Hotel Berceau du Vigneron

CORPS DE GARDE - TOURIST OFFICE

by LysDor

This lovely pink house is right next the market place and Hotel de ville.
If you need local information and maps the office is open EVERY WEEK : Monday to Friday 9 - 12 a.m. & 1.30 - 6 p.m. / Saturday 10 - 12 a.m. & 2 - 5 p.m.
JULY - AUGUST : also on Sundays 10 - 12 a.m.

Storks Nest

by annk

Storks are symbolic of the region and are believed to bring good luck. They return every March to roost after wintering in Africa. For years their numbers declined due to hunting in their winter home and accidents with electrical lines. Recently the populations have been increasing and the storks are a common sight in some Alsatian towns.

This town is off the beaten path

by annk

There are over 100 little villages and towns that make up the Alsace Wine Route. I'd say most of them are "off the beaten path" although I've heard they can be very busy and touristy in summer months. In September when we visited, the street were relatively quiet.

Plan B was Turckheim and it worked very well

by Beausoleil

"Turckheim in Alsace, a quaint wine village"

We planned a trip to the Ecomusée at Pulversheim but when we arrived, it was wide open but no one was there except a couple other befuddled tourists. We decided to look at nearby villages and happened into Turckheim. What great luck!

It is a perfectly charming wine village and worthy of a visit. We walked the town with me taking pictures. There was parking outside the city gate and a lovely park nearby.

"Park, if you like picnics and the weather is nice"

We arrived at the park at about the same time as the gathering storm so everyone was quickly leaving. It was so lovely and peaceful we thought it would be a great picnic spot on a nice day. It would also be a nice place to rest if you'd been doing a lot of walking.

"Typical shop with flowers at the windows"

We arrived in Turckheim in mid-May and there were already flowers in all the windows. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in August.

Medieval town of Turckheim.

by breughel

""Veilleur de Nuit" and Santa Claus in Turckheim."

At only 6 km from west Colmar the medieval little town of Turckheim (3700 inhabitants) bordered by the river La Fecht is one of the most popular destinations of the Alsatian Wine Route.
We have been here twice and especially liked the area of the so typical Porte de France and the Corps de Garde.

Each night at 22.00 h, from 1/05 till 31/10, a "Veilleur de Nuit" the Night Watchman dressed as a few centuries ago and carrying a halberd and lamp walks through the streets warning the inhabitants to extinguish candles. In older times this was to avoid risks of fire; by now it's for the tourists.

I wondered from where came the name Turckheim?
No links with Turkey; the origin is that of Germanic tribes the Thuringes who invaded the Roman Empire and gave the name Thuringheim.