Riquewihr: a medieval fairytale village

The village of Riquewihr in Alsace has just 1,200 permanent residents, yet some two million visitors come every year to admire its exceptional heritage.

By an extraordinary stroke of good fortune, the medieval buildings of Riquewihr survived World War Two, giving it a timeless charm.

Officially classified as one of France’s most beautiful villages, Riquewihr is 50 minutes south of Strasbourg, in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards, and it is thanks to these vines that the village has such a rich heritage.

During the 1500s, Riquewihr exported its high-quality wines to royal courts throughout Europe, becoming very wealthy in the process and enabling the villagers to build elaborate stone-and-timber homes, many of which are miraculously still standing to this day.

History captured

The best place to start your visit is the town hall, walking up the main street to the top of the village. This will give you the best views along the way. You’ll be drawn towards the unmissable, 25-metre Dolder Tower, a defensive gate that dates back to 1291. Now an iconic landmark, it houses a local history museum, and its rampart walk offers panoramic views of the village rooftops and surrounding vineyards.

As you explore the cobbled streets, you’ll pass clusters of beautiful half-timbered houses painted in rich colours, including Maison Liebrich, which dates from 1535 and is famous for its enchanting courtyard with wooden galleries and balusters; opposite this is Behre House, featuring a 1514 oriel window.

There are so many picturesque buildings and window boxes filled with flowers that you could believe you were in a fairytale or on a film set for a period drama, with delightful surprises on every street. 

As you’re strolling around the centre, look out for interesting features such as the large curved stones on the corners of old houses, known as chasse-roues.

These protective stones were placed on the corners of buildings to ensure that the wheels of passing carriages did not come too close to the walls.

The village’s ancient defensive walls were built by the Counts of Württemberg in the 1500s, while La Tour des Voleurs (the thieves’ tower) dates from the 1400s and was once the local prison. Look carefully and you’ll see that one of its narrow arrow-slit openings looks as if it has been vandalised.

Legend has it that centuries ago, a prisoner in this tower managed to escape interrogation and torture thanks to an accomplice who climbed a ladder and broke enough of the stone surround around the opening to allow his friend to squeeze through to freedom.

The tower still has its torture chamber and an oubliette dungeon that is five metres deep, and these now form part of a museum displaying a stark collection of medieval torture instruments.

Ancient vineyards

The landscapes that surround Riquewihr are covered in Grand Cru Schoenenbourg vineyards that produce world-renowned wines, but they are particularly famous for exceptional Riesling grapes.

The land around Riquewihr has been used to grow vines since the 8th Century, and they are inextricably linked to the village’s development and culture.

Whereas other regions of France tend to have their caves within the vineyards, Alsace producers have theirs in the villages themselves, and there are three in Riquewihr that are open for tasting tours: Famille Hugel, Domaine Agapé and Dopff au Moulin.

You can also visit local wine taverns known as winstubs and taste authentic white wines from Alsace paired with regional dishes like sauerkraut.

Christmas market

It is impossible not to mention the Marché de Noël, held from November 27 to December 20, as this stunning event takes over the village.

It welcomes 450,000 visitors over its four-week season, so aim for one of the park-and-ride options and immerse yourself in the festive magic of medieval streets, mulled wine and twinkling lights.