Riquewihr & Ribeauvillé – Fairytale French Villages You Need To See

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“Little town, it’s a quiet village…” is the opening line Belle sings in Beauty and the Beast. Anyone who’s a fan of the movie (both hands in the air, right here!) will know that Belle is from a small village in France. But did you know that you can visit the supposed real life inspiration behind Belle’s hometown in Beauty & The Beast? Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé are the absolutely stunning towns that look like they’re right out of a fairytale. So it’s easy to see why they might have inspired this Disney masterpiece.

Where are Riquewihr & Ribeauvillé?

Both of these small villages are in the Alsace region of eastern France. Strasbourg is the nearest big city – and an excellent base for exploring the region. Only 40-miles away, you can be in these idyllic Disney-esque villages in less than an hour.

If I’m honest, the Alsace region is full of heart-achingly beautiful villages and towns. But Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé are the crème de la crème, to explain it in an even more French way.

And the even better news? Along with them being so close to Strasbourg for a day visit, they are also close enough to each other that you can explore them both in one trip. With just over 3-miles/5km between them you can easily drive, cycle or maybe even walk through the spectacular French countryside to get to the other.

Unfortunately public transport is not really a good option in the Alsace region, so your best bet is to rent a car or take a bus tour.

How long should I spend there?

Why would you ever want to leave? That should be the real question. Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé are two of the most jaw-droppingly picture-perfect villages I’ve ever visited.

I could have stayed there a week and not tired of walking around the tiny cobbled streets, gazing up at the half-timbered haphazardly leaning buildings in every color you could imagine.

A day trip would do it. Spend a few hours in each of the villages, grab some lunch, dinner, maybe an al fresco beer in the summer sun. You can see what you would want to see in that time for sure.

If you have more time to spare, book a rustic B&B or village hotel so you can see Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé before the day trippers arrive or after they leave. The villages are popular and can get busy, especially when bus tours roll in and out. Take at least one morning and get up early to get some nice pictures of the almost empty streets.

What’s so special about Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé?

I mean, just look at them. It’s not every day you can say you basically walked around a real life fairytale village. Let alone two in such proximity to each other.

Nestled in the middle of the Alsace wine region with all its vineyard-topped rolling green hills, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé will have you searching for enchanted castles in no time.

Taking a closer look at both of these fairytale villages there’s plenty more to impress you than just their geography.

Beautiful buildings

You’ll be captivated by every charming 16th Century structure from the minute you arrive in either village. Most of the half-timbered houses have subtle differences that make each one unique. Add to that the wide range of colors each one is painted, and you can guarantee no street looks alike.

The added touch of contrasting colored window shutters makes the design of each building pop even more. And if you look carefully as you walk around you’ll notice that the timber in the buildings often forms distinctive patterns, with no two the same.

Flowers everywhere

You don’t get voted into the most beautiful villages club if you don’t put in the effort. Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé definitely put in the effort by adding decorations of pretty flowers throughout the villages. From the perfectly placed window boxes on the houses, to the expertly curated planters dotted around the streets.

In a nod to their wine-making background, barrels and other such items are used to house even more floral arrangements. With villages this beautiful it’s hard not to (literally) stop and smell the roses.

Good food

Each of the villages of Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé has more than its fair share of restaurants and eateries. Grab a patio and enjoy some local cuisine with a glass of Alsace wine, or a cold refreshing beer. The food consists of both French and German influences and is different to other regions in France.

Tarte Flambée, also know as Flammekueche is probably the widest known specialty. It’s basically a very thin flat bread covered in delicious toppings – especially local cheeses and lardons. Trust me, it’s amazing.

Short on time? Hopefully not. But in case you are there are lots of “on the go” food options too. Yummy fresh ice cream, made to order crêpes and hot or cold baguette sandwiches. You won’t starve in Alsace that’s for sure.

Local specialty shops

It wouldn’t be a major tourist destination if there weren’t a few shops selling overpriced and overproduced trinkets. But they’re popular for a reason. And there are just as many little shops in both Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé with local specialties for sale.

My favorite travel purchase is anything food related. Make sure to check out local spiced bread, jams, mustards and sauerkraut. Obviously it wouldn’t be a trip to Alsace if you didn’t buy some wine too.

As well as food, Alsace is famous for its linens and pottery, both of which you can find in these charming villages. The region is also a popular Christmas market destination so make sure to check out the year-round Christmas shops with hand-crafted decorations.

Unique clocktowers

I feel like no village is complete without an ornate clocktower. Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé are no different. Maybe it’s because they know people will lose track of time getting lost in the adorably quaint streets.

Clocktowers are often the most prominent structure in a small village, and can be seen from great distances. As well as the main clocktowers you can usually find clock dials and sundials dotted around on various buildings. Rule number one about visiting fairytale villages? Don’t forget to look up!

Pretty public fountains

Some are for providing a free source of drinking water, others are merely for decoration. Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé both have some lovely public fountains, elaborately carved or decorated.

If nothing else, these fountains are the perfect way to wash your hands or cool down on hot summer days. The bigger fountains can be found usually in the main square or along the busy streets, but keep an eye out for the smaller drinking water sources in the tiny side streets.

Scenic streets

When visiting Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé don’t forget to meander of the more popular streets onto quieter ones. These smaller, residential streets often have just as much beauty but are way less busy. Perfect for some people-free shots.

Away from the tourist shops and packed restaurants, it’s much easier to imagine yourself in a fairytale village in the quieter parts of town. The quaint cobble-stone streets get narrower the further you get from the main drag. And other than a couple of signs of modern life you they seem relatively unchanged from hundreds of years ago.

Historical sites

It’s not just the pretty houses and shops that are worth noting in these two French villages. In Ribeauvillé make some time to walk the Three Castles hikes. You’ll start following the trail from the top end of the village past a historic tower and it only gets better from there. There are a number of castles in the area in various states of disrepair, but still very impressive to see.

In Riquewihr, the Thieves Tower museum gives a bit of insight into French prison life a few hundred years ago. Complete with torture chamber – delightful, but interesting. There’s no shortage of historical site in either of these beautiful villages

Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé: The perfect Disney fairytale villages

You can’t go wrong in visiting these idyllic French villages in the irresistibly charming Alsace region. They ooze fairytale vibes from every narrow street, around every historic corner and from every bright and cheerful building.

Your heart, your stomach and your Instagram followers will thank you a million times over for taking a trip back in time to these magnificent villages. The only decision I might not stand by Belle on would be her desire to leave such dreamy places as Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé if her town was anything like them.

Spend a couple of hours, spend a day, spend a week. But you won’t be disappointed you made the effort in getting out of Strasbourg to enjoy some of the prettiest villages you’ll likely ever come across.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Are you tempted to visit Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé on your next trip to France? What is it about these fairytale villages that would makes you want to stay there longer?