The Alsace Wine Route runs north to south along the eastern edge of the Vosges mountains, linking around 120 wine-growing communes over roughly 170 kilometres. This page explains how the route is laid out on a map, which villages sit where, how far apart they are, and how to turn that geography into a realistic driving or cycling plan.
In short
- The route runs roughly from Marlenheim (north, west of Strasbourg) to Thann (south, west of Mulhouse), always hugging the foothills of the Vosges.
- Total length is about 170 km. End to end without stops takes around 3 hours by car — but nobody drives it that way.
- The map divides naturally into three sections: northern (Bas-Rhin), central (the Colmar area, densest in famous villages), and southern (quieter, towards Guebwiller and Thann).
- Villages are close together: typically 3–8 km apart, meaning 5–15 minutes of driving between stops.
- Most first-time visitors cover only the central 40 km and are happy with that. Full-length attempts in one day rarely work.
- Colmar and Strasbourg are the two logical map anchors; Colmar sits closest to the highest concentration of well-known villages.
What the Alsace Wine Route map actually looks like
Picture a long, narrow ribbon. On the western side, the dark wooded ridge of the Vosges. On the eastern side, the flat Rhine plain, with the A35 motorway and the main railway line running parallel a few kilometres out. The Wine Route itself threads between the two, along the hillsides where the vines grow, mostly on the D35 and a web of small connecting departmental roads.
That geometry matters for planning. Because the route is linear rather than a loop, you either drive it in one direction and come back on the fast A35, or you pick a section and explore it as a series of short hops. The second approach is almost always better. For the full picture of what the route involves, start with the Alsace Wine Route complete guide and use this page for the geography.
The official route is signposted with brown « Route des Vins d’Alsace » panels showing a stylised grape. In practice, signage is inconsistent in places and the road numbers change frequently, so a downloaded offline map on your phone is worth more than the signs.
The three sections of the route
Splitting the map into thirds is the easiest way to make decisions.
| Section | Rough limits | Length | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | Marlenheim to Sélestat area | ~60 km | Larger wine towns, fewer crowds, gentler landscape | Travellers based in Strasbourg, half-day trips |
| Central | Sélestat to Colmar / Rouffach | ~50 km | Highest density of famous villages, steepest vineyard slopes, most Grand Cru sites | First-time visitors, one- or two-day trips |
| Southern | Rouffach to Thann | ~50 km | Quieter, more open valleys, strong Grand Cru terroirs | Repeat visitors, cyclists, wine-focused trips |
Each section has its own page with village order and stops: the northern Wine Route, the central Wine Route around Colmar and the southern Wine Route towards Thann.
If you only have one day, take the central section. If you have three, do central first, then choose north or south depending on your base.
Village order from north to south
This is the sequence you’ll see on the map, reading downwards. It isn’t exhaustive — there are far more communes on the route — but these are the names most visitors plan around.
Northern section: Marlenheim, Wangen, Molsheim, Rosheim, Obernai, Ottrott, Andlau, Mittelbergheim, Barr, Dambach-la-Ville, Scherwiller, Châtenois, Sélestat.
Central section: Bergheim, Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Zellenberg, Riquewihr, Beblenheim, Mittelwihr, Bennwihr, Sigolsheim, Kaysersberg, Kientzheim, Ammerschwihr, Niedermorschwihr, Turckheim, Wintzenheim, Colmar, Wettolsheim, Eguisheim, Husseren-les-Châteaux, Voegtlinshoffen, Hattstatt, Gueberschwihr, Pfaffenheim, Rouffach.
Southern section: Westhalten, Soultzmatt, Orschwihr, Bergholtz, Guebwiller, Soultz, Wuenheim, Cernay, Thann.
The famous cluster — Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim and Ribeauvillé — sits within about 20 km of each other, all within 15 minutes of Colmar. That’s why the central map is where most itineraries concentrate.
Distances and driving times you can plan around
Approximate road distances and typical driving times, allowing for small roads and village speed limits.
| From | To | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strasbourg | Obernai | ~30 km | 35–40 min |
| Strasbourg | Colmar (via A35) | ~75 km | 55–70 min |
| Obernai | Barr | ~10 km | 15 min |
| Barr | Dambach-la-Ville | ~15 km | 20 min |
| Sélestat | Ribeauvillé | ~15 km | 20 min |
| Ribeauvillé | Riquewihr | ~5 km | 10 min |
| Riquewihr | Kaysersberg | ~8 km | 12–15 min |
| Kaysersberg | Colmar | ~12 km | 20 min |
| Colmar | Eguisheim | ~7 km | 12 min |
| Eguisheim | Rouffach | ~12 km | 15 min |
| Rouffach | Guebwiller | ~12 km | 15 min |
| Guebwiller | Thann | ~25 km | 30 min |
| Marlenheim | Thann (full route) | ~170 km | ~3 h non-stop |
Add parking time to every figure. In the well-known villages, finding a space in high season or in December can add 15–25 minutes, and central streets are usually pedestrianised. For a fuller breakdown of the driving experience, see the guide to driving the Wine Route. Anyone comparing the two main city bases will also want the Strasbourg to Colmar route options.
