of Colmar does require biking along busy streets and cars, but once you break out of the city and see vineyards in the distance, you will have the road to yourself. The ride is about 30 minutes and incredibly pleasant. Ask the folks at the bike rental shop if you need guidance on the best route for biking.

So. Eguisheim. You thought Strasbourg and Colmar were fairytale towns? Multiply the charm by 100 and you get Eguisheim. This village is absolute perfection and filled with colorful buildings and happy French people. This is the Alsace region of France so the design elements have strong German influences. We were truly gasping at the beauty at every turn on the cobblestone streets. We also found that this place was less busy than other parts of our trip and English was definitely harder to come by. We did a lot of pointing at food and drinking whatever wine was put in front of us. All of which was incredibly tasty. After parking our bikes at the first available spot, we started our afternoon with lunch at Caveau Heuhaus. This cellar restaurant is the real deal for Tarte Flambée and we were seated immediately. Definitely try to make this a priority for your time in Eguisheim and fill up on the carbs before you start hopping around to wineries.

After you have loaded up on carbs, set out on foot to try the local wines! The local specialties here are Riesling and Gewurztraminer, both semi-sweet whites. Wineries are also a bit different here in that they are very small shops with room for just a few people to taste and then move on. Our first stop, Freudenreich Joseph et Fils, had outdoor seating so we came back for a second visit at the end of the day to enjoy the perfect weather. As a group of six, we were easily able to split a bottle or two at each locale, and we did just that. Most of these stops are run by multi-generational families and they are so sweet with their time and offerings. We had quite a few older ladies bring us pretzels and other snacks to munch on as we drank. Our other favorite stops included Paul Schneider and Domaine Charles Baur.

After a full afternoon of lazily drinking through Eguisheim, we headed back to Colmar to return our bikes and have dinner in Petite Venice before catching one of the last trains back to Strasbourg. We had MORE Tarte Flambée, because why not, and packed up our bags for our last, and most anticipated, stop of the trip: Oktoberfest in Munich!