Originally published on September 5, 2025
Before heading across the border to Germany, Peggy and I made a morning stop in Eguisheim. We’d last seen it during the Christmas market of 2018, and this time we wanted to catch it under more “normal” conditions. Arriving around 8 a.m. meant the streets were still calm, with only locals moving about before the tour buses began their invasion. Out of all the Alsace wine-route villages, Eguisheim may be the most magical—a true storybook village with its concentric cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses splashed in pastel colors, and flowers bursting from every window box. It’s little wonder it was once voted “France’s Favorite Village.”
I had my eye on one of the most photographed spots in Alsace, a bend in the street that looks straight out of a fairy tale. Walking down those cobblestones really does transport you back in time—until you stumble upon a wannabe social media influencer staging a 20-minute photo shoot. I get it, everyone wants their moment, but come on… let us normal folk have a turn too!
Peggy fueled up with her morning coffee while I grabbed—yes, another—chocolate croissant. We made our way to the heart of the village, where the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul sits beside the fountain and square. Built in the 13th century and later rebuilt in the 1800s, it’s a beautiful example of Alsatian religious architecture. Inside is a treasured Romanesque statue of the Virgin Mary, venerated for centuries by pilgrims. Eguisheim is also the birthplace of Pope Leo IX (1002–1054), one of the great reforming popes of the Middle Ages, whose legacy still connects this tiny village to the wider history of Europe.
By late morning, the spell of Eguisheim was starting to crack. We noticed the first tour groups in their matching t-shirts, and soon enough, the streets were filling with chattering crowds. That was our cue—it was time to slip away before the hordes claimed the village. Back to the car we went, bound for Germany.
