I first visited Alsace on a bicycle, riding across the Rhine River from Germany during my student years. Alsace dazzled me then, and I felt just as impressed by its fairy-tale landscape of hilly vineyards, half-timbered towns and crumbling castles on my recent visit. The region’s unique cuisine combines French and German influences to great effect, and its wines — Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, among others — are justly acclaimed. But the main purpose of my visit was to fill a hole in our hotel map.

Map of Alsace region of FranceFor years, we have recommended only two hotels in the region, both of which are in Strasbourg. Alsace’s largest city is fascinating to explore, but I wanted to find some hideaways along the picturesque Route des Vins, which serpentines its way through vineyards and wine villages among the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. That way, Hideaway Report members could construct a driving itinerary linking Strasbourg with Alsace’s exquisite wine country and my other favorite city in the region, Colmar.

5 Terres Hôtel & Spa

Barr, France