Wander Charming Streets—Then Hike to 3 Castles Above This Dreamy French Village
Tucked beneath three ruined castles, this village offers a quieter, equally beautiful alternative to Alsace’s more popular spots.
Ribeauvillé is a charming, picture-perfect village in Alsace, full of colorful half-timbered houses, flower-filled windows, and postcard-worthy streets. It easily makes the list for best places to visit in Alsace, and it is unique among Alsatian villages for a couple of reasons.
First, three ruined castles sit on the hill above the village, adding to its storybook feel. Second, the town is surprisingly long and skinny, which makes it feel quite large for a sleepy French village.
In the Middle Ages, the Ribeaupierre family ruled the area, and the town eventually took on their name. By the 1200s, Ribeauvillé had been officially established and laid out with an upper and a lower section and fortified with four city gates. It became part of France in the 1600s, following the Thirty Years’ War.
And while Ribeauvillé isn’t completely undiscovered, it definitely sees fewer tourists than places like Riquewihr or Eguisheim, making it a nice place to get off the beaten path in Alsace.
10 Unforgettable Things to Do in Ribeauvillé
Let’s explore all the things that make Ribeauvillé special. This list of things to see in Ribeauvillé follows a natural route through the village, starting at one end and making your way to the other.
1. Take in the View Down Grand’Rue As You Enter Town
Grand’Rue is the main street in Ribeauville and continues straight through the village. As mentioned in the intro, the town is long and skinny so this street goes on for a while! Everything you’ll see in Ribeauville is just a short walk from Grand’Rue.
As you enter the town, you can actually see all of the “trois chateaux de Ribeauvillé” (3 castles of Ribeauville) perched on the hill above town. As you get close to the Grand’Rue, the biggest castle is perfectly framed in by the main street.
All of this is a pretty spectacular sight to start your visit to Ribeauvillé.
2. Admire the Haute Ville – Quarter Pittoresque
The upper town, or Haute Ville, is often referred to as the “quartier pittoresque” or the picturesque neighborhood. The streets are filled with beautiful, half-timbered buildings that have been well-preserved and well-restored. (Although to be fair, the lower town is just as charming.)
Many of the homes have different ornamentation on them—oriel windows, timbers with designs in them, or corner posts carved to indicate the profession of the owner.
Spend time slowly wandering, and make sure to really take a look at the details of the buildings you’re passing!
Of particular note are these two buildings:
>>Pfifferhüss
Ribeauvillé has a deep connection to minstrel culture, and that’s most evident at the Pfifferhüss, which means “House of the Minstrels.”
This building once served as the headquarters for the Brotherhood of the Minstrels of Alsace, an organization dating back to 1390. The most distinctive feature of the building is its ornate oriel window, which is decorated with carved details and dates to 1663.
The minstrel legacy lives on today through the annual Pfifferdaj festival. It’s one of the oldest festivals in Alsace, bringing together hundreds of musicians to celebrate centuries of tradition, costumes, and music.
Address: 14 Grand’Rue
>>Auberge a l’Elephant
This auberge, or inn, was founded in 1522 and still stands today as a bright yellow building on the square.
It’s main claim to fame? The painted elephant building’s facade—but you’ll need to swing around to the side to spot it, as it’s not visible from the main street.
Address: Place de la 1 Armée
3. Saint Catherine’s Chapel
This small chapel was the burial spot for the noble Ribeaupierre family, and today it is an exhibition hall.
It seems like the opening hours are sporadic though— when I was there in the middle of the day in high season, it wasn’t open.
4. Butcher’s Tower
This tower dates back to the early 1500s and marks the dividing point on Grand’Rue between the upper and lower parts of Ribeauvillé. The name comes from the butcher’s stalls and slaughterhouse that once operated at its base.
At 29 meters (95 feet) high, it’s one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks—and a reminder of just how long the village really is (that a small village can even be divided into an upper and lower section).
5. Place de la Sinne + Fontaine Friedrich
Place de la Sinne is the most charming square in Ribeauvillé, and features a fountain with a statue sculpted in the mid-1800s by André Friedrich, a Ribeauvillé native.
The sculpture represents the beauty, agriculture, and industry of Ribeauville. The square has long been an administrative center of the city; today it’s home to cafes, shops, and beautiful views.
6. Eglise Saint Gregoire
This is the main church in town and has some really unique features. It was originally built in the 1200s and dedicated to Saint Grégoire, the town’s patron saint, but it was significantly renovated in the 1800s.
It’s a typical Gothic-style church, but the striking artwork found inside is truly unique, with several officially listed as French Historical Monuments. There’s a sculpture of Christ in his tomb, and another called the Mount of Olives, dating back to the 1400s.
The Mount of Olives is a set of statues showing Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane while his disciples sleep behind him.
There’s also a beautiful, colorful panel dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary.
7. Place de la Republique
This square is at the far end of town, just past the church. At the top of this square was the “Porte Haute” or the high gate leading into the upper town from outside. A lovely square with a 1800s era fountain.
8. Taste and Buy Wine
Ribeauvillé is well-known for its wine production, and the countryside around town is filled with vineyards. There are three Grand Crus vineyards within the Ribeauvillé limits: Geisberg, Kirchberg, and Osterberg.
Ribeauvillé has many wine shops around the village where you can sample and purchase this renowned local wine.
9. Do the Trois Chateaux de Ribeauvillé Hike
Doing the 3 Castles Hike is truly one of the best things to do in Ribeauvillé. Getting up into the hills and looking out over the village and valley as you make your way between the ruins is incredibly picturesque—plus, bonus: you can actually go up into the castles.
