Holidays & summer stay in Riquewihr, Alsace, France: the famous Venetian Parade, the national holiday of July 14 (Bastille Day), parties and hikes in the vineyard. Getaways in the Vosges mountains, meals and cheeses at the farm-inns… Animal parks. Discoveries off the beaten track.
Summer is the season of the “big holidays”, the one we were looking forward to when we were children. Everywhere along the Alsace wine route, festivals and events follow one another, to the greatest joy of all. In Riquewihr, we can mention the Knepfelfascht, a gastronomic festival around the quenelle, in mid-June and the magnificent Venetian Parade, the first weekend of July. At our neighbours in Ribeauvillé: the Gastronomy and Wine Festival in July, the Corso Fleuri of Sélestat in mid-August, as well as the fabulous Pfifferdaj, the feast of the minstrels which, for more than 600 years, has been held on the first weekend of September.
💡 The right plan for your summer holidays in Riquewihr and Alsace 👉 book a stay at the beginning of July or after August 15
When we talk about summer holidays, we immediately imagine huge crowds storming summer attractions. This is not really the case, neither in Riquewihr, nor in Alsace in general. The first week of July and the second half of August are even relatively calm. At the beginning of July, the families are not yet there and after August 15, parents and children have already returned home to prepare for the start of the school year. If you are looking for a pleasant and calmer summer stay, you now know what the best periods are.
To all those who stay in one of our accommodations in the Remparts de Riquewihr or at our Mountain Hiker vacation rental in the village of La Vancelle, we communicate here some good tips and suggestions to make the most of their summer stay in the heart of Alsace. My page is for all travelers who want to discover Alsace during the summer holidays.
“Charm & chic” cottages in Riquewihr
Want to stay in the vineyard, on the Alsace wine route, at the foot of the Vosges, in a superb landscape?
Easy and spectacular hikes through the vineyards will take you to Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Zellenberg or Kientzheim and Kaysersberg, on the ancient pilgrimage route, the Camino of Santiago de Compostella.
The fabulous Venetian Parade of Riquewihr, July 5 & 6, 2025
Every year, on the first Sunday of July, Riquewihr welcomes more than 80 costumed characters for the Venetian Parade. You will be under the spell of these incredible costumes resulting from the encounter of the imagination, history and virtuosity of their creators. Most of these characters perform at the Venice carnival. In the beautiful Renaissance decor of the historic city of Riquewihr, it is a colourful and romantic weekend not to be missed!
To discover along the streets of Riquewihr: fabulous costumes and enigmatic characters…
👉 Every year, at the Gîtes des Remparts de Riquewihr, we welcome these fabulous costumed characters in our small garden on Rue des Cordiers.
Travellers staying in one of our cottages are in the front row to admire the costumes. Click on the image below to immerse yourself in our Venetian daydreams in the garden and admire the costumes.
The Venetian Parade of Riquewihr, an event of crazy romanticism!
Saturday, July 5, 2025
- From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Venetian market – Place de la Mairie
- 10 a.m.: Free stroll in the city, mime animation
- From 2 p.m.: Artistic makeup workshop
- 3 p.m.: Grand day parade, rue du Général de Gaulle
- 9 p.m.: Presentation of the costumes in Place de la Mairie
- 9:30 p.m.: Night parade of costumed, rue du Général de Gaulle
Sunday, July 6, 2025
- From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Venetian market – Place de la Mairie
- 10 a.m.: Free stroll in the city, mime animation
- 3 p.m.: Costume parade parade – rue du Général de Gaulle
Subject to change depending on weather conditions
The Venetian Parade of Riquewihr is organised by the association “Rêveries Vénitiennes” based in Yvoire, on the shores of Lake Geneva. In 2025, it will be the 13th edition! This exceptional event faithfully adopts the spirit of the traditional Venice Carnival where the anonymity of the participants is preserved with absolute rigour.
The Venetian Parade of Riquewihr is distinguished by the quality and authenticity of the costumes presented. Behind their masks, the participants silently embody different emblematic characters: marquis, buffoons, lovers, or other figures, melancholic or joyful. Always fantastic. Elegance and refinement, mystery and theatricality meet in Riquewihr for the delight of the spectators.
Two daytime parades and a night parade through Riquewihr, Saturday and Sunday, July 5 & 6, 2025.
The beautiful little town of Riquewihr, one of the most beautiful villages in France, straight out of the 16th century, forms a perfect setting for these mysterious characters. The parades, day and night, are an opportunity to admire all these wonderful costumes.
