The food and culture of the Alsace, France

Explore a Special Corner of France - October 15 to 22, 2026

This trip is run together with the OSHER chapter at Boise State University. Participation is limited to OSHER members.

The food and culture of the Alsace, France

October 15 to 22, 2026

Join us on a visit to a less-known corner of France where we’ll explore the unique food and culture of the Alsace. From our base in the picturesque town of Riquewihr, we’ll learn about the unique culture of this region while sampling its excellent food and special white wines.

For those not familiar with this region, read on to learn more about both the region and its cuisine.

Many people have contrasted French and German cultures. In the Alsace you can find out what happens when you actually combine them. This region has passed between France and Germany a number of times, marrying influences from both countries and cultures. Since the end of World War II, it has been part of France, but this doesn’t stop it from speaking its own dialect and having its own unique foods.

The landscape and architecture are striking in the Alsace, with colorful timber frame houses lining the narrow village streets. Our base of Riquewihr is an excellent example.

About the Alsace

The Alsace is tucked away in the northeastern corner of France, between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine River. Its unique character is a fusion of French and German influences, a direct result of a history that has seen it change hands between the two nations multiple times.

This dual heritage is the heart of Alsatian identity, evident in its architecture, its distinct dialect (Alsatian), and a culture that blends French joie de vivre with German efficiency and tradition. For the traveler, this creates an experience of stepping into a place that feels both familiar and entirely new, a corner of France with a soul all its own.

The quintessential Alsatian travel experience is found along the famous Route des Vins d'Alsace (Alsace Wine Route). This scenic trail winds its way through a landscape of rolling, vine-covered hills, connecting a string of storybook villages that seem to have been plucked from the pages of a fairy tale.

Towns like Riquewihr, Eguisheim, and Ribeauvillé are renowned for their beautifully preserved medieval centers, where narrow cobblestone lanes are lined with brightly colored, half-timbered houses adorned with overflowing flower boxes. Exploring these villages is like a journey back in time, offering endless opportunities for picturesque walks, leisurely café stops, and soaking in the tranquil, historic atmosphere.

The region's two main cities, Strasbourg and Colmar, serve as its cultural anchors. We will visit Colmar with its "Little Venice" district, where you can take a boat ride along the canals and its impeccably maintained old town.

Beyond the scenery, the true magic of a trip to the Alsace lies in its living traditions and seasonal charm. The region is perhaps most famous for its enchanting Christmas markets (Marchés de Noël), which transform its towns and cities into winter wonderlands filled with the scent of mulled wine and gingerbread. Throughout the year, numerous festivals celebrate everything from wine harvests to local folklore, showcasing a deep-seated pride in regional customs.

Dates: October 15-22, 2026

Location: Riquewihr, France
Cost: $4550 (see below for details)
Maximum group size: 14

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Trip Details

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  • October 15-22, 2026 (7 nights - 8 days)

    Total cost of the tour: $4550

    Supplement for single occupancy: $575

    Deposit required to reserve a place on the tour: $450


    (Places in the tour are limited to 14 and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you reserve your place early!)

    Payment schedule

    $450 deposit. The deposit is refundable through April 1, 2026.

    $2050 initial payment (Due May 1, 2026)

    $2050 final payment (Due July 1, 2026)

    All payments are refundable if we need to cancel the trip due to government restrictions or unsafe travel conditions.

    ** Receive a $350 credit when you bring or refer a friend. Read More.

    • Excursions and special activities throughout the tour

    • Pick up and drop off at designated airport at designated times

    • 7 nights lodging

    • 7 dinners with appropriate amounts of alcohol

    • 7 breakfasts

    • 3 lunches

    • Local transportation by van and driver

    What’s not included:

    • Airfare & Travel Insurance

    • 4 Lunches

  • For our time in the Alsace we’ll be staying in the Hôtel De La Couronne in the town of Riquewihr. This small, family-fun hotel will make us comfortable in the oldest part of the town.

     

    The hotel boasts its own bar and both a covered and uncovered outdoor terrace, not to mention an extensive breakfast buffet. Double rooms, double rooms with twin beds, and single rooms are available 

    Visit the Hôtel De La Couronne Website.

  • Dinners will be taken at local restaurants throughout the week. Breakfasts are at our hotel. Appropriate amounts of beer or wine are included with dinners.

  • To extend your trip, and take some time to catch up on your sleep before the tour begins, you may wish to arrive early in France or nearby Germany or Switzerland.

    You can easily add a few days to the trip, if you wish, or visit other parts of Europe.

    While Travel Fever Tours does not organize this, we are happy to offer advice and recommendations.

  • Your deposit is nonrefundable after April 1, 2026 unless, of course, the trip is canceled for any reason by Travel Fever Tours. Natural disasters, political instability, or low enrollment would form the basis for canceling a trip. After that date, payments you make are nonrefundable.

    You will be contacted once the trip reaches minimum enrollment so that you can proceed with purchase of your flights and make other travel arrangements. In all cases, review of enrollment numbers will not take place any later than the date of the First Installment payment.

