The Route des Vins d'Alsace (Alsace Wine Route) runs 170 km (106 miles) along the eastern foot of the Vosges from Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south, threading 119 wine-growing communes across the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments. It was created on 30 May 1953, and it is not a single road but a signposted itinerary stitched together from small departmental routes. On a motorcycle it works best paired with the Route des Crêtes, the 88 km ridge road built along the Vosges crest during the First World War — vineyard villages at the bottom, mountain riding at the top, connected by a series of cols.
What kind of riding this is
Be clear about the wine route itself: it is a touring itinerary, not a driver's road. The signposted line runs between vineyard parcels at low altitude, through villages every few kilometres, with speed limits and stone streets and a lot of stopping. What it delivers is density — half-timbered villages, five of which are classified among the Plus Beaux Villages de France, and 51 grand cru sites in a strip you can ride end to end in a day.
The riding comes from what sits above it. The Vosges rise immediately west of the vineyards, and every few kilometres a road climbs from the wine route into forest and over a col. That is the structure worth planning around: use the wine route as the base line, and spend the day looping up into the mountains and back down to a different village each time. Alsace is one of the few regions in France where you genuinely can have both in a single afternoon.
Route at a glance
| Wine route length | 170 km (106 miles), Marlenheim to Thann |
| Created | 30 May 1953, by an inaugural motoring rally |
| Communes | 119, across Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin |
| Wine | Seven grape varieties, 51 grands crus, over 300 estates |
| Mountain pairing | Route des Crêtes, 88 km along the Vosges ridge |
| Ridge high point | Col du Grand Ballon, 1,341 m |
| Suggested time | 3 days for the wine route plus Vosges loops |
Open the wine route in Google Maps — Marlenheim to Thann via Riquewihr, ready to send to your navigation.
The northern half, Marlenheim to Sélestat
The route starts at Marlenheim, west of Strasbourg, and works south through the Bas-Rhin. This section is quieter than the famous middle and the villages are less polished, which some riders prefer. Molsheim, Obernai and Barr are the anchors. Mittelbergheim, just south of Barr, is one of the five villages on the route classified among France's most beautiful, and it is small enough that you can ride into it, look at it, and be out again in ten minutes.
West of Barr, the Vosges start offering real climbs. The road up to Mont Sainte-Odile, the abbey on its rock spur above the plain, is the first proper piece of riding on the route heading south, and the views back across the Rhine plain towards the Black Forest on a clear day explain the geography of the whole region in one glance.
The middle, Ribeauvillé to Colmar
This is the stretch everybody photographs. Bergheim, Hunawihr and Riquewihr sit within a few kilometres of each other, all three classified among the Plus Beaux Villages de France, all three ringed by vineyards climbing straight up the hillsides behind them. Riquewihr in particular is essentially a preserved sixteenth-century town — timber-framed houses down a single main street, a gate tower at each end, and a great many other visitors in July.
Ribeauvillé sits below three ruined castles on the ridge above, and the road up towards them is short but worthwhile. Kaysersberg and Turckheim complete the group. Colmar, a few kilometres east on the plain, is the regional centre and holds the main wine information centre, with tastings and route material; it is also where most riders base themselves for this section.
Eguisheim, just south of Colmar, is the last of the five classified villages and the most compact — a set of concentric circular streets built around the old castle site. Riders report it as the easiest of the famous villages to visit on two wheels, because the ring road around the outside gives you somewhere to leave the bike.
The Route des Crêtes, the reason to bring the bike
The ridge road along the top of the Vosges was built during the First World War as a military supply route along the French side of the front, and it now runs 88 km along the crest. It links a series of cols — the Col de la Schlucht, the Col du Bonhomme, the Col du Calvaire — and tops out at the Col du Grand Ballon at 1,341 m, the highest point in the Vosges massif.
It rides nothing like the wine route below. Open ridgeline, high pastures, long sightlines, and the whole Rhine plain on one side with the Lorraine forests on the other. On a clear day the Black Forest is visible across the valley and, occasionally, the Alps beyond it. The surface is good, the corners are flowing rather than technical, and traffic is light outside summer weekends.
