France | Alsace & Black Forest Cycling
Premier Accommodation
France's wine-rich valley and Germany's fabled woodland. It's full of familiar names like Black Forest, Gewürztraminer, Rhine, Strasbourg and Colmar. But have you ever tasted perfectly chilled Riesling after climbing the steep hills to Ribeauvillé or stopped at a streetside café in 500-year-old Riquewihr? Have you ever watched red clay rooftops of tiny French hamlets sprout out of the lush green vineyards and grow as you approach? Have you ever crossed the Rhine listening as it quietly flows beneath you? Have you ever had Black Forest cake in the Black Forest? Oh, you will.
| Duration: | 6 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW315 |
| Trip Style: | Deluxe - 5 star |
| Departure Dates: | 27 May 2012, 17 Jun 2012, 15 Jul 2012, 09 Sep 2012, 16 Sep 2012, 23 Sep 2012 |
| Price: | From $4,250 |
| Single Supplement: | $1,615 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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| Highlights: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
This trip is about embracing what life has to offer, living the experience as it unfolds and at the same time creating memories that will last forever. About half of the people who travel are between the ages of 35 and 55. Older and younger travellers are also well represented. The average group size is 16 and there is a mix of solo travellers, families and couples. They'll exhibit a diversity of interests and occupations and share a love of active travel and the outdoors.
If you would like a roommate, we will endeavour to pair you with one (same gender). If you sign up more than 95 days in advance of departure and no roommate is available, 50% of the private room charge will be due at final payment. Should a roommate be found before your trip departs, the private room charge will be refunded. If you sign up less than 95 days in advance of departure and no roommate is available, the full private room charge will apply. If a roommate is found before your trip departs, the private room charge will be refunded. On some trips, twin room availability is limited; a private room charge applies if a shared room is not available, regardless of the number of days before departure. Please note that in Europe, single rooms are often smaller than double rooms.
Trip Details
GROUP SIZE: 16 average
Day 1
Shuttle to Illhaeusern (45 Minutes)
La Côte des Vosges Route 18 Miles (225-foot elevation gain)
Bienvenue en Alsace! Willkommen nach Elsaß! Welcome to Alsace, and don't worry about the language confusion - this province has passed between French and German hands for centuries. The most recent switch came in 1945, when it was annexed to France after World War II. After meeting in Strasbourg, Alsace's capital and largest city, we shuttle southwest to Illhaeusern, a charming little town set along the Ill River by the eastern foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Originally a 15th-century fishing village, Illhaeusern has a long history as a wine and grain producer along the trade routes with Strasbourg.
We get better acquainted over a light lunch before your Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on riding techniques and safety. Then set out on today's warm-up ride through the verdant countryside, where rolling wine land meets rural plain, and splendidly restored Haut-Koenigsberg castle stands watch. Pedal past a sea of neatly tended vineyards along the scenic Route des Vins (or Wine Route), world renowned for its fine vintages. Then settle in at Hôtel des Berges, whose friendly staff and architecture exude Alsatian tradition and charm. This evening we gather for a wine reception, followed by a gourmet meal at a nearby restaurant.
Lodging: Hôtel des Berges
Day 2
Rouffach Route 27 Miles (830-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Eguisheim 19 Miles with Shuttle (220-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Fôret des Vosges 50 Miles (2,680-foot elevation gain)
Today's ride follows the Route des Vins along the edge of the Vosges Mountains, past quaint hamlets, manicured vineyards and lovely farmhouses. Picturesque viticulture villages - boasting half-timbered buildings, gardens filled with colorful geraniums and plenty of wine-tasting opportunities-beckon for a visit. The mountain range shields these foothills from ocean weather patterns, creating a sunny, warm and dry microclimate-wonderfully suited to cultivating wine grapes.
As you pedal across the rolling terrain, notice the high wires used by growers to offer maximum sun exposure to their vines. Feel free to stop at one of the tempting wineries for a taste of the local lifeblood or in one of the peaceful villages for un café. You'll encounter many uphills along the way, but they don't last long-unless you take the 50-mile option, which features challenging winding climbs into the heights of the Vosges.
In the morning you'll pass through Ribeauvillé, a pretty Alsatian village with stunning Gothic churches, medieval buildings and antique walls. Catch sight of castle ruins, including Château Saint Ulrich (or Ulrichsburg) that sits perched above town. Father down the wine route you'll get to visit other enchanting communities such as Riquewihr, a beautifully preserved Middle Age hamlet. Take time to soak it all in and perhaps sip a gewürztraminer at a winstub (Alsatian for -wine tavern‖) along the way. Try out one of the cozy eateries in Eguisheim for lunch on your own, and consider pairing your Alsatian meal with a Grand Cru vintage produced at a local vineyard-the perfect complement!
Our home for the next two nights is Château d'Isenbourg, nestled amid undulating hills and vineyards, overlooking the town of Rouffach, the Vosges foothills and across the Rhine into Germany. Take in the magnificent panorama from the elegantly manicured grounds before we dine on sophisticated Alsace-inspired fare in the château's 14th century vaulted dining room.
