This small town of Ribeauvillé on the Wine Trail is very welcoming with its high street lined with numerous half-timbered houses.
This small town of Ribeauvillé on the Wine Trail is very welcoming with its high street lined with numerous half-timbered houses.
Located in the heart of the Wine Route, in the Haut-Rhin department, the commune of Ribeauvillé joined the town of Colmar on 1 January 2015 to form the district of Colmar-Ribeauvillé. Located at the foot of the Massif des Vosges, it is part of the Regional Natural Park of Ballons des Vosges and is about twenty kilometers from Colmar and its tourist sites.
Common winegrowers, Ribeauvillé has always been an important trading city, as evidenced by many historical chronicles. Former fortified city, it passed from hand to hand, from Lorraine to the German or Austrian empire, before joining the lap of France.
Today, Ribeauvillé remains famous for its wine production, including its great vintages of Pinot Noir and white wines, as well as for its architectural heritage. Very touristy, the town reveals indeed many medieval vestiges and also enjoys a strong cultural activity throughout the year.
The site of the castles of the Ribeaupierre is surely the most appreciated tourist site of Ribeauvillé. The whole of the buildings, set up in the heights of the commune, the castles of Girsberg, Haut-Ribeaupierre and Saint-Ulrich, is also listed as Historic Monuments. The first was built in the thirteenth century by the lords of Ribeaupierre. The vestiges visible today date from different eras, like the pentagonal donjon of stone, granite and sandstone of origin. A little higher, the castle of Haut-Ribeaupierre is the oldest of the architectural ensemble. Built in the 11th century, it takes its place on an ancient Roman site. Unfortunately, there are few traces left in the middle of lush vegetation. Finally, the castle of St. Ulrich, accessible via a footpath, owes its name to a chapel dedicated to this saint who once stood in the edifice. The main residence of most of the lords of Ribeaupierre between the 12th and 16th centuries, it still features a square keep and a 12th century main house, a knights' hall and a 13th century tower, Barbican of entrance of the fourteenth century. The Saint-Ulrich chapel dates from the 15th century.
Also classified as a Historical Monument, the church of Saint-Grégoire reveals a very beautiful Alsatian architecture. Inscribed, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Dusenbach also deserves the detour. A pilgrimage very frequented in the Middle Ages, it hosts a statue of the Virgin brought back from the Orient by Eguenolphe de Ribeaupierre. Rebuilt several times, the current building dates from the end of the nineteenth century.
You will not fail to appreciate the old convent of the Augustinians founded in the thirteenth century. It features a 14th-century church with a Gothic portal, a Madonna and Child, and a Gothic nave with a painted ceiling and baroque decoration remodeled in the 18th century.
Walking through the town, you will discover several fountains listed in the Historic Monuments such as those of the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville or the Stag. Different residences are also the subject of an inscription to the Historical Monuments like the example of several houses of the sixteenth century or the portal of a house located at 7 Grand'Rue.
Ribeauvillé has preserved several vestiges of its ancient ramparts and one can still admire several towers like those of Storks of the XIVth century or Butchers between the Average city and the Old city. You can admire them as you go along the medieval streets of Ribeauvillé.
Let yourself be seduced by the 18th century town hall and its classical architecture, or by the Pfifferhus. The latter, also known as the House of Menetriers, is a half-timbered house converted into an inn in the middle of the nineteenth century.
For a breath of fresh air, head for the Herrengarten, the town's public garden with its flowers and greenery. Several marked hiking trails are also accessible in and around Ribeauvillé.
Note that the city also has a casino with slot machines and other entertainment.
Last name | Activity type | Rate | City |
---|---|---|---|
Chocolate discovery workshop & chat | Local flavours | Free | Ribeauvillé |
Information points | |
---|---|
Leisure centres | |
Monuments | |
Performance halls | |
Transport |
Climb to the top of the Taennchel strange, strange shaped rocks.