Alsace 2026

In August I spent a week with a friend at the Sipp Mack winery in Hunawihr in Alsace, France. We had hoped to do some walking but it was extremely hot, so we didn't do a great deal. The scenery was lovely though, as were the food and wine.

Just north of Hunawihr is Ribeauvillé, a pretty town of half-timbered houses and giftshops. Above the town are the famous Trois Chateaux de Ribeauvillé, a walk we would do later in the week.

Trois Chateaux de Ribeauvillé

The towns were full of colourful flowers which attracted the insects.

There were a lot of hummingbird hawk-moths around

Ribeauvillé

Ribeauvillé

It was about 2km from Hunawihr to Ribeauvillé, passing through lots of vineyards.

Old vines

Above Hunawihr

In Bergheim

On one day, my friend drove us up to the Grand Ballon, the highest point in the Vosges Mountains at 1424m. You park around 1300m so it's not a hard climb! The cooler air (20 degrees instead of 30) and breeze were most welcome.

The Vosges from the Grand Ballon

Lots of fritillaries (I think), mostly with battered wings

The Grand Ballon was very busy but when we dropped off the summit to the Col du Haag in order to climb the Storkenkopf, it got much quieter.

Cows clanking their bells, Alpine-style, at the Col du Haag

Looking back to the Grand Ballon from the Storkenkopf

For the Three Castles walk, we walked over to Ribeauvillé and then up through the woods, glad of the shade. There were gentle, wide forest rides taking us inexorably upwards. The whole walk was about 13km, completed after an excellent lunch at the Cheval Blanc in Ribeauvillé .

Woodland ride

Hunawihr from the Hinterluetzelbach ridge

Chateau Ribeaupierre

Chateau Girsberg

Another day we walked out of the village straight into the wooded hills behind it and wound our way up more forest rides to the Col de Seelacker. Had we got our timing right we would have continued to the auberge at St Alexis, but it was closed that day, so we cut down to Riquewihr instead to fuel up with superb sea bass and Riesling at l'Ecurie. With the 2km walk back, it was again around 13km for the day.

Fritillary on hemp-agrimony