Alsace with Kids: The 5 Best Villages
After a week under the trees in the Vosges, we came down into the vineyards and found ourselves in a string of villages so pretty they look like someone has coloured them in.
Alsace sits in that sliver of France pressed up against Germany, and it feels like both at once. The villages are half-timbered and flower-boxed, the food is hearty, and the Route des Vins d'Alsace threads them together through rolling vineyards. Most of the best Alsace villages are within a 20 minute drive of Colmar, which means short hops in the car, plenty of time on foot, and no one melting down in a car seat.
We ended our summer trip here, with two nights in Colmar after camping in the Vosges forest. These are the five villages we would recommend for families.
Which Alsace Village To Base Yourself
Colmar is the obvious base. It has the widest choice of places to stay, easy parking on the edge of the old town, and every village in this post is a short drive away. If you want more space and a slower pace, the Vosges forest pairs beautifully with a few days in the vineyards. That is exactly how we did it, and it gave Siena a week of running wild before a few days of cobbles and window shopping.
1. Colmar
Best for: canals, chocolate and playgrounds
Colmar is the biggest of the five and the one that sells Alsace on postcards. The old town is compact and mostly pedestrianised, so you can wander without dodging traffic, and the colourful houses leaning over the water in Petite Venise are every bit as lovely as the photos.
The flat-bottomed boat ride along the Lauch is the easy win with kids. It's short, it's gentle, and little ones get a duck's eye view of the flower boxes and bridges. Afterwards, the covered market (Marché Couvert) is a good spot to graze on pretzels, fruit and cheese without committing to a full sit-down meal.
If your children are into big landmarks, tell them that the man who designed the Statue of Liberty, Auguste Bartholdi, was born here. His birthplace is now a museum, and spotting his statues around town makes a surprisingly good treasure hunt.
For a rainy afternoon (or a bribe for good behaviour), Choco-Story is right by the cathedral in the old town. It's an interactive chocolate museum that takes you from cocoa bean to bar, with an audio guide in English and tastings along the way. Allow about an hour and a half, and expect small hands to be sticky by the end. Under-3s go free and children's tickets are reasonably priced.
What surprised us most about Colmar was how well it does playgrounds. When the cobbles and shop windows start to lose their charm, head to the Parc du Champ de Mars, a shady green park just south of the old town on Avenue de la République. There's a lovely playground, an old-fashioned carousel, and on hot summer days a set of splash fountains where jets of water shoot up from the ground. Like most kids Siena would happily have spent the whole afternoon here, and we were very glad of a bench in the shade.
Worth knowing: Colmar is at its busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon when the tour coaches arrive. Early mornings and early evenings are calmer and much nicer for small legs.
2. Eguisheim
Best for: little legs and pushchairs
Eguisheim is tiny and every bit as magical as people say. The village is built in concentric circles around a central square with a small château and chapel, so you simply walk round and round the rings and it's almost impossible to get lost. It's flat, it's short, and a full loop takes under an hour even with stops.
It's also stork central. Look up at the rooftops and chimneys and you will almost certainly spot a nest or two. Siena kept a running tally, which bought us a good twenty minutes of peaceful wandering.
Eguisheim is only around ten minutes from Colmar, which makes it the perfect half day if you have a younger child or a nap to plan around.
Good to know: the cobbles are manageable with a sturdy pushchair, but a carrier is easier if you have a toddler.
3. Kaysersberg
Best for: a castle climb and a riverside stroll
Kaysersberg is where we would take slightly older kids who need something to do rather than just something to look at. Above the village sits a ruined castle with a round tower, and the short, steep path up through the vineyards is a proper little adventure. The views across the rooftops from the top are worth the huffing and puffing.
Back down in the village, the fortified bridge over the River Weiss is the prettiest spot for a photo, and the main street is lined with bakeries. This is a good place to try a slice of kougelhopf, the ring-shaped Alsatian cake that turns up in every window.
It's also the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, if you have a history-loving grandparent in the group.
Heads up: the castle path is not pushchair-friendly. There is lots of parking around the pedestrianised city, keep driving past the 1st parking lot and don't panic!
4. Riquewihr
Best for: the full fairytale, if you go early
Riquewihr is the one everyone has on their list, and for good reason. It's a walled village with a tall gate tower (the Dolder) at the top of the main street, and it looks almost unreal, all painted beams and wrought-iron signs.
It's also the busiest. Arrive early, walk the main street up to the Dolder before the crowds, then slip into the quieter side lanes and along the old ramparts. Kids love poking into the shops, and there's no shortage of ice cream.
Riquewihr pairs nicely with the stork and otter park at nearby Hunawihr (NaturOparC), only a few minutes' drive away. It's a good way to balance a morning of pretty streets with an afternoon of animals, and it's a gentle, low-cost stop.
Heads up: summer weekends are very crowded. If you only have one early start in you, use it here.
5. Ribeauvillé
Best for: a bit of everything, and fewer crowds
Ribeauvillé is a longer, livelier village than its neighbours, strung out along one main street with a medieval Butchers' Tower (Tour des Bouchers) in the middle. It feels a little more lived-in than Riquewihr, and in our experience a little less hectic.
What makes it special is the backdrop. Three castle ruins sit on the wooded hills above the town, and the walk up to the Château de Saint-Ulrich is a lovely family hike through the forest. Allow a couple of hours for the round trip with kids and pack a picnic.
If you are visiting in early September, look out for the Pfifferdaj, the medieval minstrels' festival, when the whole town dresses up.
Good to know: Ribeauvillé is also a short drive from the Volerie des Aigles and Montagne des Singes near Kintzheim, two of the most popular family attractions in the region, if you want to build a full day around it.
Getting around Alsace with kids
A car is by far the easiest way to see the villages. Distances are short, you can go at your own pace, and you are not tied to bus timetables with a tired child. Most villages have paid car parks on the edge of the old centre, so plan to park and walk rather than drive in.
A few things that made our days easier:
Start early. The villages are at their best before 10am and after 5pm.
Watch lunch hours. Many restaurants stop serving lunch around 2pm and don't reopen until dinner. A late lunch can easily turn into an empty-handed hunt.
Tarte flambée is your friend. Thin, crispy and shared at the table, it's the perfect fussy-eater fallback.
Two villages a day is plenty. Pair one "pretty" village with one active stop (a castle, a hike or an animal park) and everyone stays happy.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely! If you're lucky enough to live in Europe, a long weekend is perfect.
If you are pairing it with the Black Forest or the Vosges, it's the perfect add on to your road trip. We went in Summer, however it's known for it's Christmas markets, if you go then, let me know!
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