Village Life: Kaysersberg, France

Could you not just eat this place up? Alsatian villages are the absolute cutest. As if Colmar didn't provide enough swooning for the day, we decide to make a pit stop at another vineyard-engulfed village before heading back to Riquewihr for the night. Kaysersberg, a village just 11 km north of Colmar, was equally as charming but on a smaller scale. There were maybe 15 streets total...but an abundance of overflowing flower boxes, colorful facades, and tiny shops filled with wine, cheese, and more French sweetness than one could ever handle. If you Google Earth this town, you'll see vineyards wrap around every square inch of it (same with all the little villages dotted throughout Alsace). A wine-lover's dream if there ever was one. There wasn't much to do here but wine and wander-it-up...but my camera sure was happy, and so was my heart. Joie de vivre at its finest. These tiny towns hidden among the grapes are what my traveling soul yearns for. Simple and quaint, yet unique as a snowflake...no two hold the same quirks as the next.

As the French say, "Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimes beaucoup!" 

Kasyersberg (and Alsace) in a nutshell. ♥

German Wine Towns to Love: Bernkastel-Kues

I swear, Germany just oozes cute towns...and I've got another adorable one to share with you guys! Bernkastel-Kues is one of those towns that you'd probably never know about unless someone mentioned it to you. Heck, we didn't find out about it until I asked a friend if she knew a fun wine town to visit. Nestled into the hills of the Mosel River Valley, Bernkastel-Kues is quite unsuspecting just driving by it along the river road. At first glance from the river, Bernkastle looks a bit lackluster...but as you make your way through the winding cobblestone streets and pop out at the city's quaint Marktplatz, you'll be transported into half-timbered heaven. Like most towns along the Mosel River, wine is its main economic staple (and thank the Lord for that!). You can find local vintners and their signature bottles on just about every street corner. We spent the morning popping in and out of various winery stores, sipping their grape and stocking up on bottles to ship back to the states with us. We also had some beyond delicious Italian food at a little restaurant right on the Marktplatz called Pizzeria Italia Badstube (great pizzas and baked pastas!). Just before leaving Bernkastel, we decided to wander across the river to see if anything fun caught our eye. It was a leisurely Saturday after all. We stumbled upon the greatest wine-lover's paradise just a short walk from the bridge. More on our divine wine find to come! :)

Riquewihr, France: Alsace Wine Region

Doesn't this town look like the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary?! 6 year anniversary, to be exact! Last July, as the first of three heat waves made its way into Europe, D and I took a 3 hour drive from Wiesbaden to the beautiful village of Riquewihr, France. This too-cute-for-words cobblestoned town is part of the famed Alsatian Wine Route and is just about the epitome of French charm. Colorful houses, wine-filled shops, and flower boxes bursting at the seams with fresh blooms…if France ever had a storybook village, THIS WAS IT. One of my favorite things about living in Europe these last 3 years have been quaint towns like these, nestled in between vineyards and oozing picturesque scenery. The only other town that I could compare to this would be Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany…also one of my very favorites. Riquewihr, while also walled like Rothenburg, was much smaller and surrounded on all sides by lush, green vineyards. This place was practically begging me to stay there forever!

We stayed just inside the old walls of the town at the most adorable hotel with the most lovely views (Hotel à L'Oríel, in case you were wondering). Everyday we had a traditional European breakfast in the sitting room with the owner's friendly cat. Every night we dined al fresco with chilled wine, stinky cheese, and under the romantic ambiance of the French countryside. Sounds like a total dream, right? It was. Granted, it also reached 108°F one afternoon (no, seriously…I have photos of town thermometers), but with such sweet scenery surrounding us on our weekend of love, we almost didn't notice. Allllmost. 3 cold showers a day kept the heat tolerable, but I digress. We spent the morning of our first full day in Alsace wandering around the alleyways of Riquewihr, stopping in for wine tastings at various winery stores and shopping for French treats unique to the region. The rest of the afternoon was spent a short drive away in Colmar…the widely-known "capital of Alsatian wine". More French fun to come!