France for Adventure - Motorcaravanning in Alsace

You can’t have failed to notice how the number of motorcaravans travelling around France has been steadily increasing. Separate parking spaces have been set aside for their use, and almost everywhere you’ll find signs for aire de services—overnight parking areas. You may even have been stuck behind idiots like myself attempting to get a huge vehicle around impossible hairpin bends or through narrow, cobbled villages!

Even the French themselves have stopped buying towing caravans in favour of this form of holiday transport—and there’s a very good reason why. Nowhere in the world is as welcoming, or as well equipped, to deal with motorcaravanners, nor is there another country so perfect for touring in one.

I don’t own a motorhome myself, but I am in a lucky position to be able to borrow one regularly. From my Midlands home it takes longer to get to Northumberland than it does to France, so deciding where to go on holiday isn’t a difficult choice. I just hop on a ferry, fill up with diesel on the continental side (where it’s cheaper), and follow the weather or my mood. Unless aiming for a top tourist destination, such as the côte d’Azur, there’s no need to pre-book campsites—in fact I rarely use campsites at all. France has a huge network of mostly free aire de services where you can just turn up and stay the night for little or no cost, fill and empty your water tanks (expect to pay 1 or 2v), and continue or not the following day depending on what you want to do.

Of course, it always helps if there’s a good restaurant nearby.

Taste of freedom

Motorcaravanning is the ultimate form of escapism and freedom, but I still have to resist my own urges to return to tried and tested favourites, even if I set out for somewhere new. For me, the strongest draw comes from Alsace. Apart from the towns of Colmar and Strasbourg, this isn’t a region that your average holidaymaker would travel to, leaving me and my motorcaravanning comrades to explore the region in relative peace.

So what’s so special about Alsace? Well, the food, for starters. Then there’s the scenery, the historic buildings and castles—well, everything really. Here, the German and French cultures have clashed over centuries, linking the language, architecture and cuisine in a best-of-both-worlds blend. In fact, the only feature that separates the two countries at this point is the River Rhine, although even this mighty body of water has time and time again proved an ineffective barrier against historic invasions, not least from the great Roman leader Caesar.

The trouble is, when I go somewhere I know so well, there’s a subconscious routine to follow. My first stop tends to be Kaysersberg, where there’s one of the designated overnight stopping areas—although you do have to pay a small fee to use this one. It’s just a few minutes’ walk away from the heart of this beautiful hamlet, which is built around an enchanting river that oozes its way through the village centre and beneath a fortified bridge. When standing upon its span you need only lift your eyes to spy the crumbling walls of the ruined hill-top castle, although only its keep now stands tall.

There are a number of great restaurants to choose from in Kaysersberg, although, of course, with a motorhome you can carry and cook all the food you need. Motorcaravanning isn’t true ‘camping’—most motorhomes have a four-burner hob atop an oven and grill, a full-sized sink and drainer, and a fridge plenty large enough to hold enough pâté, cheese, and even ice cream, to feed an army.

One of the things I love most about travelling this way is the ability to shop in the local markets or town grocers, and to make the most of the freshest local produce. You can warm up freshly-bought quiches and tarts, or, if you’ve forgotten to buy before the shops close for lunch, you can toast day-old French bread topped with cheese and ham. Afterwards, if you get in a mess eating delicious gâteaux, you can have a proper wash and tidy up. But all of this is normally forgotten as I recall previous outings to the town’s Au P’Tit Creux, where they serve superb tartes flambées—a local speciality that resembles an extremely thin pastry-based pizza that should be simply topped with onions, cheese and herbs.

Just north of Kaysersberg are Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr, which both boast bags of charm. Multi-coloured timbered buildings proliferate in both, as well as flowing fountains and stone towers. Riquewihr also has a more basic appeal. The Biscuiterie Artisanale, which is situated on the main pedestrian street, creates the most amazing macaroons in rum and raisin, orange, and chocolate flavours—to name but a few. The last time I indulged, I was ordered not to shut the bag for an hour as the macaroons were so fresh they steamed. I did shut the bag up after an hour, but only when inserting it into the rubbish bin having finished the entire stash.

Winter visitors

There are so many towns and villages in which to pause around here, and rarely is it a problem to stop, however large the motorhome. But one place that can get a little tricky is Turckheim, where the large car park beside one of the main towered gateways is often crowded. Persistence is rewarded, however, particularly in the evening. At 10pm each night, from May to October, the night watchman walks through the streets wrapped in a great coat and carrying his halberd. He stops on every street corner to sing before continuing on his musical tour.

A major road takes you from Turckheim to Gérardmer, but, as with many of Alsace’s roads, it takes longer to traverse than anticipated due to its twisty and often narrow nature. Gérardmer’s town centre is not particularly inspiring, but its lake is a mecca for watersports enthusiasts. During the summer, windsurfers and sailboarders take to the choppy waters to partake in their whim. But my winter sojourns here show a different side to the resort. The lake becomes iced at the edges and snow piles up along the promenade. The sailboarders have long since left, to be replaced by land-bound snow boarders and skiers who enthusiastically use the ski-resorts found amongst the nearby hills.

