Strasbourg: Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle & Alsace Wine Route

Head south from Strasbourg into the foothills of the Vosges. The guide introduces the extraordinary history of Alsace — a region that changed nationality between France and Germany four times between 1870 and 1945, producing a unique hybrid culture visible in every village name, every dish and every wine label.

Climb to the castle entrance at 757 metres for views stretching from the Vosges to the Rhine and across to the Black Forest. The guided tour covers the medieval toll system, the destruction in 1633, and the extraordinary restoration commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II — who wanted to symbolise German sovereignty over Alsace by rebuilding its greatest fortress. The keep's panoramic platform is the tour's visual highlight.

Descend to Riquewihr, a walled wine village whose 16th-century ramparts, towers and half-timbered houses are so perfectly preserved it has never needed restoration. Walk the single main street past Riesling producers and medieval courtyards, and taste the wine that Richelieu declared the king of French whites.

The most beautiful circular village in France — Eguisheim was built around a medieval castle in concentric rings, so every street curves around the original fortified centre. The village is the birthplace of Pope Leo IX (1002) and produces some of the finest Gewurztraminer grand cru wine in Alsace.

End in Colmar's 'Little Venice' quarter — canals lined with flower-draped 16th-century houses, the medieval customs house, and the Koïfhus. Optional visit to the Unterlinden Museum housing the Isenheim Altarpiece, considered the greatest German painting of the Renaissance.