Originally published on September 4, 2025
And it rains. By the time we rolled into Riquewihr, it was clear we’d need the rain jackets and umbrellas—and sure enough, we did. It wasn’t the most fun to trudge through puddles, but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. We walked the length of the town until we reached the medieval gates, where a very soggy cat sat on a stone. I wasn’t sure if he was there to greet us or to send us off on some medieval quest.
We couldn’t help but remember our visit here at Christmas back in 2018. The nice thing about these historic Alsatian towns is that time doesn’t seem to change them much—half-timbered houses, cobbled lanes, and centuries of stories tucked into every corner. Riquewihr is often called one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France” and was once a wealthy wine town fortified in the 16th century. It still produces some of the region’s best Rieslings today.
Some highlights included a delicious pretzel with cheese baked in (perfect comfort food after battling the rain) and the not-so-delightful encounter with a rude waitress in a coffee shop. Ah well—you win some, you lose some. With spirits fortified, we packed up and made our way to our final stop of the day: Ribeauvillé.