Sections close in winter, and they close for a specific reason: parts of the ridge road double as cross-country ski terrain. The northern segments between the Col de la Schlucht and the Col du Calvaire, and between the Col du Bonhomme and the Col des Bagenelles, close in the snow season, as does the southern section around the Grand Ballon. As of August 2026 the winter closures follow that pattern, but exact dates depend on conditions each year — check the current status with the departmental road service before planning a shoulder-season crossing.
Practical details
Season. May, June and September are ideal. The vineyards are green in early summer and gold in October, and the September–October harvest brings both atmosphere and tractor traffic. July and August fill the famous villages with coaches. Winter closes parts of the ridge road, and the Christmas market season packs the villages solid — pretty, but not riding weather.
Low emission zones. France applies ZFE low emission zone rules to motorcycles as well as cars, which means a Crit'Air sticker is required to enter one. Strasbourg operates a zone, and from January 2026 all French cities above 150,000 inhabitants are required to have one. Order the sticker from the official French issuing site well in advance — it arrives by post.
Alcohol. This deserves saying plainly on a route built around wine. French drink-drive limits are lower than in several neighbouring countries and enforcement in Alsace is active. Cellar visits and riding do not combine; either ride the route and buy bottles to collect later, or leave the bike and take a tasting day off.
Village riding. Cobbles and setts are common in the old centres, and they are slippery when wet. Village streets are narrow with blind corners and pedestrians walking in the road. Parking is often restricted — use the marked areas outside the walls.
Fuel. Easy on the plain, thinner on the ridge. Fill up in Colmar, Sélestat or Guebwiller before a full day on the Route des Crêtes rather than counting on the pass-top options.
Gear notes for Alsace
Alsace is a navigation-heavy region in a way that surprises people. The wine route is a signposted itinerary rather than a numbered road, the signs are small and easy to miss at village junctions, and the interesting variant is almost always a turn you were not expecting. Planning the day as a waypoint route — with the vineyard villages and the col crossings both marked — is the difference between a smooth loop and a lot of doubling back, and our route planning guide covers the method. Coverage drops in the Vosges valleys, so cache the maps before you climb; the navigation setup guide walks through it, and a fixed riding system screen is easier to glance at than a phone when junctions arrive every two minutes.
The vertical range is the other Alsace specific. A day here can run from about 200 m on the plain to 1,341 m at the Grand Ballon and back, several times over, and both temperature and tire pressure move with it. If you have noticed the bike feeling different at the top of a climb than at the bottom, our explainer on cold weather pressure changes covers why, and a TPMS sensor turns it from a feeling into a number. The MT100 bi-directional charger handles the long days, and riders running a JADO S6 get navigation, pressures and cameras on one screen for the village sections where a car door opening is the most likely thing to ruin your afternoon.
FAQ
How long is the Alsace Wine Route?
170 km from Marlenheim to Thann, through 119 wine-growing communes. It can be ridden end to end in a day, but three days lets you add the Vosges loops that make it worth doing on a motorcycle.
Is the wine route good motorcycling?
On its own, not especially — it is a low-altitude touring itinerary through villages. Combined with the Route des Crêtes and the cols that link the two, it becomes an excellent three-day region.
When does the Route des Crêtes close?
Several sections close in winter, including between the Col de la Schlucht and the Col du Calvaire and around the Grand Ballon, partly to make way for cross-country ski trails. Dates depend on snow conditions, so check the departmental road status before travelling in the shoulder season.
Which villages are the ones to stop in?
Riquewihr, Eguisheim, Hunawihr, Bergheim and Mittelbergheim are the five classified among the Plus Beaux Villages de France. Ribeauvillé, Kaysersberg and Turckheim are close behind and usually less crowded.
Do you need a Crit'Air sticker for Alsace?
You need one to enter any French ZFE low emission zone, including Strasbourg, and the rules apply to motorcycles. Order it in advance from the official French issuing site, since it is delivered by post.
