Free walking tours in Orschwiller and what to see

Must-sees

Orschwiller is a wine village in the Bas-Rhin, on the Alsace Wine Route, near Sélestat. It has half-timbered houses and is surrounded by vineyards, with family wineries offering tastings. A short walking circuit takes in its old buildings in less than an hour, and from the vineyards you can see, high up on the mountain, the outline of Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, which lies within the municipality.

The castle stands at 757 metres above the Alsace plain, with views of the Vosges and the Black Forest. It dates from the 12th century; it was rebuilt in the 15th, sacked during the Thirty Years’ War and abandoned for centuries. In the early 20th century Emperor Wilhelm II had it restored. Today you can visit the lower courtyard, the inn, the forge, the ramparts and the furnished lordly apartments. Heading down towards Kintzheim there is a park with free-roaming Barbary macaques and birds of prey shows.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no free walking tours in Orschwiller. What Civitatis offers is a ticket for Haut-Koenigsbourg castle, which you explore at your own pace, and it is best to book it in high season. In the village and its neighbours, the wineries offer tastings and cellar visits. Day trips from Strasbourg and Colmar combine the castle with Wine Route villages.

How long to spend

The castle needs an hour and a half to two hours, plus the time to get up the mountain road or walk up from Saint-Hippolyte. Add an hour to stroll around Orschwiller and do a tasting. With a full day you can add the Kintzheim animal parks or the historic centre of Sélestat, with its Humanist Library. With two days, follow the Wine Route towards Ribeauvillé and the villages further south.

Where to stay

Orschwiller has guesthouses, holiday apartments and rooms on wine estates, ideal for sleeping among the vines and getting up to the castle early. Saint-Hippolyte, the neighbouring village, adds a few hotels with restaurants. If you prefer a town with more services and a train station, Sélestat is a few kilometres away. To tour the whole Wine Route, Colmar is another convenient base, less than half an hour’s drive away.