Lodging: Château d'Isenbourg
Day 3
Château d'Isenbourg Loop 33 Miles (1,100-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Murbach 22 Miles with Shuttle (770-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Col du Firstplan 54 Miles (2,730-foot elevation gain)
After breakfast ease into your ride on a relatively flat stretch past cornfields, small villages and streams toward the agricultural Rhine River Valley. Just when you're craving more challenge, the route turns toward the mountains. Bike through the ancient towns of Soultz-Haut-Rhin and Guebwiller, set in the forested province of Haut-Rhin. Then tackle the mile-and-a-half climb to Murbach Abbey, the site of our gourmet picnic. After lunch check out the Benedictine abbey, founded in 727. By the mid-800s, it had become an important intellectual center with a plentiful library. Its doors were finally closed by rioting peasants of the French Revolution.
The slopes of the Vosges Mountains await you this afternoon. If you'd rather not meet them, call it a day and shuttle to the hotel for some R&R-maybe even a body treatment at the Isenbourg Spa. (Spa treatments are not included in the trip price) Otherwise, shift down and ride through glorious scenery of rich green meadows tended by grazing cows, and woods of maple, pine and beech trees. These hills of granite and red sandstone offer stunning views of the Rhine Valley, Black Forest and, on a clear day, Swiss peaks. If you're after additional miles-and climbs-tackle the route over Col du Firstplan. Dinner tonight is on Château d'Isenbourg's stunning terrace (weather permitting).
Lodging: Château d'Isenbourg
Day 4
Badenweiler Route 47 Miles (770-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Options: Breisach with Shuttle 22 Miles (330-foot elevation gain) or Staufen with Shuttle 39 Miles (520-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Blauen 58 Miles (3,140-foot elevation gain)
Bid au revoir to France and Guten Tag to Germany today as we cross the border. From the hotel, ride east on a level-and sometimes windy!-route toward the Rhine. Just before reaching the river, you'll come to the fortified town of Neuf-Brisach, which from the sky looks like a perfect octagon. This was no mistake. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, one of King Louis XIV's military engineers, designed it this way to protect the French border after the 1697 Peace of Ryswick ceded Breisach (the town just across the river) to the Holy Roman Empire. After exploring this fascinating World Heritage site, take the bridge across the Rhine.
While you no longer have to present a passport, it's clear from road signs that you've entered a new country. Stop in Breisach for lunch at the eatery of your choice and perhaps check out the hilltop cathedral, which looks out across the Vosges Mountains, the Rhine and nearby vineyards. Despite its fortifications, Breisach has been razed by war and then rebuilt numerous times. Eighty-five percent of it was destroyed by Allied forces crossing the Rhine during World War II.
Back on your bike, pedal into the Markgräflerland wine region along an increasingly hilly route past pretty vineyards and picturesque German villages to Badenweiler, set at the western edge of the Black Forest and known for its warm mineral springs. If you're feeling energetic, push to the top of 3,820-foot Blauen and relish in the tremendous panorama of tree-covered mountains.
By now your muscles may be due for some TLC and our Hotel Römerbad is ready to help. Take a dip in the swimming pool's soothing thermal waters, sit in the sauna or indulge in a spa treatment (see -During Your Trip‖ for booking details). Tonight you're on your own to explore the charming spa town of Badenweiler and choose from a variety of weinstuben (German for wine tavern) and restaurants.
Lodging: Hotel Römerbad
Day 5
Badenweiler Loop 37 Miles (3,360-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Schwarzwaldhaus 20 Miles with Shuttle (2,860-foot elevation gain)
Today's spectacular route carries you through gorgeous thick woods and along soothing streams of the Black Forest. Climb out of Badenweiler before cruising on a nice long downhill. Then follow rolling terrain to our fabulous picnic lunch at the Bauerhausmuseum in Kirchhausen. Also known as the Schneiderhof, this authentic Black Forest abode was built in 1696 and has been preserved to show the way people lived and worked here more than a century ago. Afterward appreciate another fun descent, before turning north and heading uphill to Badenweiler. En route you'll see typical villages of the region and enjoy views of vineyards and the Rhine.
This evening before dinner, savor authentic German ale at the hotel's cozy country-style Römer Keller or visit Caesar, its chic cocktail bar. Then we gather in the hotel's Panorama restaurant, specializing in regional and Mediterranean dishes made with fresh ingredients.
Lodging: Hotel Römerbad
Day 6
Vineyard Loop 14 Miles (840-foot elevation gain)
Shuttle to Mulhouse, France 30 Minutes
If you're not quite ready to part with your bike, rise early and go on one last spin through the surrounding vineyards and villages. The views are beautiful! But if a leisurely morning is more up your alley, your bike will understand. Sleep in, take your time over breakfast and put your feet up in the solarium. Later a private coach takes us to the Mulhouse, France, train station, where we say our farewells.
ACCOMMODATION
Grandhotel Romerbad, Badenweiler, Germany (2 nights)
A stately "cultural residence" dating from 1825, with sleek modern décor. (pool, spa)
Chateau d'Isenbourg, Rouffach, France (2 nights)
Described by the Hideaway Report as a "hilltop medieval château-hotel overlooking vineyards and the ancient village of Rouffach in a charming corner of the Alsatian wine district." (pool, spa)
Hotel des Berges, Illhaeusern, France (1 night)
This stylishly renovated 18th-century farmhouse is beautifully situated on the Ill River.
Inclusions
- All accommodation
- All meals except 2 lunches and 1 dinner
- Expertise and services of experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Private guided tours as noted in the itinerary
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Baggage transfers and porterage
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Water bottle
- Use of fully equipped titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
Terms & Conditions
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For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
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