You may probably find it a bit strange to see a post about Christmas be published in the middle of the Summer? Actually we are just a little more than 100 days away from the earliest Christmas markets in Alsace (Colmar is starting on Nov 21, 2014). And waiting for a last minute opportunity for…
Category: Traditions
Our favorite winemakers & wineries in Riquewihr and nearby villages
Alsace, a paradise for wines & winemakers This article has been updated. Read the new article here … The Alsace region is located in the North East corner of France. Situated on the Vosgian foothills, at an altitude of 200 to 400m the vineyards take maximum advantage of their exposure to the sun, particularly as…
And the winner is …
The prize draw of our contest was made on April 16, 2014 among 471 participants. And the winners are Christine and Pascal Georges. The couple lives in the center of France between Roanne and Vichy. They will stay in our new Little Bear apartment in the coming month of June. Congratulations ! Good news: we…
Early Spring and Easter in Riquewihr and Upper Rhine
Good news: Spring will be here before the end of this week. Actually the past 15 days were pretty mild and sunny already. The music and noises made by Carnival succeeded in chasing away the cold spirits of the Winter. Nature is awaking: in the vineyards and landscapes … All over Alsace and the upper…
Fastnacht in the Upper Rhine valley
An old tradition in the valley of the Upper Rhine, southern Germany and Switzerland, Fasnacht or Fastnacht (carnival) is the time of the year when the reign of bad spirits of the cold and grim winter period is over and these spirits are symbolically being hunted down and expelled. Carnival – Fasnacht in the valley…
Do not miss Basel carnival and the Morgenstreich – update 2014
The Morgenstreich is a major and spectacular event that starts the Basel carnival. The Morgenstreich or procession of lanterns, is consistently held the Monday following Ash Wednesday. In 2014 the Morgenstreich will take place on Monday, March 10 at 4:00 in the morning. Yes you will have to get up early, but you will not…
Winter escapes and Carnival in Alsace.
We will be delighted to see you around this year! But when? When is the best season to visit? The answer is difficult since it depends on which are your personal points of interest. But what about seazing the opportunity of a Winter break? You will experience Alsace off the beaten track, only known by…
Christmas atmosphere in Obernai and Mount Sainte-Odile region
Less than an hour drive from Riquewihr or Colmar, heading north towards Strasbourg the monastry of Sainte-Odile is set on the Vosges mountains overlooking the little medieval city of Obernai. Together with a couple of lovely villages as Rosheim and Boersch, this is another place to visit for a different day out, especially during the…
Gengenbach and the giant Advent Calendar
The sky is dark for already at least an hour. Hundreds of people if not a thousand are wandering from one stall to the other on the Christmas market. The air is full of excitment. And suddenly everything guets quiet. It is exactly 18.00 o’clock. At 6 in the evening every night in the holy…
Meisenthal, craddle of the Christmas bauble
Further north of the Vosges mountains, at the edge of Alsace and Lorraine, there are several villages (St-Louis, Lemberg, Goetzenbruck, Soucht and Meisenthal) which had long specialized in producing glass and crystal ware. The village of Meisenthal is famous for its Centre International d’Art Verrier (CIAV; international center for studio glass). Glass has been produced…
Our favorite Christmas events in Alsace, nearby Germany and Switzerland
The Christmas period in the upper Rhine valley starts every year with the first weekend and Sunday of Advent, more or less one month before Christmas. A lot – a big lot of Christmas events are organized all over the region: Christmas markets, concerts, story telling and nativity scenes. Some of them are daily and…
Grab your basket and let’s go to the market!
One of the pleasures of a holiday in Alsace, in any season, is to visit a weekly market to buy fresh local produce. So grab your basket and let’s go! Week after week, year after year: markets are an old tradition Local markets were created in the Middle Ages by the princes. They were frequently…
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