The next day of our adventure was to the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle and the Christmas Shop
The Haut-Koenigsbourg castle located above the village of Orschwiller
The town is another tiny village, nestled in-between endless winelands
We wound our way through the town, up to the Castle
The Castle was built by Frédéric le Borgne, duke of Souabe and a member of the Hohenstaufens family – view more history
It is cold and eerie inside the castle, you feel like you are back in the 12th Century, when the Castle was built.
Throughout, small period windows allow you this astounding, breathtaking glimpse of what the duke saw on a daily basis
After the Castle, we went down into Orshwiller for lunch, and ended up at The Hupsa Fannala
It was a quaint place, the food slightly higher priced, but most delicious
And from there, on to Riquewihr, in search of the Christmas Shop
This was my favourite town of the trip
The main street is only pedestrian (and delivery vehicle) access, the cobbled wonderland becomes from the start
For those who prefer not to walk, the little tourist train will show and tell you around the fairy tale town
Here, I found something I have never had before (and would not normally eat, should I not have been on holiday)
Banana Sorbet !
Made with real bananas, it was absolutely delicious, so much so that I hunted for it in every other place we went to, but did not find it
We wandered through the village, taking in this surreal, movie-set like village
The smell of mouth-watering treats, sweet & savoury capture every sense
Tourist and locals alike congregate in the the gorgeous winstubs (or wine rooms)
Just one of of the boulangeries (bread-ery) / patissteries (bakery), its windows lined with multi-coloured macaroons
Ha, and finally, the famous Christmas Shop
The Feerie de Noel is the main reason why this town holds the best memories for me.
The store is set up like many of the stores here, almost like a ride, one way in / out. And, as soon as you enter, it feels like you have climbed aboard the Polar Express
As you venture further into the wonderland, you feel as if you have just woken up in the Santa’s Factory, it really gives you that warm-and-fuzzy feeling.
No cameras inside – check it out here.