Hey there, friends!
Today’s post has been one that I dreamt up sharing over a year ago when I went on a road trip along the Eastern Border of France, which kisses Germany and Switzerland, and explored some of the most adorable towns that I thought only existed in fairytale story books! I can’t wait to highlight the ones we stopped in as this trip was such a fun alternative to the other European trips I’ve done. If you’ve done the heavy hitters, like London, Paris, Rome, etc., switch things up and do something more low-key and I can promise you it’ll be a breath of fresh air – literally and figuratively!
This area of France has alternated between French and German rule throughout the centuries so you’ll feel the influence of both cultures as you explore! White wine is heavily produced in this region, along the Alsace Wine Route, and I can’t encourage you to pop into the little wine shops in some of these little towns enough! You’ll see a photo of me holding a box of two bottles of Pinot Gris outside of one in Eguisheim. They’re all very quaint and the locals who run them are so kind and happy to pour you a flight of whichever one you fancy.
More than that, the area will delight anyone who enjoys the changing colors of the leaves. They are far more vibrant in this area of France than they were in Paris.
Today, I’m going to share the four cities that felt like they were right out of a fairy tale story book as well as our route. I’m not going to break down where we ate because, honestly, everywhere is small so just pop in somewhere when you get hungry. I wouldn’t say there was somewhere we ate that was a MUST.
Our Route + Where We Stayed
If you’re planning your own road trip through the Alsace region, you can see our route above.
You might remember I spent some time in Paris last year. From there, we took a train to Strasbourg, stayed there for a couple of nights [at Hotel D’Strasbourg, which was lovely] then ventured out from there. We lumped Colmar and Eguisheim into one day as they’re both very small and they were both on our way down to Rouffach, where we stayed at the Chateau d’Isenbourg! Highly recommend! Then, we drove through Switzerland, which was stunning with the autumnal leaves along the route, to end our road trip in Annecy, France. We stayed for two nights in this hotel, which had all of your basic needs. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite place I’ve ever stayed but it was really affordable. If you take the same route, driving along Lake Geneva – particularly at sunset – is one of the most memorable and beautiful things I’ve ever done. It’s on another level beautiful!
We dropped our rental car off in Lyon, which was not an easy feat so be sure to give yourself plenty of time if you do the same, as we took a train from Lyon back to Paris and the Eurostar back to London. You could easily fly in and out of Paris back to the States. I had just booked my roundtrip ticket in and out of London so that’s why I did that.
Strasbourg
Victoria and I arrived in Strasbourg, the capital city of the Alsace region, from Paris late one afternoon. After quickly settling in to our room at Hotel D’Strasbourg, we ventured out to explore the city but, sadly, the weather was less than ideal. It was very overcast and rainy but, we made the most of it but holing up in a quaint cafe and enjoyed a slice of quiche and a beer. Thankfully, we got to experience some sunshine in this charming town, brimming with German and French architectural influence, the next morning before setting out to explore our next two fairytale towns en route to our next stop in Rouffach.
Check out some snaps Victoria took in Strasbourg below! Because we only had about an hour to cover what we hadn’t covered the day before, keep in mind that this is only part of the city! There’s so much more we didn’t get to snap and share due to the rain so … there’s a beautiful square to enjoy as well as a beautiful cathedral!
Outfit Details
Keep in mind, these photos are from last year so not everything I’m wearing is available but here are the links in case you want to find something on eBay or another retailer.
Colmar
Colmar might have been the little city I was most excited about and it did not disappoint! You’ll enjoy the charm of its cobblestone streets and half-timbered medieval and early Renaissance buildings all painted bright and pastel colors. Through the Spring, Summer and Fall, you can see flowers bursting beautifully out of window boxes and, during the holidays, you’ll see teddy bears hanging from the buildings. Regardless of when you decide to make your trip, Colmar will not disappoint!
Outfit Details
Keep in mind, these photos are from last year so not everything I’m wearing is available but here are the links in case you want to find something on eBay or another retailer.
Eguisheim
Eguisheim is a medieval village just down the road from Colmar, along the Alsace Wine Route, known for its narrow streets and almost crooked looking buildings. This village is famously known to be the inspiration behind the provincial little town that the Disney character, Belle, dreamed about getting out of! Check out the photos and see if Disney got it right!
Outfit Details
Keep in mind, these photos are from last year so not everything I’m wearing is available but here are the links in case you want to find something on eBay or another retailer.
Annecy
Annecy is an alpine village that sits on Lake Annecy in southeastern France. It’s known for its delightful old town, with cobbled streets, winding canals and pastel-colored houses. It’s quite the trek from the Alsace wine region but we had heard it was a popular spot and since we were heading back to Paris from Lyon, we figured we might as well check it out since we were somewhat close!
Outfit Details
Keep in mind, these photos are from last year so not everything I’m wearing is available but here are the links in case you want to find something on eBay or another retailer.
Hope you enjoyed this quick, but beautiful, trek through France! I hope you’ll consider taking a trip of your own to this area. It was absolutely stunning and a great way to see beautiful places but not come home exhausted. It’s literally a perfect little vacation – enjoyable but slow and steady! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below! Have a great day, y’all! xo.
