Prettiest villages in the Grand Est: Plus Beaux Villages and more

💡 January: The quietest month: the Christmas markets are over, but Bergheim’s nativity trail and Hunspach’s Christmas windows continue into the very start of January (until 4 and 6 January 2027 respectively). Enjoy the deserted lanes, bearing in mind that some museums, such as the Renoir house in Essoyes, are closed.

💡 February: Off-season: ideal for photographing the villages without crowds and for tastings in the cellars (check opening times). In Essoyes, the Renoir house reopens in February, with guided tours by reservation on certain days only.

💡 March: The days are getting longer and the vines are still bare: a good month for walking the vineyard trails and heading for the heights, for example up to Saint-Quirin’s upper chapel. Terraces and events are still few and far between.

💡 April: Start of the season: Rodemack usually holds its wine market in April, and the first flowers appear in Alsace. Bear in mind the Easter holidays, which bring crowds back to the best-known villages.

💡 May: An excellent month: villages in bloom, vines in leaf and visitor numbers still reasonable outside the long bank holiday weekends. Turckheim’s night watchman resumes his evening rounds from 1 May, and Rodemack normally holds a flower market.

💡 June: Rodemack usually celebrates its medieval past in June (“Rodemack, cité médiévale en fête”); in Bergheim, the Witches’ House reopens at the end of the month. Long evenings for visiting after the groups have gone.

💡 July: High season: visit the Wine Route villages early in the morning, then retreat to the shade of the forests of Saint-Quirin or the hillsides of Hautvillers. In Essoyes, the Renoir house and studio are open every day.

💡 August: The busiest month: book accommodation and favour lesser-known villages. Hunspach usually holds its folk festival in August; ask the tourist office for the date.

💡 September: Grape harvest time: the vineyards come alive, wine-cellar events too, and the summer crowds ebb away. Ribeauvillé traditionally celebrates its Pfifferdaj (minstrels’ festival) in early September – date to be checked.

💡 October: Autumn colours on the hillsides and low, slanting light: one of the loveliest times for the wine villages. The Turckheim night watchman’s last rounds are on 31 October, and it is the last month the Witches’ House in Bergheim is open.

💡 November: Early November is quiet; from late November the Christmas markets begin (in 2026: Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Bergheim from 27 November). Hunspach launches its Christmas windows trail on 28 November 2026.

💡 December: Christmas market month: Eguisheim until 30 December 2026, Riquewihr until 20 December, and the Bredelmarik (Christmas biscuit market) in Mittelbergheim during Advent. Visit on weekdays and in the evening, and check the Kaysersberg dates with the tourist office.