Alsace Tips:

Make sure to drink the local wines! This area is bursting with wineries producing some delicious vino
- Gewürtztraminer and Riesling wines are the main wines produced in this region. They also have unique wine glasses here too that are smaller and have a long green stem
Overall there is an extremely heavy German influence in Alsace since it is nestled on the border—you’ll see riit in the architecture, food, and drink especially
Be sure to try Tarte Flambee/Flammekueche: Very thinly rolled out dough topped with cheese/cream and topped with onions and bacon. There are many varieties of this with different toppings
Trains between Strasbourg and Colmar (the two biggest cities in the area) run every 30 minutes and cost ~$27 round trip. You can grab a ticket at the station or use the Trainline website or app which is easier to navigate

It is definitely not necessary to have a car when visiting this region (or anywhere in Europe in my opinion). The wineries that this region is famous for are all in the villages and walk-able, not up on a hill an hour outside of the city like a lot of places

To explore the smaller villages from Colmar you have two bus options (the villages are too small for train stations):
- Local bus—Fluo Grande Est: I chose this option because the timing was better for what I wanted to do. You can see the stops and times on the website in advance and they are posted at each stop as well
  - If you are starting in Colmar take a right out of the train station towards the bus loop and Line 106 is the last post on the right which makes the loop between Colmar, Riquewihr, and Ribeauvillé.
  - Make sure you have cash for the bus. You can buy a day pass for $15 or pay for each journey individually
- Hop on hop off style bus—Kutzig: This is obviously the more touristy option, but the prices are the same for either one. This bus runs less frequently but goes to more places

You can walk everywhere in Strasbourg, but if you need to hop on public transit there are trams and buses all over
If you’re in town during a busy time (I was there during a German holiday) consider making reservations for dinner, places were packed!
Sights to see while wandering the small town:
- Barrage Vauban: A historical covered bridge that you can walk on top of
- Ponts Couverts: Where the bridges connect, leading into Petite-France
- Petite-France: The central toursity area of town with photogenic canals
- Place Klebar: The main square of town
- Place Gutenberg: Another large square with a historic carousel
- Cathedrale Notre Dame: Absolutely stunning. You can see the Cathedral from all over town (it actually used to be the tallest in the world), but it’s worth getting up close and personal to see the detailed design. You can also go up the Cathedral for views of the city
- Palais Rohan: An archaelogical, decorative arts, and fine arts museum
- Place du Marche Gayot: A cute little tucked away square with lots of restaurants
- Place Broglie: Another square, this one has a frequent market
- Neustadt: The “German Quarter” across the river. The gardens of Place de la République when you cross over the river are a nice area to sit and enjoy the city
- Eglise Reformee Saint-Paul: A beautiful church on the river
- Krutenau neighborhood: Across the river, this area is more local
- Le Comptoir d’Eugene: A brewery with traditional Alsace food

Colmar is a small city south of Strasbourg that is a good jumping off point for the nearby villages. I would recommend having your base in Strasbourg and taking the quick train to Colmar, wandering around town a bit, then jumping on the bus to explore the villages
- The city center is a fifteen minute walk from the train station so it’s easy to explore without needing transit
La Petite Venice: The main area of town with quite literal gondolas to make you feel like you’re in well… a petite Venice! It is a touristy area but it’s worth swinging through

A tiny little village that is absolutely adorable and absolutely touristic
There are tons of wine bars to enjoy some of the local wines at, all very reasonably priced
Brasserie du Vignoble: An awesome little brewery and beer garden overlooking the vineyards. They have three beers on tap and a bottle selection
Hotel Restaurant Au Cerf: I enjoyed a fantastically priced cheese plate and glass of wine on the front deck here. The signs out front just say Hotel Wistropub as a heads up.