The costumes, created with noble materials and artisanal techniques, testify to the know-how and passion of the participants. The Venetian costume enthusiasts who participate in the Venetian parade of Riquewihr come from several regions of France but also from Germany, Italy or Belgium. They scrupulously respect the ancestral codes: wearing a mask, gloves and a hood. No patches of skin should be visible, except for the eyes. This perfect discretion creates the mysterious atmosphere that characterises this major cultural event.
Click on the image below to immerse yourself in our Venetian daydreams in the garden and admire the costumes.
By staying in one of our accommodations of the Remparts de Riquewihr, you will be in the first row!
What to do in and around Riquewihr? Some events of the summer of 2025
Throughout the summer 2025, there are good times to spend in Riquewihr. Here are some suggestions.
Summer, gourmet or music guided tours…
HUNAFASCHT, August 1 & 2, 2025, it’s the village party in Hunawihr!
From 6 p.m., on August 1 and 2, 2025, two festive evenings with an exceptional atmosphere in an idyllic setting at the foot of the beautiful mediaeval and illuminated church of Hunawihr. Tasting of Alsace wines and flambéed pies, sausages and homemade desserts. Musical, family and village atmosphere. Always a good time.
Tuesday barbeque evenings in Riquewihr…
Between the town hall of Riquewihr and the castle of the Dukes of Württemberg is the beautiful shaded esplanade of the ramparts, an ideal place to gather for beautiful evenings in summer.
In July and August, for a few years now, Tuesday evenings are THE great moment of conviviality of the week in Riquewihr. Tables and benches are installed under the trees. Volunteers prepare large barbeques. Local producers come to settle on the esplanade to offer their cold cuts, meats, cheeses, bread… Everyone buys what they like from the artisans and has their meat grilled on the barbeques that are self-service.
Bring your beautiful wine glasses, your precious plates if you want but before all, bring your good mood!
Click on the image above to see the atmosphere of summer Tuesdays in Riquewihr on video.
July 13 – Vigil of the National Day
The tradition in Riquewihr is to celebrate July 14, national holiday, from the evening of July 13, in the form of a joyful vigil to which everyone is invited to come and share their good mood. The brass band and firefighters open the parade with torches and everyone is invited to participate! The party also takes place on the terraces of the restaurants and, at nightfall, a fireworks display is fired from the top of the Schœnenbourg hillside.
CORSO FLEURI (flower parade) in Sélestat, capital of the dahlia:
August 9 & 10, 2025
Every year in mid-August, the city of Sélestat dresses in hundreds of thousands of dahlias that triumph during two magnificent flowery corsos including a night parade. And I am always happy to attend, especially at the nocturnal corsa during which the 500,000 dahlias that cover a dozen floats shine brightly.
The 2025 flower parade (corso fleuri) will take place on August 9 and 10, 2025.
The first parade of flowered floats in Sélestat dates back to the 1930s (1929). Even today, dozens of volunteers, of all generations are working behind the scenes, for four months, to make the Sélestat flowery corsair, one of the most important floral festivals in Eastern France.
Saturday, August 9, 2025 is THE big day.
- From 4 p.m.: Animations in the city centre
- At 6 p.m.: Day parade – preceded by the parade of vintage cars at 5:45 p.m.
- 10 p.m.: Night procession – preceded by the parade of vintage cars at 9:45 p.m.
- Midnight: Fireworks at the canoeing lake
On Sunday, August 10, will extend the festival more modestly with the exhibition of the 12 floats and folkloric animations on the Place de la Victoire…
The essential experiences a few kilometres from Riquewihr, to the delight of young and old…
If you are staying in Riquewihr with your family during the summer holidays, you should not miss a visit to these animal parks. They are only a few kilometres from Riquewihr and will excite your children. And probably you too 😏
To discover all summer and until the end of the autumn holidays 2025
NATUROPARC, paradise of storks and otters in Hunawihr
Less than 1,5 miles away from our vacation rentals in Riquewihr. A great experience for families!
Originally, Naturoparc (the new name of the “Parc des Cigognes”) was exclusively a captive breeding site for the white stork. It was in order to safeguard the emblematic stork of Alsace that the Hunawihr Centre was born in 1976. It is here that the creators of the Volerie des Aigles in Kintzheim, managed to find a technique to “re-populate” Alsace with the stork…
The Parc des Cigognes is open until November 11, 2025. For details and schedules, visit the Naturoparc website in Hunawihr.