How to turn the map into a route
Three practical shapes work well, depending on how long you have.
- The short loop (half a day). Pick one cluster. From Colmar: Eguisheim, Turckheim, Niedermorschwihr. Total driving under 30 km.
- The classic day (one full day). Colmar → Eguisheim → Kaysersberg → Riquewihr → Ribeauvillé → back via the plain. Around 60 km with three or four stops.
- The linear traverse (two to three days). Start in the north near Marlenheim, sleep once in the central section, finish south of Guebwiller, then return north on the A35. Around 200 km including detours.
Detailed versions of all three, with timings and stop suggestions, are set out on the Wine Route itineraries page. If you’re building a wider Alsace trip rather than just a wine loop, the Alsace road trip itinerary covers the region as a whole.
Because the route is linear, where you sleep changes the map more than anything else. A base in the central section removes an hour of daily driving compared with staying in Strasbourg. Villages have limited room stock, and the best-placed guesthouses fill early for September harvest weekends and for December. Decide your section first, then book — not the other way round.
[AFF-SLOT | accommodation | village bases in the central Wine Route section]
Getting around the map without your own car
A car makes the map easy. It is not the only option, but it does change which villages are realistic.
The main railway line runs parallel to the route through the plain, with stations at Strasbourg, Obernai, Barr, Dambach-la-Ville, Sélestat, Colmar and Mulhouse among others. From those stations, buses and seasonal shuttles reach the vineyard villages. Sélestat is the usual jumping-off point for Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr; Colmar for Eguisheim and Turckheim. Turckheim, unusually, has its own station a short walk from the old town.
Frequency is the constraint, not distance. Rural bus timetables thin out sharply on Sundays and public holidays, and some seasonal services only run in summer. Check current timetables before committing to a village-hopping day. The Wine Route without a car page sets out which combinations actually work, and travelling Alsace by train covers the wider rail network.
For most visitors staying two nights or more, hiring a car for the vineyard days and using trains for the cities is the efficient compromise. Pick-up at Strasbourg or Colmar station saves the airport detour; automatic transmissions are a minority of the fleet in France and go quickly in peak months, so specify early if you need one.
[AFF-SLOT | car-rental | station pick-up in Strasbourg or Colmar]
Cycling the route on the map
The vineyard side of the map is well suited to cycling, and the Alsace cycle network includes long signposted sections running roughly parallel to the road route. Distances between villages — often under 8 km — suit a day of gentle riding.
Read the contours before you commit. The route hugs the foothills, so it is rarely flat: expect short, sharp climbs on the approaches to villages like Kaysersberg, Niedermorschwihr and Husseren-les-Châteaux. The plain-side cycle paths are flatter but further from the vines. Full route options, gradients and rental logistics are covered in cycling the Alsace Wine Route.
What else is on the map besides villages
The Wine Route map is also a map of vineyards, castles and viewpoints, and these are often the things that turn a drive into a day.
- Grand Cru hillsides. The 51 Grand Cru sites cluster on the steepest slopes, particularly between Bergheim and Rouffach. See which Grand Cru vineyards to visit for the ones you can actually walk into, and how the terroir and Grand Cru system works for the classification itself.
- Castles on the ridge. Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg dominates the central section from above Sélestat; the ruined towers of Husseren-les-Châteaux and Ribeauvillé sit directly over the vines. More options in the guide to Alsace castles.
- Viewpoints. Several villages have marked vineyard paths climbing to panoramas over the plain and, on clear days, the Black Forest. The best views and photo spots page lists the accessible ones.
- Cellar doors. Hundreds of family estates sit in the villages themselves, often on the main street with a tasting room at the front. Practical etiquette and booking advice: wine cellars and tastings.
