* France - Alsace: A Gourmet Tour of Alsace

Group arrive in Colmar in time for lunch. Free time in the old town with its half-timbered houses. In Kientzheim we visit the museum dedicated to Alsace's wines and wine growing region.

We visit Strasbourg, Europe's capital with a rich historical background. For lunch there's the chance to sample a sauerkraut (pickled cabbage, typically served with sausages and pork meats). A cruise along the river Ill canals is an optional extra.  On to the mediaeval town of Obernai, nestling at the foot of Mount Saint Odile. The museum here is dedicated to "pain d'epice", a sort of gingerbread cake, made with honey and  spices and very tasty. After our visit we see how it is made and get to do some tasting.  Dinner and overnight for the group.

Our route takes the group via Munster and the Schlucht pass to Gérardmer. Time at your leisure.  We carry on to Hohneck where we learn how the famous Munster cheese is made, then enjoy a typical "repas marquaire" at lunchtime, a copious mix of quiche, hams, potatoes, and Munster cheese of course. We drive across the mountain tops passing through Markstein and Cernay. Visit of a traditional brewery where you savour some of the amber nectar.  Dinner. Overnight.

The wine road takes us through many villages  -  Kaysersberg, Mittelwihr, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé... and we stop off in a wine cellar to do some wine tasting accompanied by the traditional kougelhopf cake (many varieties exist but the most common is the sweet bread with sultanas and almonds, cooked in a very distinctive shaped mould). Lunch.