Food of the Alsace

Alsatian cuisine is a unique reflection of the region's dual French and German heritage, resulting in a culinary tradition that is robust, flavorful, and deeply comforting. Rooted in rustic, peasant-style cooking, the food is characterized by its generous use of pork, local produce like cabbage and potatoes, and the region's aromatic white wines.

It is a cuisine that prizes richness and substance, designed to be shared and savored in the warm, convivial atmosphere of a traditional winstub (wine tavern). The dishes are a perfect marriage of French finesse and hearty German substance, creating a gastronomic identity found nowhere else in the world.

For meat lovers, the most emblematic dish of the region is undoubtedly choucroute garnie, a platter that encapsulates the spirit of Alsace. It consists of a mound of sauerkraut (cabbage fermented in wine or brine), which is slow-cooked until tender and flavorful, then topped with a variety of smoked sausages, pork knuckles, salted pork, and boiled potatoes.

Another specialty is the tarte flambée, or flammekueche, a thin, crispy flatbread resembling a pizza, traditionally topped with crème fraîche, thinly sliced onions, and smoky bacon lardons. It is cooked quickly in a scorching-hot, wood-fired oven, making it a perfect, shareable snack or light meal.

Beyond these famous headliners, Alsatian kitchens produce a wealth of other savory delights. Baeckeoffe, which means "baker's oven," is a hearty, slow-cooked casserole of potatoes, onions, and a mix of marinated beef, lamb, and pork, all layered and braised for hours in local white wine.

Similarly, coq au Riesling is a regional take on the classic French dish, substituting the traditional red Burgundy wine with the crisp, local Riesling, which imparts a lighter, more fragrant flavor to the tender chicken and creamy sauce. For cheese lovers, the pungent, soft Munster cheese is a must-try, often served warm with potatoes and cumin seeds.

No exploration of Alsatian cuisine would be complete without mentioning its delightful array of baked goods and sweets. The kougelhopf, a tall, ring-shaped brioche-like cake studded with raisins and dusted with powdered sugar, is a staple for breakfast or afternoon coffee.

Unlike other French wine regions, Alsace is known primarily for its crisp, dry, and aromatic white wines, often named after their single grape varietal. Noble grapes like Riesling, floral Gewürztraminer, rich Pinot Gris, and refreshing Pinot Blanc dominate production.

Meet Bev Burkett, your guide to the food and wine of the Alsace

Group Leader Bev Burkett

Bev writes:

I can’t wait to help you experience the delights of French food and wine on this tour as we visit Alsatian markets, wineries, and producers of local products. We will have lessons on how to prepare these products in the kitchen and, best of all, we’ll enjoy eating together at wonderful restaurants in and around the town of Riquewihr, where we will be based.

I am South African and grew up under apartheid, with no chance to buy and taste French wine, or indeed visit France. But as soon as I was able to travel I did so. What is there not to love about France and French cuisine? And the Alsace is a special region which I look forward to sharing with you.

I unashamedly consider myself a Francophile and have done so since I was a teenager. After all, I am one quarter French Huguenot.

Certainly, I could not be a proper Francophile without spending much time preparing French dishes for my friends and learning about French wine at every opportunity.

You can imagine how delighted I was when my son and his then-fiancée bought a 16th century millhouse in Normandy and were wed there in 2010. Since then, I’ve spent summers, Christmases and Easters there before moving full time to Normandy a few years ago.

I look forward to meeting you all in France. A bientôt!

What a fabulous trip! Cicely, Bob and Bev are the greatest guides, they gave us all such a well rounded experience in Provence. Thank you for making my first introduction to France an experience I will always cherish. Merci beaucoup.
— Janie T
I had a great time on my gastronomy tour! The people were fun, the accommodations comfortable, and the activities were well planned and well executed.
— Nancy S

What we’ll do

There is no shortage of things to entertain us in the Alsace. Some of our activities will include:

  • Visit the small city of Colmar and its Venice-like canals in La Petite Venise neighborhood

  • Stroll through local outdoor markets

  • Tour the Castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg

  • Learn to prepare Alsatian specialties in a local cooking class

  • Take a guided walking tour of the town of Riquewihr

  • Sample local Alsatian dishes at leading restaurants

  • Tour small wineries and sample the local white wines

  • Taste local cheeses

  • Sample pastries from Alsatian bakeries

  • Visit surrounding villages

Activities are subject to change.

Is this tour for me?

This trip will make relatively few demands of you physically, but you will still need to be mobile to fully enjoy this trip.

There is no elevator in our hotel, with stairs leading to nearly all rooms. And as we explore the region’s towns and villages, we’ll be walking, often on cobble stones or other uneven surfaces.

Obviously, you should have an interest in France and food. We will also visit a number of vineyards, but wine is a secondary focus of the trip.

We will travel throughout this small region, but travel times will be relatively short.

Vegetarians and Vegans can be accommodated on this tour.

Where we’ll stay:

For our time in the Alsace we’ll be staying in the Hôtel De La Couronne in the town of Riquewihr. This small, family-run hotel will make us comfortable in the oldest part of the town.

The hotel boasts its own bar and both a covered and uncovered outdoor terrace, not to mention an extensive breakfast buffet.

Visit the Hôtel De La Couronne Website.

Reserve this trip today:

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