Reading the map by season
The same map behaves very differently across the year.
| Period | Vineyards | Road and village conditions |
|---|---|---|
| April–June | Fresh green growth, wildflowers | Quiet roads, easy parking, many cellars open |
| July–August | Full canopy, hot plain | Busiest villages, parking pressure midday |
| September–October | Harvest activity, golden then red foliage | Tractors on vineyard roads; accommodation tight |
| November | Bare vines, often misty | Very quiet; some cellars reduce hours |
| Late November–December | Bare vines, Christmas lighting | Heavy weekend traffic near market villages |
| January –March | Pruning, stark rows | Cheapest and emptiest; some closures |
If your trip is built around the vines themselves, the best time to visit the Wine Route page goes into harvest timing and colour windows. For the region as a whole, including weather and events, use the best time to visit Alsace.
December deserves a specific warning on the map. The villages hosting Christmas markets — Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim, Ribeauvillé — draw very heavy weekend traffic onto roads designed for tractors. Approach roads can back up for kilometres, and village car parks fill by late morning. Going on a weekday, or arriving before 11am, transforms the experience. The Alsace Christmas markets guide covers the pattern, and Christmas markets without a car is the better plan for December weekends.
Guided transport solves the December parking problem outright, and does the same for tasting days when nobody wants to be the designated driver. Small-group departures from Colmar and Strasbourg cover three or four villages in a half or full day, and the December slots go early.
[AFF-SLOT | tours | small-group village and wine tours from Colmar]
Common mistakes to avoid
- Trying to drive the whole 170 km in a day. It’s physically possible and thoroughly unenjoyable. Three villages properly beats nine in passing.
- Planning by distance instead of by parking. The driving is trivial; the parking is not. Assume 20 minutes of faff per popular village in season.
- Assuming the route is a loop. It isn’t. Plan your return leg on the A35 or the plain roads, not back through the same villages.
- Treating Colmar as being on the route. Colmar sits slightly east of the vineyard line, in the plain. It’s the ideal base, but the vines start a few kilometres out.
- Relying on road signs alone. Route numbering changes often and signage is patchy. Download offline maps before you arrive.
- Ignoring lunch closing hours. Many cellars and village restaurants close between roughly midday and 2pm, or take a longer lunch. Build the day around it rather than fighting it.
- Booking accommodation before choosing a section. Staying in the wrong third adds an hour of driving each way, every day.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Alsace Wine Route?
Around 170 kilometres from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south, following the Vosges foothills. Driven without stopping it takes roughly three hours, but that misses the point entirely. Most visitors cover 40–70 km of it and stop in three or four villages per day.
Where does the Alsace Wine Route start and end?
The northern end is at Marlenheim, about 20 km west of Strasbourg. The southern end is at Thann, west of Mulhouse. You can join at any point — Sélestat and Colmar are the two most convenient entry points if you’re arriving by train, and both sit next to the busiest stretch of the route.
Is there an official map of the Wine Route?
Yes. Printed maps and route leaflets are available free at tourist offices in Strasbourg, Colmar, Obernai, Ribeauvillé and most route villages, and the route is signposted with brown grape panels. For navigation, download an offline map to your phone as well — mobile coverage dips in the side valleys.
Which part of the Wine Route is the most scenic?
The central section between Bergheim and Rouffach, where the Vosges rise most steeply and the vineyards climb highest. It also holds the greatest concentration of well-preserved villages and Grand Cru slopes. The southern section around Guebwiller and Westhalten is comparably beautiful and considerably quieter.
Can you do the Wine Route without a car?
Partly. Trains reach Obernai, Barr, Dambach-la-Ville, Sélestat, Turckheim and Colmar, and buses or seasonal shuttles link the vineyard villages from there. It works well for two or three villages a day; it does not work for a linear traverse. Guided tours cover more ground in a single day.
How many villages should I plan per day?
Three is comfortable, four is busy, five is a blur. Villages are only 10–15 minutes apart, so the limiting factor is how long you spend in each: an hour minimum for a short walk, two to three hours if you add a tasting or a meal.
Is Colmar on the Wine Route?
Colmar sits just off the route, in the plain a few kilometres east of the vines, and is officially associated with it. Practically, it functions as the route’s capital: the densest cluster of famous villages lies within 15 km, making it the strongest single base for a wine-focused trip.
Keep planning
- The Alsace Wine Route: complete guide — the full overview, from wines to logistics
- Wine Route itineraries for 1, 2 and 3 days — ready-made routes using this map
- Where to stay on the Wine Route — choosing your village or town base
- Alsace map and geography — how the wider region fits together
- Getting around Alsace — cars, trains, buses and what each is good for
- How many days to spend in Alsace — matching your trip length to the map