Alsace

Le Clos Saint-Vincent is an elegant, upscale spa & winery hotel just outside the charming town of Ribeauvillé in France’s Alsace region. It makes a great base for exploring the Alsace wine route and the hotel can organize all sorts of wine tourism activities for guests. It also has a lovely location; on a hillside surrounded by vineyards and with lovely views over the town and the valley below. THE ACCOMMODATION: The individually decorated rooms & suites are all spacious, with en suite bathroom and flat-screen TV, and some come with a balcony or terrace with views over the garden or vineyards. There is an excellent restaurant at Le Clos too, with a great selection of local wines to be sampled alongside plenty of wholesome traditional French food. Guests can dine in the indoor dining room or weather permitting on the terrace outside. There is also a gym at the property, a wellness centre with massage facilities, a sauna and a hot tub, and an indoor swimming pool. THE LOCATION: Roughly half-way between Strasbourg and Mulhouse, (about 45 minutes from each) and right on the Alsace wine route, Ribeauvillé is a charming medieval town at the foot of the Vosges Mountains. It has a rich past and some very atmospheric, flower filled streets and squares with many classic Alsatian half timbered houses, as well as lots of cafes, restaurants and wine shops. Overlooking the town on a nearby hillside are the ruins of the Three Castles of the Lords of Ribeaupierre. They were built starting from the 11th century through to medieval times and have a mixture of architectural styles; Romanesque, Gothic and Early Renaissance. Though mainly in ruins they are still an impressive sight and the location is stunning, if you climb to the top of the largest of the three; Haut-Ribeaupierre castle you can have some incredible views, even over as far as the Black Forest in Germany. The hill, and the castles can be accessed by well worn pathways that lead directly from the town. The larger border town of Colmar is another nice day out and just 15km away. It too is a picture perfect place with cobblestone streets, READ MORE

In the heart of the Alsace Wine Route, Domaine du Haras de Saint-Pierre has a nice self catering apartment to sleep up to five on its horse farm/equestrian center. The location is great, within walking distance of the village of Saint Pierre, and surrounded by lots of those classic Alsatian vineyards. THE ACCOMMODATION: The apartment has two bedrooms; one with a double bed and the other with one double and one single. There is a nice, well equipped kitchen and a spacious lounge with a comfortable sofa and a dining area. If the weather’s good you also dine on the outdoor terrace overlooking the gardens which also have sun loungers, seating and a small children’s playground. Fresh organic food can be bought from the farm shop down the road and you’ll find some shops within walking distance in the little village of Saint Pierre. You’ll be left to your own devices here with the main activity at Domaine du Haras de Saint-Pierre being of course horse-riding. It’s a professional equestrian center with a great reputation in the region and guests are welcome to take part in all sorts of horse related activities, riding lessons, horse and pony tours, horse drawn carriage rides etc. You are in the heart of the Alsace Wine Route here and you can wander around on foot or on horseback some of the local vineyards. Wine tours and tasting sessions etc. can also be arranged. THE LOCATION: Domaine du Haras de Saint-Pierre is beside the village of Saint-Pierre, Alsace, 3km from the A35 motorway and 10 km from the lovely town of Obernai, famous for producing some of the best beer and wine in France. The A35 leads north to Strasbourg and south to Colmar, the journey to each being around 20 minutes. As mentioned above this is the Alsace Wine Route and many local vineyards are open to the public, with a huge amount of wine related activities to be enjoyed. It’s also just a lovely area to drive around, with rolling green hills, pretty villages and medieval chateaux in every direction. Another notable and pretty unusual sight in the area is the Monkey Mountain, READ MORE