The Eagles Park (Volerie des Aigles) at the castle of Kintzheim, at the foot of the Haut-Koenigsbourg
It has been over 50 years since the venerable ruin of Kintzheim Castle on the slopes of Haut-Koenigsbourg castle became the sumptuous theatre of the Eagles Park (Volerie des Aigles) and its feathered boarders. Ladies and
gentlemen, what they offer you here is a ballet. An artistic aerial ballet during which the winged stars – these same majestic raptors that you will have approached when you arrive – will embark on breathtaking numbers
of high acrobatics under the guidance of their riders, the falconiers.
Until November 11, 2025.
The fabulous garden of exotic butterflies
In Hunawihr, right next to Naturoparc, a colourful walk to discover hundreds of exotic butterflies in the lush flora of tropical greenhouses.
Butterflies lead a secret and hidden life. They are fragile and discreet beings. Unfortunately, butterflies are disappearing very quickly all over the world. You are here in the paradise of photographers. You will approach the butterflies within 10 cm and some may even come and land on you.
Open until NOV 2, 2025.
Website:
https://www.jardinsdespapillons.fr
On the Monkey Mountain
At the Monkey Mountain in Kintzheim, get near to 200 macaques!
The “Montagne des Singes” is an animal park located in the municipality of Kintzheim, a few kilometres from the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg and very close to the Eagles Park (Volerie des Aigles). This year the park celebrates its 55th anniversary. Here there is no cage, it is you who walk in a forest of 24 hectares where you will be nose to nose with the monkeys!
Open until November 11, 2025
Learn more about the Monkey Mountain.
In our little mountain village of La Vancelle, on the slopes of the Vosges, see our holiday apartment “The Mountain Hiker*****”
Are NATURE, VIEW, TRANQUILLITy & GARDEN important for your holiday in Alsace?
Here is our apartment in the middle of the mountains, in the pretty garden village of La Vancelle. In a large clearing surrounded by forests between Strasbourg and Colmar. Exceptional environment. Ideal for resting. Practical and central location for visits throughout Alsace and Vosges mountains. Easily accessible at any time of the year.
Spacious, luxurious apartment (65 sqm2) and very comfortable for 2/3 people, on the first upper floor. Quiet with breathtaking views in a magnificent environment. Private area in the garden with a gazebo.
A perfect place to stay in the Alsatian Vosges. With wine road and gastronomy almost right outside the door!
Official 5-star classification (May 2025) by the Tourism Ministry.
Getaway in the mountains, in the High-Vosges, in the land of Munster cheese…
The valley of Munster is less than an hour away from our accommodations in Riquewihr. A day in the mountains is a unique experience in summer, especially when it’s warm in the plains. Avoid weekends because Alsatians themselves love the Vosges. And above all, if you want to eat in a farm-inn, don’t forget to reserve your table…
A summer day on the Route des Crêtes des Vosges.
How beautiful is this Route des Crêtes (ridge road)! I travel it all year round, to go hiking, take animal photos or to hide from the heat of July-August. The forest changes over the seasons but it is always beautiful. So hop-la (as they say in Alsace), put on your sneakers and get on your way to an excursion on the ridge road and a little hike on the high-altitude pastures. And then, have a remarkable meal in a mountain inn (or a picnic with the products of the farm).
After a beautiful day in the mountains, walking on the paths of the Vosges ridges and a good traditional lunch in a farm-inn, back to the vineyard for the night! By booking one of our cottages located on the ramparts of Riquewihr, you will have a strategic base in the centre of Alsace, ideal for discovering the entire region and even the nearby Black Forest.
On the Munster cheese route.
Just like Alsace wine, the famous local cheese, Munster, also has its way. The Munster valley, with its magnificent mountain landscapes, brings together 16 municipalities where the farms-inns, cheese factories and the House of the Munster Cheese (Maison du Fromage) offer you farm munsters made with the milk of the cows that graze in the surrounding mountains. A pure delight! This is the opportunity to take a beautiful excursion in the Munster valley and on the high-altitude pastures and then stop at a farm-inn and taste all this. Do not hesitate to buy some: they will put it under vacuum so that you can bring it back to the cottage without the smell of the munster embalming the car 😉
The Vosges cow, queen of the mountain!
The “vosgienne” cow wears a more or less regular white band on the back and stomach and black spots on the face. Its short crescent horns are curved upwards. She is of medium size.
