Tag Archives: French wine trails

Paysage a Bicyclette: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Paysage a Bicyclette

Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit biking trail; much of it paved and car-free, well maintained, fairly good signage throughout (but at least bring a map, if nothing else).

Length:

Total: 31 kilometers/ 19.5 miles

Convenient to: Colmar, Alsace, France

Marking:

White pointy-ends rectangular sign with dark letters: Paysage a Bicyclette in script writing

Paysage a Bicyclette Trail Signage

Trail Description: A slightly challenging trail through vines and villages in a relatively quiet section of the Alsatian wine region, offering plenty of opportunities to reconnect with nature, admire the wide expanses, and taste wine while exploring small towns and villages along the route!

Trailhead:

Official: Rouffach: Mairie (Town Hall), on Place de la Republique

Alternative: Eguisheim: Grande Rue

Parking:

Eguisheim: Grande Rue, large paved lot, reasonable fees

Rouffach: Place des Sports, large paved lot, with overflow parking nearby, free

Public Transportation Options:

Rail: SNCF regional trains (TER), regularly connect Rouffach (station less than one kilometer from the trail) with Colmar and Strasbourg to the north, and Mulhouse to the south

Suggested Stages:

Not applicable

Trail Itinerary-Reference Points:

Rouffach: R du Marechal Joffre/D18Bis-R Claude Ignace Callinet, R. Louis Pasteur-R. des Vosges-Route de Westhalten; Cross Muehlweg, onto track named Saegmattenweg; Gundolsheim: D15/Route de Rouffach-R. du Nord-Schlittweg-Gundolsheimerweg; onto Holderhuerstleweg, over train tracks, hard right but continue on trail, Rouffach: cross D8, Heiligkreuzweg-Staaweg; cross tracks, then parallel them on Gaertleweg; Metzgermatten and Kiffmatten fields; woods, cross D83 highway; Hattstatt: D121/Route du Vin; Alte Staatstrasse, Herrenstr trail, Rte de Herrlisheim/D1bis; Eguisheim: D14/Grande Rue, R. du Muscat-R du Vin, unnamed trail to left after R. du Buhl; Obermorschwihr: Dagsbourg Hohlweg, R du Dagsbourg-R des Pres; fields and vineyards; Gueberschwihr: R du Nord, R Basse-Route de Pfaffenheim; Gaensbrunnweg trail, then first right; Pfaffenheim: R du Muscat, Grande Rue-Drotfeldweg-Kopfacherweg; Alte Strasse through vineyards-R. Louis Pasteur

Representative Trail Photos:

Typical paved trail section
Typical Unpaved Trail Section

Restrooms:

Rouffach: R. du 4eme Spahis Marocains (by the bus stop)

Eguisheim: by the paid parking lot (see parking above), and in the old center in Cr Unterlinden

Attractions on or near Trail:

Eguisheim:

The Little Train will take passengers through vineyards as well as the town

The Wolfberger Cave has a discovery room with some explanations and photos, in addition to a large boutique for lots of its wine and wine-related products.

Tasting along the Trail:

Wineries, mostly family-owned, in every village – you will be spoiled for choice. Do not hesitate to visit one (or several) between roughly 9-1200, and 14-1800 on most days (some including Sunday mornings during tourism season)!

Alternative Options:

Hiking:

Eguisheim: Vignoble et Chateaux, a short but steep in places trail that passes through a great variety of scenery and terrain, with great views. See the Nutshell here.

Soultzmatt or Westhalten: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-promenade-dans-le-vignoble-de-la-vallee-/ thru vineyards, listed as medium difficulty (hills, not much shade)

Additional Information:

Regional: https://www.visit.alsace/en/253001422-tourist-office-pays-deguisheim-et-de-rouffach-office-from-rouffach/

Trail (segment) specific: https://www.cirkwi.com/fr/circuit/536654-le-paysage-a-bicyclette

Comments:

A fantastic area for wines, history, and hiking and biking in nature.

Vignoble de Cahors: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name:  Au Travers du Vignoble de Cahors (AKA 1)

Trail Type: Short-distance bicycle circuit; well-maintained with hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces; marking for this itinerary is very good.

Length:

Total – 6.3 kilometers/3.9 miles

Convenient to: Cahors

Marking:

Very well marked, if following clockwise, by rectangular green and white signs with a white stylized bicycle and rider, and a named trail sign in black lettering at the start. (See comments.)

Named Trail Sign
Generic Bicycle Trail Sign

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