The best traffic-free bike rides around Wickerschweier

From the bridge over the Ill River in Illhaeusern, you have an idyllic view of the gently flowing Ill and are well worth a short stop. The village of Illhaeusern has just over 700 inhabitants and lies in the Upper Rhine Plain in the Grand Ried region, between Colmar to the south and Sélestat (Schlettstadt) to the north, at the confluence of the Fecht and Ill rivers. The Ill is 217 km long, its source is in the Jura Mountains, and it flows into the North Sea.

The D3-I departmental road between Riedwihr and the junction with the D300, also a quiet secondary route, carries almost no motorized traffic and is almost like a paved field track. You're immersed in a more pristine cultural landscape and are almost entirely alone for the approximately 3 km long stretch. Not quite halfway along, at a field path intersection, there's a bench surrounded by shady birch trees, a spot that practically invites you to take a break. There's also a religious information panel with the heading "4. Le Calvaire" ("The Way of the Cross"), which explains the wayside crosses in this landscape.

In Eguisheim, there are information boards in many places where you can read about the history of the buildings.

The chapel 'Our Lady of the Three Ears of Corn' is famous for an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1491. In 1968, a modern pilgrimage church was built, which in 1991 received a triple tower as a symbol of the "three ears of corn."

Beautiful view of the river Ill in Sundhoffen.

Beautiful old town tucked away. The decorative spire twinkling in the sunlight made us detour to take a look. So glad we did! Stunning town with numerous patisseries & cafes and plenty of places to sit in the sunshine & watch the world go by. Highly recommended 👌

The town of Châtenois, with approximately 4,300 inhabitants, is located in the Grand Est region and belongs to the Bas-Rhin department, Sélestat-Erstein arrondissement. A wine-growing community, Châtenois lies at the foot of the Hahnenberg (530 m) in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, on the Alsace Wine Route and the EuroVelo 5 Alsace Vineyard Cycle Route. Before the town's founding, the Romans planted a chestnut forest there. The French name "Châtenois" is derived from this, and is synonymous with the original dialectal Alemannic name "Keschtaholtz" – meaning "chestnut wood" and "chestnut wood" in High German. In 1807, the village bore its current name, Châtenois. In 1871, it was Germanized as Kestenholz before reverting to its French name after the Second World War. Before the town's founding, the Romans planted a chestnut forest there. Châtenois has a beautiful old town; the main tourist street is located in Rue du Maréchal Foch.

drive through the vineyards