There are few regions in the world whose paths still dream of being highways, whose progress does not pass only hyperloop and teleportation. And the High Rhine, the southernmost part of this region, is one of them.
ECO-ART BRANCHES
First positive point for Alsace : its main road, the A35, it is not toll . However, it has the great drawback of being an anesthetic, of blinding the driver and preventing him from seeing what is beyond the median.
Therefore, the most exciting thing is leave aside the great roads and lose yourself in the curves that tame the hills and that cross with aim the most beautiful corners of the high river n. In this complete road network, two types can be distinguished: the Alsace wine route and the others. However, before falling for the bait of his vineyards and their Riesling , there is an equally stimulating alternative: the contemporary art.
The dense forests of the Upper Rhine, perfect for getting lost among curves and conifers.
In recent years, different foundations have proliferated that have opted to locate their headquarters in remote enclaves of this place. And one of the most outstanding is the Francois Schneider Foundation . Located at the top of the little town of Wattwiller, This center dedicated to the latest creativity has a common leitmotif in all of his works: water.
Not in vain, his paintings, projections and sculptures they stay in a former Wattwiller bottling plant, the brand whose owner now seeks to link with art.
The most surprising thing, as soon as you arrive, is the contrast offered by the immaculate façade with the large hole that, as a fountain-work of art, he devised Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil for your outside.
Its interior serves as space for Temporary exhibitions , all of them around the liquid element , whose thematic versatility is stretched to the maximum.
For his part, the outdoor patio acts as a room for permanent Collections, with sculptures and kinetic fountains by artists such as Niki de Saint Phalle. But this chalet not only attracts collectors and experts.
Housed on its upper floor, the bistr'eau is the gastronomic proposal of the local chef Stephanie Blaser, she who cooks only zero kilometer products and organic producers and who is earning the appreciation and recognition of the inhabitants of the area.
The same theme is the one that pushes to put the address in the GPS '1 Route de Marckolsheim' in Sélestat. Here is the Tailcoat Alsace , a center belonging to a network of 23 state exhibition spaces whose initials obey the name ‘Regional Funds of Contemporary Art’ and that are usually built in remote places, either in peripheral neighborhoods or in locations to be explored.
In this place, young talents from the entire area exhibit, as well as artists whose inspiration is linked to some of the local themes.
Hunawhir.
SIGHTINGS BETWEEN VINEYARDS
As soon as the cultural parenthesis closes, Alsace emerges as that rural paradise that mixes the Tuscan hills with romantic villages.
The roads lead to dream places whose sex appeal It cannot be understood without the vineyards as a framework. The vineyard fields, that extend from Than until Molsheim , hide some surprises on their paths and secondary roads, such as the fortified church of Saint-Jaques-le-Majeur in Hunawhir, an imposing temple that instills religiosity and respect in equal parts.
Molsheim.
Another postcard that mixes stones with vines is the one obtained from the top of the three castles of Ribeauvillé-Riquewhir or the tower of kaiserberg , fortresses that highlight the defensive and border importance of the Vosges massif whose charm lies in its success as a viewpoint.
As for viewpoints on the highway, the map is a bit more confusing. As such, there are no rest areas with this incentive, but rather ditches where you can improvise stops.
Ribeauvillé, imagine yourself here NOW.
In this sense, the roads with the best offer are those that go up to Munster (once here, don't miss their succulent cheese) or those that zigzag through the Ammerschwihr, Riquewhir and Kayserberg valleys , places whose variety of 'terroirs' generates the highest concentration of 'Grands Crus' of the A.O.C. and, incidentally, the most desired panoramas.
VILLAGES THAT DESERVE A WALK
And, of course, there are the towns that have made this region famous and have made it an idyllic getaway at any time of the year. small towns, many of them rebuilt in disney pantons behind the World War II, that force you to put on the handbrake and leave the car in one of its coquettish car parks with which order is brought to the alleys.
And it is that Alsace is also perfect for driving lovers for making each town aware of the importance of offering ample and easily accessible parking.
List each town would require an item but if it is necessary to make a more exhaustive selection, the essential ones are Riquewhir and Eguisheim.
Riquewhir, essential on your route through Alsace
The first has a cathartic entrance under the arch of the town hall that is a trip back in time. And on the retina.
The visual impact is summed up in a saturation of colors that makes everything happier, sweeter. Little houses, alleys and towers Histrionic nuances alternate with virgueros half-timbered while, when you least expect it, a well appears with which to die of romanticism.
Eguisheim , for its part, seems to want to protect itself with an urban plant that grows concentrically around the Saint-Leon square. Its alleys, laid out like layers of onions, they offer photogenic curves and unmissable facades.
And, best of all, they do not require much time, so each small monument can be enjoyed in a few moments, enough to not miss the car.
Eguisheim.
LAST LAP IN MULHOUSE
The Cite de l'Automobile Mulhouse has three attractions for lovers of four wheels. The first, which is the largest car collection in the world, the result of the delirium of its former owners, the Schlumpf brothers.
The second, his bugatti fascination and for the different models with which this firm of Alsatian origin has achieved glory. And the third, for having a racing oval where you can test various mythical models such as a Jaguar Type E from 1967 or a Bentley S1 from 1959 . All this for a modest price that starts at €55 for 7 laps.
Mulhouse.
A MESTIZO AIRPORT… AND VERY PRACTICAL
Switzerland becomes a little less Schengen when you land in the basel airport . His real name, EuroAirport Basel-Freiburg-Mulhouse , betrays its multinationality, since it was built on French soil and was financed with French and Swiss government contributions.
His third last name comes from his proximity to Freiburg and the commercial need to associate with this German city. Of course, as soon as you wander through its corridors, it is clear that the alsatian part It is part of the European Union, with a very comfortable and fast terminal that, little by little, is beginning to gain important routes.
In fact, companies like Iberia fly from Spain, with perfect schedules for a getaway from Madrid, or Easyjet. And, for those who love to drive, it has the added attraction of having a car rental area where companies such as Avis, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar or Budget and which is located in the same terminal, right next to a car park intended only for their cars. Come on, in just 10 minutes you can pick up your suitcase, do the paperwork and leave without complications to the A35.