Kaysersberg, Alsace
Kaysersberg is another charming Alsatian town that we visited, which is located on the famous wine route (Route des Vins). The town is located just 12 km from Colmar and also at the same distance from Ribeauvillé, surrounded by green hills where the vines grow. Through the village flows partly underground river La Weiss, which adds an extra charm to this place. There is also a castle whose ruins are not far away.
Parking in Kaysersberg
We leave the car on a pretty large parking lot located on the east side of the old town (1; GPS: 48.137370, 7.265890), quite close to the main street Rue du Général de Gaulle. In case of trouble with free places you can also try to park the car on a little smaller parking lot located on the south side (2; GPS: 48.137032, 7.262098) of the town or on a western parking lot located on Rue du 18 Décembre (3; GPS: 48.138961, 7.259235).
Strolling the old town
Depending on where we parked the car, we enter the old town from different directions. We left the car at the first of the aforementioned parking lots, which seems to be a good idea as we can walk all the way down the Rue du Général de Gaulle and after exploring the old town finally reach the ruins of Schlossberg castle.
As we enter the town we already can see the characteristic "thick" tower of the church of Invention-de-la-Sainte-Croix de Kaysersberg from the 13th century. On both sides of the street we pass characteristic half-timbered houses with walls painted in different colors. We pass the first square, where we find an old building which is a seat of town council and a small well (A; GPS: 48.138807, 7.264307). You can step inside to find yourself in a nice inner courtyard.
As we continue our walk we approach the square of Jean Ittel (B; GPS: 48.138887, 7.262997), where the above-mentioned church of Invention-de-la-Sainte-Croix de Kaysersberg and beautiful fountain of Constantin are located. On the other side of the square we see an interesting house of a wealthy 18th-century citizen - Maison Loewert. In the side street off the square there is another interesting building: Maison Bohn ou Keith from 1601, which date is engraved on its corner (C; GPS: 48.139215, 7.262926).
We are slowly approaching Château de Kaysersberg (D; GPS: 48.140347, 7.262244) from 13th century. If you would like to explore it (there are granite ruins including well preserved walls and the tower), there are at least three ways to reach it. First, you can start from the square where the seat of town council is located, then go through the gate underneath the building (E; GPS: 48.139140, 7.264174) and then head left. Another method is to walk the Rue du Général de Gaulle in the direction of the Rue des Forgerons to the place where the steep path to the castle begins (watch out the stairs!) (F; GPS: 48.1412747, 7.2610422). And the third way - the longest route, but probably the most satisfying: we start at the eastern border of the town (G; GPS: 48.138033, 7.268197) and then we walk the Rue du Berweg towards the vineyards on the hills. At the junction (H; GPS: 48.140819, 7.268249) turn left into an unpaved road that leads straight to the castle. During your walk you will be able to admire beautiful panorama of Kaysersberg visible on the left. If you have time, we highly recommend this third version. The walk among vineyards is really enjoyable!
We continue our stroll in the western direction. On the left, hidden beneath the houses, flows the river La Weiss. You can see it at some point in the narrow passage between buildings (I; GPS: 48.139493, 7.261230). We reach the intersection of Rue du Général de Gaulle and Rue des Forgerons. There is another interesting building here: Maison Herzer from 1592 (J; GPS: 48.139944, 7.261187). On the left side, just behind the bridge, we have another admirable building with a characteristic turret: Maison Faller Brief from 1594 (K; GPS: 48.139905, 7.260163).
It is impossible to describe all the corners and interesting places in Kaysersberg - surely such a tour can take the whole day, including a tasty dinner in one of many restaurants. We recommend, for example, an Alsatian casserole with potatoes, cheese and bacon or some kind of flammkuchen (tarte flambée) which is just a thin Alsatian pizza. Of course, with wine as a necessary addition. The dishes are filling, but tasty - anyway, after many hours of walking you will definitely feel hungry!
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