A trip with my dog to Riquewihr and Kaysersberg (Alsace)

This April, I took a trip with my dog to Riquewihr, a small town located along the wine route in Alsace. From there, I took a long walk to Kaysersberg to explore the town as well as the Château de Schlossberg. I will show you the full route in this post.

If you are traveling along the Alsace wine route with your dog, I can recommend staying in Riquewihr as your base, because many different walking and hiking routes that connect different towns start from there. Aside from the route shown here, you can also visit Zellenberg, Hunawihr or Ribeauvillé on foot. You can find my trip from Riquewihr to Ribeauvillé via Hunawihr here.

I can recommend also the hotel that I stayed at in Riquewihr, if you are interested you can find my review here.

THE ROUTE

This walk starts at post office in Riquewihr. Next to the post there is a parking lot, so if you are coming by car you can park there. It will take you to Kaysersberg and through the city, then up to Château de Schlossberg and back to Riquewihr.

Please note that the map is an approximation as Google is not familiar with all the paths. There is no need for the long looking detour after the Château for example. I will describe it as best as possible.

As mentioned, we leave Riquewihr in the direction of Kaysersberg.

The way to Kaysersberg is the direct route which goes along a street that is also used by cars, so do keep an eye out as you walk along. It was not busy when we walked it, but every once in a while a car would go past.

This part of the route is perhaps the most beautiful. The entire way you are just surrounded by vineyards as far as the eye can see.

It takes about one hour to walk from Riquewihr to Kaysersberg along this route. Please note that this part has virtually no shade, so do wear sunscreen and perhaps a hat to protect yourself!

Approaching Kaysersberg, you will start to see the Château de Schlossberg in the distance. We will go up there soon, but first, we will walk through the town itself because it is definitely worth a look.

If you read Part I of my trip with my dog to Riquewihr, you know that Ribeauvillé was far too busy with tourists for my liking.

Thankfully, walking through Kaysersberg was a lot more relaxed. Sure there were some tourists, but it was not completely packed and it was still alright to walk through the village with my pup.

Kaysersberg is a pretty town with typical Alsacian houses. I definitely recommend taking a stroll through the village while you are there.

Perhaps it is also a good time to have a snack and a drink before tackling the next part of the walk?

After visiting the village, we make our way to Rue de Forgerons from where we begin the ascent to the Château de Schlossberg.

Keep your eyes peeled for the entrance to the ascent. The signpost that shows the way up to the castle is nearly consumed by the hedge, so it is easy to miss.

As you can probably already guess, there are some steps waiting for you now. A lot of steps, in fact. This section can feel hard, but the hardest part of the route is actually still to come. So try to enjoy your way up to the castle!

Once you reach the Château de Schlossberg you can marvel at some nice views across Kaysersberg and the surrounding areas. It is also a good opportunity to have a short break before continuing the ascent up the hill behind the castle. Because that’s what we will do next, and that part is really exhausting!

From the top of the castle, there is actually a route indicated going further uphill that is going towards Riquewihr. This is where we want to go. It looks a little questionable, but if the castle is below you and you find yourself on a narrow trail leading up the hill, then yes, you are on the correct path. Keep the faith!

But do be aware: This is a tough route. Make sure you have enough water with you and that you are prepared to hike for another 2 hours. Alternatively, just go down instead and return to Riquewihr the same way that you came.

This part of the route was really exhausting for me and my dog started panting quite a lot as well.

But along the way, there are frequent benches to take a short break and they often coincide with absolutely marvelous viewpoints.

So take your time and take a breather every now and again.

Eventually, you will reach the highest elevation of the route and enter forest-y terrain. You’ve made the ascent, so the rest of the way back will not be so exhausting anymore.

To be honest, we went off trail here a little bit on purpose because we were already quite tired. The route back to Riquewihr was signpointed but looked longer than another trail did on Google Maps so we chanced it and it worked out. Eventually, we even got back to signposts indicating Riquewihr.

The final reward for my pup was a small stream just before getting back into Riquewihr that she took advantage of to cool herself off after the long walk. For me, the reward was a cold beer back at the hotel!

HOW LONG IT TAKES AND WHO IT’S FOR

This is a long walk! It took us about four hours overall, not including any significant breaks. The route to Kaysersberg along the wineyards is relatively easy and could even be done with a pram if you are so inclined.

However, the way up to the Château is uphill and on the shown route involves plenty of steps. After the Château, it gets worse before it gets better. The way up and into the forest is very steep and hard. I had to stop a few times just to catch my breath. Once you’re in the forest, it gets easier again, but not suitable for a pram. Alternatively, you can go back the same way that you came.

This walk was great overall, but please come prepared. You will need solid shoes, and you should bring along plenty of water. I would recommend at least 1.5L for you and your pup to share, more on a hot day. Some snacks as well as sunscreen are also a good idea.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Although it was tough, this has been one of my favorite walks so far. The route is gorgeous all the way through. The way into Kaysersberg has you admiring vineyards as far as the eye can see. The way back has plenty of great views across the Alsace region and some forest parts. Highly recommended, but do come prepared!

Bonus tip: Fancy a wine tasting with your dog while you’re in the Alsace region? I did a nice one in St. Hippolyte and I was able to take my pup along.