Sounds cold? Don’t think that motorcaravanning is purely a summer sport—it can be even more fun in the cold and snowy winter months. Warming cups of coffee and hot soup are available on tap, and with modern heaters keeping the living area snug there’s no excuse to be chilly. And there are as many clothes on board as you can wear, as well as a place to dry them after a walk through the soft snow.

Having said that I almost never use campsites, there is one I sometimes frequent—the Camping Les Sources at Wattwiller. This tiny village is found at the southernmost reaches of what must be one of Alsace’s most spectacular roads, the route des Crêtes.

The route through mile upon mile of dramatic scenery, which can be seen even more clearly from a motorhome’s panoramic window than from a car—you sit that much higher, allowing you to peer over hedges and fences. There are many places to don your hiking boots along the Route, as well as places to stop and admire the paragliders’ derring-do as they throw themselves off the gentle slopes before circling high into the air.

The highest point on the route is the Grand Ballon, which reaches 4,672ft above sea level. A radar station marks the summit, to which you can walk and enjoy the view that encompasses the southern Vosges as well as the Black Forest. In fact, on a clear day, you may even see a glimpse of the Jura Mountains and the Alps.

Call of the vines

Not long into my trip I start to feel the urge to buy some wine, and again, a motorhome comes into its own for this—especially if it is one featuring a fixed double bed. If this is the case, below the mattress you’ll have your own ‘cave’ that will hold box upon box of the local tipple. Vines cover the eastern side of Alsace’s spine-like Vosges mountains, which protect the ripe, juicy grapes from the worst of the wind, snow and rain storms. The mountains also make this one of the driest and temperate regions of France, despite its northerly site. You may have maligned some German wine in the past, but don’t write off all the vins d’Alsace quite so readily because of their eclectic heritage and German sounding titles.

Alsace has an official wine route that starts close to Wattwiller and takes you through the main wine producing villages. Gueberschwihr is one of our favourites, although we never approach from the south with a motorhome as an unexpected archway is too low for anything but a car to pass beneath. Gueberschwihr is almost completely untouched by tourism, which seems as good a reason as any to buy most of our wine here. More touristy, but ending my tasting tour in style, is Eguisheim.

After purchasing the last few bottles, jamming the boxes together in the motorhome’s ‘cave’ and stuffing extra padding (ie. plenty of spare towels) between them for extra safety, I return to the town’s outskirts and follow the route circuit signs that lead you around its glorious circular streets. Once again, this town is full of half-timbered buildings, their overflowing flowerboxes hanging between brightly-painted shutters. There’s a timeless aura here that harks back to quieter and gentler times—a feeling reinforced by the fact that Eguisheim’s heart is almost completely bereft of cars due to the narrowness of the cobbled streets. The central square is home to the Fountain of St Léon IX, as well as the obligatory church and castle. Small shops sell local wares, including the distinctive fluted and twisted mould in which the local kugelhopf are made. These breads are flavoured with raisins, almonds and kirsch, and can be seen in bakery windows throughout Alsace.

View from a castle

So, wine bought, what now? Another reason Alsace draws me back over and over again is its network of impressive castles and fortifications. It’s possible to spend days touring them all, but the grandest of them all is Haut-Kœnigsbourg. Sitting atop the 755m-high mountain of Stophanberch, the castle is visible long before you reach the steep and twisting road that leads to its entrance. The building may look complete today, but at the end of the 1800s this 12th-century castle was in desperate need of some ‘TLC’. Bodo Eberhardt was given the task of returning the building to its 15th and 16th-century state, although he was criticised for using a little artistic licence in changing the number of covered parapets, as well as the keep’s form.

Another of my favourites is Hohlandsbourg—the largest château on the 20km Route des Cinq Châteaux. Parking is limited and difficult in larger vehicles, but the views from the top of the castle’s renovated stone walls make the effort immaterial.

I’ll never convince some to shun their luxury hotels in favour of motorcaravanning, but for those with a more adventurous bent there is no better way to holiday.

You can cover a lot more ground in a week or two as you aren’t having to waste time, and road miles, returning to your accommodation each night, and anyone who loves cooking and using local produce will find themselves in seventh heaven.

Think you can tempt me with a long hot bath and a maid to make my bed every day? Nope—not me.

Things to note

Change is often not available at the aire de services stations, so make sure you have a ready supply of one-euro coins.

Motorway tariffs are substantially higher for motorcaravans than for cars, so make sure you budget for this before you head off.

Pay particular notice to height and width restrictions, as well as overhanging buildings that all too often catch the top of taller motorcaravans.

Always carry snow chains during the winter months when travelling in mountainous or hilly areas. I have never had to use them in France (and only twice in Switzerland), but it pays to be safe. And make sure your on-board gas supply is Propane and not Butane—the latter freezes very easily although Propane will see you through whatever the weather.

When it’s cold outside, always keep the motorhome’s interior warm even if you’re out sightseeing as, if the temperature of the water tank drops below six degrees, a valve may dump its contents. Trying to refill it can be difficult, as many of the service area’s taps will also be frozen. Your boiler can be seriously damaged if it