The trail is 3.4-mile (5.5km) long with about 1,200 feet (365 m) of elevation gain. There’s a short entrance path to the trail from the town (location – there are also signs), and then a split where the loop begins.
When you reach the loop, I’d recommend turning left and doing the steeper climb up to Chateau Saint-Ulrich first. This is where you’ll get most of the elevation gain (in just over a mile, or about 0.7km)
However, I do think it’s worth it to just power up here, because the trail is slanted, sandy, and loose in spots, which will make it much trickier and more slippery to descend. The return side is a little less steep, with more dirt than sand and rocks, so it’s an easier downhill.
The first chateau you’ll reach, if you’re hiking clockwise, is Saint-Ulrich, the main residence of the Lords of Ribeaupierre until the early 1500s, and easily the most impressive of the three.
You can walk through what feels like a maze of rooms and ruins—up a staircase here, under an arch there, winding through walls and passageways. It really feels like an adventure.
From the top, you can also look out and see the next castle in the distance.
It’s just a short walk over to Giersberg, the second castle. This one is smaller and doesn’t have the same adventurous element—you basically just walk around the front and look up at it—but it’s still worth the quick detour.
From there, the trail heads uphill again to reach Haut-Ribeaupierre, the final castle. It’s not as large as Saint-Ulrich, but there are still a few spots to explore and take in the views.
The loop then wraps around the back of the mountain, descending gently through a beautiful forested section, eventually bringing you right back to the edge of town.
I’d classify the first part of the hike as moderately strenuous—the uphill climb is no joke and I was definitely working hard. That said, I felt it was manageable hard, and never thought it was too hard to finish (I’d consider myself a solid hiker.)
I think older kids who can handle some elevation gain would enjoy it, especially exploring Saint-Ulrich (and I saw a few families doing just that). For younger kids, though—say 3 to 5 years old—it might be a bit too much unless they’re being carried.
This 3-castle complex easily made the list of best ruined castles in France.
10. Bike Through the Countryside
Biking in Alsace is a very popular activity, and the countryside around Riquewihr is so picturesque! It is often considered one of the best areas in the region for biking. I actually opted for an e-bike, since I’m not a huge biker and I wanted to be able to enjoy the ride as much as possible.
The route I did and would highly recommend is the “Balade des Chateaux.” This loop was 29km (18 miles) long, insanely scenic, and passed through multiple vineyards and villages, including Kayserberg and Riquewihr.
It was *mostly* flat, except for the times when it was actually pretty steep! (Between Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr and then Riquewihr and Kayserberg there are some decent hills -thus the e-bikes are very helpful).
I can’t even tell you how idyllic it was pedaling through the rolling hills, surrounded by vineyards heavy with fruit, seeing little villages dotting the valleys around me. If you’re at all inclined to bike, I can’t recommend this enough.
What was recommended to me at the Tourism Office was to download the Cirkwi app on your phone, and filter for bike routes (you may have to change your language to French for the bike routes to show up).
When you select and follow a route, your GPS will tell you where you are on the path. This is how I found and followed the Balade des Chateaux route I described above.
Okay, so how to get a bike. There is a bike rental company in Ribeauvillé called Ribo’cycles, where you can rent bikes and e-bikes.
I actually rented my e-bike in Riquewihr from Le Vélo Libre, a 24/7 self-service e-bike rental company that allows you to rent bikes for any length of time at any time of day. I rode from there to Ribeauvillé as part of the Balade des Chateaux loop.
Practical Information
How to Get to Ribeauvillé
By Rental Car: Coming to Ribeauvillé by rental car gives you the most flexibility, as you can decide when to arrive and leave, and how long to stay. If you’re planning on visiting a lot of villages and vineyards in Alsace, a rental car might make the most sense. There are easy-to-use parking lots just outside the city center.
However, if you’re visiting Strasbourg, Colmar, and just 1 or 2 other villages, I wouldn’t bother with a car.
By Guided Tour: Guided tours are a great way to visit a few villages in a day. They are the simplest way to get around, since you don’t need to worry about driving, navigating, or parking.
>>This excellent small group guided tour from Colmar takes you to Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kayserberg, and Ribeauvillé, finishing with a wine tasting.
>>Alternatively, this small-group guided tour from Strasbourg will bring you to Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Kayserberg, and Eguisheim, and also includes a wine tasting.
I’ve visited all the spots on both of these tours, and they are all excellent.
By Uber: There is Uber in Alsace, and you can usually get a ride from a bigger city like Strasbourg or Colmar to a smaller village pretty easily. However, you may have problems getting a driver to pick you up in the village.
By Bike: Of course, biking to Ribeauvillé is always an option, as discussed in the section above.
How Long Do You Need to Visit the Village?
Two to five hours is plenty of time to explore the village. Ribeauvillé is very small and there aren’t that many tourist attractions, it’s mostly just strolling around and taking in the vibes.
If you plan to get a meal, do a bit of shopping, or do the hike, plan for 4-5 hours. You can do just an hour or two if you’re just planning to wander the town.
However, if you’re planning to explore Ribeauvillé and then do a biking loop around the countryside, I’d plan for a full day.
Where to Visit Next
There are tons of other great spots to visit in Alsace. You must spend 1-2 days in Strasbourg, the capital of the region, and then a day in Colmar.
There’s also Riquewihr, Eguisheim, and Kayserberg—all adorable villages. And the Chateau de Haut-Koenigsbourg is a stunning castle perched high above the valley.
