A Day Trip To Kaysersberg

        Descending down from the mountains where I live, I slowly leave the snow behind. The fields pick up a bit of green as we get closer to Kaysersberg. A 20 minutes drive takes me from being perched on the side of a mountain in a chalet above a sleepy little village to the beginning of the great valley where Kaysersberg lies.

 It is the most charming village I have ever been to in all my time in France. The first time I visited I fell in love and told Frenchie I wanted to live there. In retrospect I am glad we opted for further up, as the town can be overrun with tourists a large part of the year. I think it is better to be a short drive away and able to visit as often as I want.

          Every time I go I fall in love again. Old city is full of beautiful architecture, the cobbled streets and outdoor dining add to the charm. A grand castle ruin perches atop the hill looking down on us and a sparkling stream runs through the center of town..

         Kaysersberg is the beginning of the vineyards, any further up towards the chalet is too cold for the wine. This area produces the best Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Reisling, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. It is considered one of the finest wine growing areas in Alsace. I never grow tired of viewing the vineyards marching down the hillsides. No matter my mood, a drive through this valley lifts my spirits.

        This area has been a part of Germany more than once. I think this is probably why the people here have such a strong individualism. Going from being French to German and back again could confuse anyone! They speak their own dialect here and sometimes I still get very confused when hearing them as I am never quite sure if I am hearing French or Alsatian.

The food here has a strong touch of Germany to it also, many different sausages and good rich beer and thick doughy pretzels. Also one of their specialities which is Choucroute, sauerkraut and different sausages and thick slices of bacon.

Another is Tarte Flambe which is a very thin crisp crust spread with a cream sauce and bits of onion and lardon and lots of cheese, cooked over a wood fire, served with the edges blackened at times. It is wonderfully tasty. I have sampled many a Tarte Flambe since coming here to this region and I have to say that the best I have had is here in this tiny town.

        But my favorite thing about this town is the shopping. I love walking through old town and peaking in to the many shops that line the streets. There are bakeries, patisseries, and chocolatieres. butchers and cheese shops.

 Lots of tiny wine shops, clothing stores, a gem and mineral store and all sorts of other shops. I never grow bored on my visits. There is even a little town hall/gallery place that has occasional exhibits of local artists.

        Today we did a lot of window shopping and spent some time at my favorite café having a nice café creme. Then we were off to Colmar. Next time I will show you a bit of Colmar which is a much bigger town but also large on charm!