Last Updated on 17/10/2023
Two exceptionally picturesque Alsatian towns near Colmar are Kaysersberg and Eguisheim.
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Kaysersberg
How to get to Kaysersberg:
bus 013 from Colmar or R13 from Freiburg via Colmar
bus 015 from Colmar
Parking lots are located near the walls of the old city.
Alsace public transport and welcome cards
As Castrum Keisersberg, the city appears in documents quite late – from the 13th century, but immediately develops very quickly: in the 13th century it received city rights, and in the 14th century it was already a free imperial city. The name stems from the fact that the place was purchased and fortified by Kaiser Friedrich 2 of Staufen. The city similarly quickly fell into decline with the annexation of France in the 17th century.
As a result, we have a well-preserved, conserved old city. Tourists come here much less frequently than to the most visited cities, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and Colmar. In my personal rating, Kaysersberg is in first place along with Egisheim.
We enter the city. The influence of Rhine architecture is felt – red sandstone, beige plaster. But at the same time – all the shades in between.
Town Hall 1604, Renaissance (first photo on the left).
The Church of the Holy Cross was built and remodeled over several centuries: from a 12th-century Romanesque portal – to 13th-century naves and Gothic decoration with a carved altar from the 16th century – to a neo-Romanesque tower from the 19th century.
The city fortifications and two towers have been partially preserved. The ruins of Kaysersberg Castle at the end of the old town are also available. You can climb the castle tower. The ruins look best from the vineyard side.
As an additional program, they suggest visiting the Albert Schweitzer Museum (he was born here) and a small museum of the region.
Small discreet signs, like this one on the wall of the museum, inform that the house was built in some 15… or 16… year.
There is a small but quite fast river in Kaysersberg. Partially it passes behind facades or under houses, but its noise accompanies you as you walk around the city.
Eguisheim
How to get to Eguisheim. Bus 208 or 440 from Colmar.
Kut’zig – open-top bus through wine towns for about 15 euros (link).
Eguisheim – one of the “most beautiful cities in France”. It seemed to us more worthy of this title than Riquewihr, perhaps due to the fact that in the evening, when most tourists go to the place of lodging for the night, it was easier to see than the overcrowded Riquewihr.
Already in Roman times there was a fortress here. In the 8th century a castle was built, surrounded by water and an octagonal fortress wall. In the 11th century the future Pope Leo 9 was born in Eguisheim, but the town has not been noted for anything else significant in history.
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The old urban layout has been preserved: two ring streets, the central Grand Rue, a tiny castle in the very center, a church.
As in all towns along the wine road, there are plenty of offers to try and buy local wine. The first grapes were planted here by the Romans, and now there are about 30 wine producers in the city. And this can be done, it seems, at any time of the day, but the hot kitchen in most restaurants starts working from 18.00-18.30 (they wait for the tourists to leave).
All posts about #Alsace
Alsace Wine Route. 1. Ribeauville, Riquewihr
Selestat and around: Koenigsbourg Castle, Monkey Mountain, Cigoland
What to see in Alsace. Alsace attractions from Selestat to Colmar
Strasbourg (Strassburg). What to see
Alsace public transport and welcome cards
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Wie rechtzeitig bin ich auf deinen Blog gestoßen! Ich konnte mich nicht entscheiden, welche Stadt ich wählen sollte. Danke für die Info! Aber was denkst du über Colmar?
Hallo, Hannah. Informationen zu Colmar findest du im Beitrag “Karte der Sehenswürdigkeiten von Selestat bis Colmar”. Es gibt Fotos und eine Liste der Sehenswürdigkeiten.
Persönlich finde ich, dass Colmar überbewertet ist. Die Zauberworte „Klein-Venedig“ haben großen Einfluss auf Touristen. Das historische Zentrum ist klein, die Fahrt entlang der Kanäle ist kurz, es gibt VIELE Menschen. Die Stadt ist von Touristen verwöhnt und kümmert sich nicht um sie. Unser erster Besuch war spontan und ich habe keine Karte mitgenommen. Es stellte sich als nahezu unmöglich heraus, einen Stand mit einer Karte in der Stadt zu finden, und was wir endlich fanden, war so schlecht gemacht, dass wir die Informationen bei Google nachschlagen mussten. Die Gästekarte von Colmar hat freche Preise – dies ist die einzige Stadt im Elsass mit derart inadäquaten Konditionen. (Informationen zu den Karten findest du im Beitrag „Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel im Elsass und Gästekarten“). Der Hauptunterschied zu anderen Städten ist das Unterlinden Museum. Wenn du sich also für das Museum interessierst, dann ist ein Besuch sinnvoll. Die Altstadt ist meiner Meinung nach viel weniger interessant als in anderen Kleinstädten.