The Vosges cow is remarkably hardy: she is an excellent walker. Hikers who follow the herd during transhumance know something about it, watch the video later! The Vosges cow can accommodate difficult reliefs and contributes to the maintenance of high-altitude meadows; it maintains the diversity of the flora.
The Vosges cow gives less milk than the “plain” cows but it is of high quality, appreciated for munster cheese but also local specialties such as “barkas” and “bibeleskaes”. The “coeur de massif” cheese is produced only with milk from the Vosges cow.
Transhumance, a great moment in the Munster valley!
In the middle of spring, the herds leave the farms of the valley to join the high-altitude pastures. In autumn, they go the opposite way. When the high-altitude fodder has been grazed, the cows go back down to spend the winter warmer in the valley. It’s transhumance. It is a tradition still very much alive in many farms and a festive moment for farmers, their herds and nowadays, for lovers of nature and rurality.
Many hikers follow the herds but be careful, the cows are fast and enduring. You have to be a good walker. Otherwise, join them somewhere on their way down or wait for them at destination.
Have a look below at this little video that I made a few years ago at the Schiessroth farm, at the foot of the Hohneck, above the Gaschney. It is this herd that goes down to the streets of Munster.
Transhumance and Pie Festival in Munster
Mi- Septembre 2025, date à confirmer
You will be in the mood of folklore and farmer traditions, on the occasion of the Munster Transhumance festival which celebrates the return of Vosges cows to the valley. Cheese-making demonstrations, mini-farm, dances and horns of
the Alps delight young and old, not to mention the remarkable meal at the Festival Hall (tasting of the real pie of the valley) and the parade of beautiful Vosges cows in
the streets of Munster around 4 pm.
Throughout the day: peasant market, concerts, animations, games and exhibitions on the theme of Transhumance.
After a beautiful day in the mountains, walking on the paths of the Vosges ridges and a good traditional lunch in a farm-inn, back to the vineyard for the night! By booking one of our cottages located on the ramparts of Riquewihr, you will have a strategic base in the centre of Alsace, ideal for discovering the entire region and even the nearby Black Forest.
“Charm & chic” cottages in Riquewihr
Want to stay in the vineyard, on the Alsace wine route, at the foot of the Vosges, in a superb landscape?
Easy and spectacular hikes through the vineyards will take you to Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Zellenberg or Kientzheim and Kaysersberg, on the ancient pilgrimage route, the Camino of Santiago de Compostella.
In the Ribeauvillé & Riquewihr area, the Pfifferdaj 2025, the festival of the Minstrels of Ribeauvillé, ends the summer season.
The festival of the Minstrels, with more than 600 years of age, is the oldest festival in Alsace.
Here are some videos to get you in the mood!
The lord of Ribeaupierre, king of the Minstrels. More than 6 centuries of history in Ribeauvillé!
In the Middle Ages, storytellers, entertainers, jugglers, singers, histrions, toured Alsace from city to city, from castle to castle, to show their talent. A local legend says that on a St. John’s Day (in the past an event was located not by the date but by the saint of the day), a poor man lamented on the side of the road when the Sire de Ribeaupierre came… The lord asked why these people were so sad. He was told that the man had broken his fife, his only livelihood. Magnanimous, the Sire de Ribeaupierre thres him a purse full of gold. “I don’t like people crying on my land,” he told him. Buy another fife and come see me up there one day. You will make youth dance! “.
A few days later, according to legend, an important procession was on its way to the castle: drums, trumpet blowers, beast showers… One of the minnows came forward carrying a golden fife and a crown and, to thank the Sire for his great generosity, sacred him King of the Minstrels.
From this day, every year, the minstrels give an aubade to the one whose vassals they were (the Pfifferdaj) and carry a crown to Our Lady of Dusenbach, their patron (the pilgrimage of the following Sunday).
In reality, the lord of Ribeaupierre was a clever politician. He knew that travelling musicians were poeding good and bad news. It was better to have them with you than against you 😉
The Pfifferdaj of Ribeauvillé, an incredible event!
I show you here one of the floats of the Pfifferdaj 2023 that features the Great Dragon, a mythical animal that, according to legend, lives in the Taennchel mountain range overlooking Ribeauvillé. That’s impressive!
