Riquewihr Medieval Village

Riquewihr in Haut-Rhin is widely regarded as one of the best-preserved medieval villages in Alsace and in France's Grand Est region. The village is enclosed within its original 16th-century ramparts, which survive almost entirely intact along with the Dolder gateway tower (1291) that forms the main entrance. Inside the ramparts, the principal street — rue du Général de Gaulle — is lined with half-timbered and oriel-windowed houses in shades of yellow, orange, blue, and green, many dated from the 15th to 17th centuries. Wine production dominates the local economy: the surrounding grand cru vineyards of Schoenenbourg and Sporen are visible from the rampart walk, and a dozen or more producers have tasting rooms directly on the main street or in the adjacent lanes. The Maison Liebrich (1535) with its carved beam inscriptions, and the courtyard of the Tour des Brigands — a 16th-century tower used as a village prison — are among the most distinctive individual sights. The village receives very high visitor volumes on summer weekends; midday in July and August on the main street can become extremely congested. Arriving in the early morning or evening when tour groups have departed gives a markedly different experience. A celebrated December Christmas market operates on the main street. The village lies 12 km from Colmar and 4 km from Kaysersberg on the Wine Route.