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Luxuriant forests of the Rhine or
bare heath lands of Hautes Chaumes, wetland meadows
of the Ried and vineyards of the Piedmont hills -
discover the extraordinary harmony of its varied
landscapes, the happy marriage of bountiful nature
with thousands of years of human endeavor. Nowhere
else in France can you find such a concentration of
exquisite and first class restaurants, except in
Paris itself. In Alsace gastronomy becomes an art.
Its chefs draw their inspiration from the wealth of
regional produce and the subtlety of its wines. With
more starred restaurants than any other province,
Alsace blends tradition with the most daring
culinary refinement. Even more so the Alsace has
preserved its traditions, its beautiful intact
landscape and the picturesque, many centuries old
Tudor style houses. You will enjoy the peacefulness
of this scenery as well as the restaurants and
accommodations selected. Get to know this region
whose stones preserve the traditions and memory of a
rich and turbulent history. The route takes you
through pretty villages full of twisting streets,
small squares and picturesque half-timbered houses
with neat window boxes and roofs topped by nesting
storks.
 PG-MVE8
Rates: Accommodations in lovely hotels and
country inns, superb meals, 6 riding days
8
day/ 7 nights $ 2,050
Single: + $
455
-- based on € 1445 / € 320
2008 Dates:
07/13-07/20
07/21-07/28
 check
availability
Meeting Point:
Rhine Island Vogelgrün - Breisach
Airport:
Basel/Mulhouse
Transfer: ~$70 (best to
take a taxi)
Level:
Good
intermediate
Tack:
English
Horses:
Anglo Arab
and Selle Francais
Riding / Day:
5-6 hrs
Pace: Long trots and canters, gallops
Min/Max Riders: 6-12
Itinerary
Day 1: A transfer from Basel, Switzerland, can
be arranged. Arrive on Rhine Island Vogelgrün near
Breisach at the border between Germany and France.
Overnight stay in a hotel.
Day 2: Ride
through the Rhine Valley to Ungersheim. This plaine
with its regular soft trails across open fields is a
good opportunity to get acquainted with your horse.
You will have picnic on the way and reach the
ascending vineyards and later one of the most
prestigious hotels of the region - the Estate
Bollenberg in Rouffach. The day ends with an
exquisite dinner and overnight stay in the Hotel
Bollenberg.
Day 3: You ride through
vineyards and along sunny hills (Riesling and
Sylvaner grapes grow here) to a wine tasting in the
Vosges Mountains. Passing the highest mountain of
the region you ride through mountain forests towards
the city of Muenster− home of the a famous Muenster
cheese. In a hotel with a thermal spa you relax and
enjoy a great view over the vineyards and down to
the Rhine river.
Day 4: A day in the
mountains. The hills of the Vosges Mountains are
covered with a primeval-like forest, impervious and
dark, but with great riding trails passing through.
At 4200 ft. you reach the “white” and “black” lake.
Overnight as the day before in the Hotel Aqua-Viva
in Muenster.
Day 5: A ride through
vineyards leads you back to the fertile Rhine
Valley. Of course you visit the world famous
wine-growing villages Kaysersberg and Riquewihr
where you have time to stroll around and buy a few
souvenirs. For overnight you ride on to the less
busy town of Bergheim.
Day 6:
Your ride continues to the north ascending to the
medieval, immaculately-renovated "Haute Königsburg",
the most well-known castle in the Alsace region.
After an opulent picnic, the ride continues to
Artzanheim on the shore of the Rhine.
Day 7:
Today's ride will take you to the German "Provence",
the Kaiserstuhl, known as sunniest place in Germany.
Let’s see if the wine tastes different than over
there in France… After a picnic you ride south,
along the river Rhine until you reach the Rhine
Island Vogelgrün again.
Day 8: Departure.
Subject to change
The Cuisine of the Alsace:
Even if you are a connoisseur of French cuisine you
are likely to be entering unfamiliar territory when
you settle down with a glass of muscat or Crémant
d’Alsace to study a menu made up of Alsace’s
best-known dishes. For like its people, Alsace
Cuisine has a distinct personality due to the talent
of its cooks and the excellence of its products.
Wines of the Alsace:
Alsace enjoys exceptional soils and a generous
climate unite to produce remarkable wines. Protected
from oceanic influence by the Vosges mountains,
Alsace enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in
France (400-500mm per year) and is blessed with a
semi-continental climate, sunny, hot and dry.
This climate is ideal for slow, extended ripening of
the grapes, giving wines with elegant, complex
aromas. The vineyards extend for one hundred
kilometers from north to south along the eastern
foothills of the Vosges, at 200-400m of altitude,
covering an area of 14500 hectares in production.
Alsace Wine Route:
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Cathedral |
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Castle |
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Old town |
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Museum |
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Natural curiosity |
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Vineyard |
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Eco-museum in
Ungershaim-Alsace:
Haus Bollenberg:
Hotel Cheval
Blanc:
Hotel Les
Hirondelles:
Hôtel Chambard in
Kayserberg:
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