Riquewihr - eastern France

Located in north-eastern France, Riquewihr is popular tourist attraction noted for its historical architecture. Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village. Riquewihr looks today more or less as it did in the 16th century.

Riquewihr is one of those villages straight out of a storybook, with cobblestone streets, houses made decked was pretty and undoubtedly worth the visit.
Riquewihr features traditional inns and wine cellars sprinkled among the half-timber homes.

Riquewihr served as a  wine village' in the 16th century, a trading hub for Alsatian and German wines.

1,228, Population
Highs in April around 58, Lows 37.

SOME INTERESTING SIGHTS:

Old Town Tower: Built in 1291. Buildings near or around the town today feature restaurants and wine stores.

Le Dolder ('town gate'): Twenty-five meters tall (82 and 1/4 feet) served as a 13th century defensive gate

 Sinne Fountain: Used to clean barrels and containers used to make wine. Also, used to verify the amount of wine in a barrel.

Wurtemberg Castle:  Today an Alsacian Communication Museum

Tower of Thieves: The first floor is a torture chamber featuring actual instruments

Musee Hansi: The artist Jean-Jacques Waltz (1873-1951), better known as Hansi, encouraged a revival of Alsatian patriotism during the difficult days of the German occupation following the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). He codified distinguishing Alsatian traits through his drawings and caricatures, notably of cute children in local dress driving flocks of geese before grotesque-looking Prussian (German) soldiers, villages with half-timbered houses, and loads of storks, the unofficial emblem of Alsace. This small museum of original prints offers an interesting insight into the Alsatian mentality. 16 Rue du Général de Gaulle

The artist was imprisoned for making fun of German military and professors for a year (between wars), escaped, and fled to France.

During WW II, Jean-Jacques Waltz was pursued by the Nazis and fled to Switzerland. He was wounded and never fully recovered. The French revere him for his resistance during WWI and WW II.