Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [97]
WHERE TO STAY IN ANDLAU
Arnold.
$–$$ | This yellow-wall, half-timber hillside hotel overlooks the cute wine village of Itterswiller; most rooms have views across the vines. The cheapest rooms, on the top floor, have a shower and no balcony; the priciest have a bath and a balcony facing south. The wood-beam lobby with its wrought-iron staircase has the same quaint charm as the hotel’s winstub-style restaurant (no dinner Sunday, closed Monday, May to November) across the street, with its old winepress and local Alsace wines served by the jug; homemade foie gras and venison in cranberry sauce top the menu, along with sauerkraut and baeckeoffe (meat-and-potato casserole). Pros: all-around excellence; good half-board meal plan. Cons: no air-conditioning; inconsistent service. | 98 rte. des Vins, 3 km (2 mi) south of Andlau on D253, | 67140 | Itterswiller | 03–88–85–50–58 | www.hotel-arnold.com | 29 rooms | In-room: no a/c, refrigerator, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, some pets allowed | AE, MC, V | MAP.
DAMBACH-LA-VILLE
8 km (5 mi) southeast of Andlau via Itterswiller.
Getting Here and Around
Strasbourg’s train station (20 pl. de la Gare | 67110) is at the heart of the regional TER train system and has trains via Sélestat (€7.50) every 30 minutes to Colmar (€10.40)—the city at the southern end of Alsace’s Route du Vin. Change in Sélestat for omnibus services to Rosheim/Molsheim (for Dambach la Ville, €7.60).
EXPLORING DAMBACH-LA-VILLE
One of the prettiest villages along the Alsace Wine Road, Dambach-la-Ville is a fortified medieval town protected by ramparts and three powerful 13th-century gateways. It’s particularly rich in half-timber, high-roof houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, clustered mainly around Place du Marché (Market Square). Also on the square is the 16th-century Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall). As you walk the charming streets, notice the wrought-iron signs and rooftop oriels.
WHERE TO STAY IN DAMBACH-LA-VILLE
Le Vignoble.
¢ | Set in a beautifully restored 18th-century barn next to the village church, this unpretentious hotel offers real, rustic Alsatian charm. The guest rooms are quiet and comfy. In good weather, take advantage of the pleasant garden and courtyard. Although some are on the small side, guest rooms are quiet and comfy, with functional dark-wood furnishings; the best have balconies overlooking the street. Pros: wine-route location; warm Alsatian welcome. Cons: no air-conditioning; no restaurant. | 1 rue de l’Eglise | 67650 | 03–88–92–62–21 | www.hotel-vignoble-alsace.fr | 7 rooms | In-room: no a/c, Internet | DC, MC, V | Closed mid-Dec.–early Jan. | MAP.
SÉLESTAT
9 km (5½ mi) southeast of Dambach via D210 and N422, 47 km (29 mi) southwest of Strasbourg.
Sélestat, midway between Strasbourg and Colmar, is a lively, historic town with a Romanesque church and a library of medieval manuscripts (and, important to note, a railway station with trains to and from Strasbourg). Head directly to the Vieille Ville and explore the quarter on foot.
Getting Here and Around
Strasbourg’s train station (20 pl. de la Gare | 67600) is at the heart of the regional TER train system and has trains every 30 minutes to Sélestat, €7.50.
Visitor Information
Sélestat Tourist Office.
| 10 bd. du Mal-Leclerc | 67600 | 03–88–58–87–20 | www.selestat-tourisme.com.
EXPLORING SÉLESTAT
The church of St-Foy (Pl. du Marché-Vert | 67600) dates from between 1155 and 1190; its Romanesque facade remains largely intact (the spires were added in the 19th century), as does the 140-foot octagonal tower over the crossing. Sadly, the interior was mangled over the centuries, chiefly by the Jesuits; their most inspired legacy is the Baroque pulpit of 1733 depicting the life of St. Francis Xavier. Note the Romanesque bas-relief next to the baptistery, originally