Vélo & Houblon: brewery tour in northern Alsace

Enjoy a unique cycling holiday in the heart of northern Alsace, discovering the brewing treasures and authentic landscapes along the Rhine. This 8-day itinerary invites you to cycle over 300 kilometers of cycle paths and back roads, between hop fields and picturesque villages.

From Strasbourg, you’ll cycle through the lush forests of the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park and the Haguenau region. On the other side of the Rhine, you’ll criss-cross the pastoral landscapes of Baden-Württemberg. Each stage brings you closer to emblematic craft breweries, including the famous Villa Meteor, where passion and expertise are savored with every sip.

In addition to the pleasures of discovery, this tour offers you optimum comfort: carefully selected accommodation, luggage transport and detailed travel documents so you can pedal in complete freedom. Talk to passionate brewers, admire Alsace’s « Green Gold », and immerse yourself in centuries-old brewing traditions.

Are you ready for this gourmet and sporting experience? Book this brewing bike tour now and let yourself be seduced by the flavors and landscapes of the Grand Est!

Itinerary :

Day 1: Arrival in Strasbourg
Arrive in Strasbourg, check into your hotel and enjoy a free tour of the city. Take advantage of your free time to visit the magnificent Gothic cathedral and stroll through the historic center, a World Heritage site. Explore the city’s many breweries and restaurants, where you can sample a wide variety of local beers and enjoy delicious Alsatian cuisine.

Day 2: Strasbourg – Rastatt (Germany) ≈ 65 km
A beautiful landscaped cycle path runs through Strasbourg to the banks of the Rhine. You ride leisurely through the Rhine plain, right on the river’s edge. At Drusenheim, a ferry takes you across to the other bank and you continue into Germany through charming alluvial landscapes to Rastatt and its baroque old town. After your first day in the saddle, you can relax in a biergarten or one of the town’s microbreweries, enjoying a beer brewed on site while watching the brewing tanks. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover German brewing specialities and enjoy Rastatt’s friendly atmosphere.

Day 3: Rastatt – Ettlingen (Germany) ≈ 45 km
If you didn’t have the chance the day before, be sure to visit Rastatt Castle, the oldest Baroque residence on the Upper Rhine, and its superb gardens. On the way to Karlsruhe, stop off in Malsch, where you’ll find Hausbrauerei Alter Bahnhof, a local brewery housed in the town’s former railway station. Continue on your way through charming villages to Karlsruhe and take time to stroll through its elegant streets. You can then return to your hotel a few kilometers away.

Day 4: Ettlingen – Wissembourg region ≈ 40 km
Today you have the opportunity to visit the pretty medieval town of Ettlingen and the picturesque district of Durlach before heading back to France. Today’s stage is mainly flat, and takes place largely on the Franco-German cycle path through beautiful woodland and fields along the Lauter valley. When you arrive in Wissembourg, be sure to visit the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, a magnificent Gothic building that bears witness to the town’s religious importance in the Middle Ages. The Westercamp Museum, housed in a former chapel, is home to a wide range of collections
from religious art to archaeological artefacts, offering a fascinating insight into local history.

Day 5: Wissembourg region – Haguenau ≈ 50 km
Today’s stage offers a succession of gentle hills through villages, vineyards, meadows and orchards.
At Cleebourg, drive through Alsace’s most northerly vineyard, then take time to admire the flower-filled half-timbered houses of the village of Hunspach, voted « France’s favorite village in 2020 ». Along the way, make a detour to Fort Schoenenbourg to visit this imposing Maginot Line structure or to enjoy the view from the fortress domes. Finally, discover the Haguenau forest: classified as a « Forêt d’Exception », it offers an unspoilt and authentic natural setting. At the end of the stage, you reach Haguenau. One of the ten free Alsatian cities of the Decapolis in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Haguenau still boasts a pleasant, lively historic center. Here, you can visit the Halle au Hop, an emblematic building once used for drying and storing hops.

Day 6: Haguenau – Saverne ≈ 50 km
Today, discover the Uberach craft brewery. Take the opportunity to book a guided tour there to discover the brewing process and taste a few beers. Your route continues through gently rolling countryside. Stop off in Neuwiller to admire the beautiful Romanesque abbey church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul. Your stopover for the day is Saverne, once the residence of the bishops of Strasbourg, famous for its Château des Rohan, nicknamed Alsace’s Little Versailles, and crossed by the picturesque Canal de la Marne au Rhin. Saverne combines historic charm with natural beauty, at the foot of the Vosges mountains.

Day 7: Saverne – Strasbourg ≈ 60 km
You leave Saverne on EuroVelo 5, which follows the Véloroute du canal de la Marne au Rhin. An easy and totally flat stage, which allows you to admire the beautiful landscapes and pretty villages that line the canal. A stopover in Hochfelden at France’s oldest independent family brewery, Villa Meteor, is a must, as you’ll be treated to an exceptional tour and tasting (included in your stay)! You arrive in Strasbourg via the European institutions district, home to the impressive European Parliament.

Day 8: Departure or extension of your stay