Here is how the organisers present the event: “Every year, this authentic festival, a great popular encounter with the Middle Ages, takes place every first Sunday in September. The minstrels descended from the baladins of the Middle Ages, players of fifes or drums from the Rhine Country, accompany the procession composed of horsemen and floats and revive for thousands of spectators massed in the old town, at the foot of the castles, the scenes interpreted by local associations. The ingenuity of float builders and seamstresses, the game of nearly 1,500 actors enchant for two hours the spectators of this colourful mediaeval fresco”.
Pfifferdaj, festival of the minstrels in Ribeauvillé – Dates & program for 2025
Saturday, September 6, 2025
- 10:00 to 21:00 o’clock: Medieval Market in the courtyard of the Media Library.
- 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Street animation by the Dancerie des Ribeaupierre and the “Skadefryd” Group
- From 7:00 p.m.: Ball and catering at the Tent of the Jardin de Ville.
- 8:30 p.m.: TORCH RETREAT – Departure from Place de la République towards the Jardin de Ville, at the lower end of the city.
- In the evening: Wandering of brass bands in the Grand’rue.
Sunday, September 7, 2025
- 9:00 a.m.: Awakening by the minstrels of the VOGESIA Municipal Harmony at the Butchers Tower.
- 10:00 a.m.: Musical animations in the Grand’rue and on all squares until the start of the procession.
- 10:00 to 19:00: Medieval Market in the courtyard of the Media Library – musical animation of the group “Skadefryd” from 10 am to 12 pm.
- 14:30: GREAT HISTORICAL PARADE – Departure Place de la République (Upper City). After the procession: Free wine at the fountain & musical aubade – Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.
Monday, September 8, 2025
From 5 p.m. – Place de l’Hôtel de Ville
Musical aubade of the VOGESIA Municipal Harmony.
Proclamation of results and graduation.
Delivery of the traditional gingerbread to the first Magistrate of the City.
Sunday, September 14, 2025
9:00 a.m.: Procession at the Our Lady of Dusenbach Pilgrimage. Departure Place de la Sinne with the participation of the VOGESIA Municipal Harmony.
The theme of Pfifferdaj 2025 –
“The Metamorphose of Merlin”
The Pfifferdaj (Fête des Ménétriers de Ribeauvillé) is the oldest festival in Alsace. This event was able to preserve the traditions, costumes, colours and notoriety that hundreds of musicians and troubadours gave it from
the 14th century. They then went to Ribeauvillé to celebrate their ties with the lords of Ribeaupierre who protected them. Nowadays, nearly 1,500 extras are invested in the manufacture of floats whose theme is renewed every
year.
In this 2025 vintage of the Pfifferdaj, Merlin (formerly known as Merlin the Enchanter) will reveal his darkest face. We will be propelled into a world dotted with unheard-of chaotic situations. Spectacular twists and turns and unexpected alliances will follow one another. But thanks to the intervention of pure hearts, where hope and light are no longer, the truth will eventually triumph. See you on September 7, 2025 in Ribeauvillé for a great magical and fantastic moment!
The parade as a whole tells the fantastic story that is the theme of the year (the details for 2025 will be available soon). In order to give you an idea, be welcome to download the detailed program of last year…
Want to stay not far from the Pfifferdaj, just 4 kilometres away from Ribeauvillé?
Pfifferdaj 2025 – Practical information – Good to know…
Rates to enter the city on Sunday, SEP 7, 2025
(Subject to change)
Adult & Young (+12 years old): €10
Child (6 to 12 years old): €5 / Child (- 6 years old): Free
Entrance tickets for the day of the parade are on sale only on the same day at the various entrances of the City. Entrance tickets do not entitle you to a seat in the grandstand. Grandstand seats (reserved as a priority for the inhabitants of Ribeauvillé) are sold out.
Entrance to the city is charged only on the day of the procession.
My personal advice for the Sunday parade:
The great Pfifferdaj parade is known throughout the region and even beyond. Spectators come in incredible numbers for a historic event that is really worth it. Do not expect to attend the big parade by arriving ten minutes before.
From the end of the morning, parking spaces are stormed. Come early in the morning, attend the musical aubade given at the top of the mediaeval Tower of the Butchers (09:00 a.m.) while sipping your coffee. Enjoy the street entertainment. Several days before the event, you will have taken care to book a table in one of the city’s restaurants. Otherwise, you will have to settle for the snacks offered on the streets.
A small folding fisherman’s seat can help but above all don’t forget to bring something to drink and a hat (or umbrella, depending on the weather forecast).