The journal

What to do in Alsace, town by town

Our bearings on the towns where we welcome guests: sights, tables, markets, walks and practical notes, for a weekend as readily as a free evening between two meetings.

The regionTurckheim8 min read12 August 2026

Where to stay for the Colmar Christmas market in 2026

The Colmar Christmas market runs from 24 November to 29 December 2026. It is the tightest period of the year for finding a place to stay in the centre of the Haut-Rhin, and the one when old-town rates climb. Two neighbouring towns on the railway change the equation entirely: Turckheim, five kilometres away, and Rouffach, fifteen. Here is how to plan it, market by market.

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The dates of the Colmar Christmas market in 2026
The six Colmar markets, and which to choose
Staying in Turckheim: ten minutes by train, and one more market
Staying in Rouffach: eight minutes by train, south of the vineyards

The regionSchiltigheim7 min read12 August 2026

Where to stay for the Strasbourg Christmas market

The Christkindelsmärik is the oldest Christmas market in France: it has been recorded in Strasbourg since 1570. More than three hundred chalets go up on the Grande Île every year, and the whole city becomes hard to cross by car for a month. Two neighbouring towns let you come without putting up with that: Schiltigheim, bordering the city and linked by tram, and Haguenau, on a direct regional train.

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The regionHaguenau8 min read11 August 2026

Haguenau forest: trails, wildlife and starting points

The Haguenau forest begins at the edge of the town and stretches some thirty kilometres from west to east. It is undivided: the State and the town have been joint owners in equal shares since the 17th century. Here are the starting points, the waymarked trails, the wildlife to watch for and the right time to walk there.

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The regionMulhouse7 min read11 August 2026

Mulhouse and the Three Borders region: France, Switzerland, Germany

Mulhouse sits at the meeting point of three countries. The tourist office sums it up in a sentence: you cross from France into Germany or Switzerland in under an hour. Here is what that position changes in practice for a stay, from getting to the EuroAirport to trips towards Basel, the Black Forest and the Écomusée d’Alsace.

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Business staysStrasbourg8 min read11 August 2026

Strasbourg on business: the Wacken and the European quarter

Strasbourg hosts the sessions of the European Parliament, the congresses of the Wacken and the trade fairs of the exhibition centre. The calendar is dense and the days are tight. Here is how to link the station, the airport and the European quarter without losing time, where to put your bags depending on your meetings, and what to do with the evening when the meeting ends early.

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The regionTurckheim7 min read11 August 2026

The Alsace wine route: Turckheim, villages and grape varieties

Turckheim sits on the Alsace wine route, the 170 km itinerary linking Marlenheim to Thann. The town has kept its three fortified gates, a grand cru on its slopes and a waymarked vineyard trail. Several wine villages lie a few kilometres away. Here is what to build your days around, season by season.

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Things to doHaguenau8 min read11 August 2026

Things to do in Haguenau: old centre, forest and potters’ country

Haguenau is the second town of the Bas-Rhin and the gateway to northern Alsace. Its old centre can be walked in a morning, its two museums sit almost on the same street, and the forest begins a few minutes beyond the last houses. Here is what there is to see in town and within thirty kilometres.

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Things to doMulhouse8 min read11 August 2026

Things to do in Mulhouse: museums, historic centre and zoo

Mulhouse is visited differently from the villages of the wine route. The city built its reputation on industry, and its technical museums are among the largest in France. Around them, a compact historic centre, a substantial market and a zoological and botanical park complete the programme.

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Things to doRouffach7 min read11 August 2026

Things to do in Rouffach: monuments, vineyards and the Grand Ballon

Rouffach concentrates most of its monuments in an old centre that can be walked. Around it, the vineyards climb towards the Grand Cru Vorbourg and open onto the plain. Here is what there is to visit in town, what there is to walk around it, and the two Haut-Rhin sites that most naturally complete a stay.

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Things to doSchiltigheim7 min read11 August 2026

Things to do in Schiltigheim: breweries, parks and the tram to Strasbourg

Schiltigheim begins where Strasbourg stops. You find a brewing history still legible in the streets, a waymarked heritage trail, parks in every district and a tram that runs down into the Strasbourg centre. Here is what the town allows you to do, on foot as well as by public transport.

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Things to doStrasbourg8 min read11 August 2026

Things to do in Strasbourg: cathedral, Petite France and museums

Strasbourg is a city to walk. The Grande Île, listed as World Heritage in 1988, brings together the cathedral, the main museums and La Petite France within a tight perimeter. The Neustadt, listed in 2017, extends the walk northwards. Here is how to plan a day or a weekend without criss-crossing the city.

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Things to doTurckheim7 min read11 August 2026

Things to do in Turckheim: fortified gates, medieval centre and vineyards

Turckheim sits within a triangle of ramparts, a few kilometres from Colmar. Three fortified gates guard its entrances, a night watchman makes his round from May to October, and the vineyards of the Brand grand cru climb just behind the houses. Here is what to see, and in what order, for half a day or a full one.

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Our destinations

Where we welcome guests

Each town has its own page, with the apartments available and practical bearings.

Haguenau8 Mulhouse2 Rouffach3 Schiltigheim8 Strasbourg2 Turckheim4