The streets of Eguisheim run in circles. Houses were built in concentric rings around the old castle at the centre, and the lanes follow the curve of the oldest fortification, so you can walk round the village like the rings of a tree, passing half-timbered houses in pastel colours, flower boxes and wrought-iron signs. It is a layout found in very few places, and it makes the village feel like a small, perfect machine. It has been voted among the favourite villages of the French, and on a sunny day you can see why.
The castle at the heart of it was the home of the counts of Eguisheim, and one of them, Bruno, born here around the year 1002, became Pope Leo IX, one of the great reforming popes of the eleventh century. A chapel in the village commemorates him, and a statue of the pope stands in the square. The castle itself was rebuilt in the Middle Ages, and the present building is a modest one, but the wall and its towers give the village its shape. Above the vineyards on the hill, the ruins of three medieval castles, the Trois Châteaux, can be seen on a spur of the Vosges, an easy detour for the curious.
Wine is the beating heart of the village. Eguisheim claims to be the cradle of Alsace wine, and its slopes, such as the Eichberg and Pfersigberg grand crus, produce Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer of high quality. Many growers have their cellars right on the streets, and a sign outside invites you in to taste. Remember that tasting and riding make poor partners, and buy a bottle for later rather than draining the glass. In September and October the harvest brings the smell of fermenting grapes, and in winter the village is dressed for Christmas.
On a bike, Eguisheim is a gentle stop on the Route des Vins, not a destination for the sporting rider. The approach roads are narrow and the village streets tight, with signs asking visitors to park outside the centre. Early morning and evening are quiet, and the light on the pale stone is lovely. Spring brings fresh green vineyards, and autumn turns them gold and red. In summer, tour groups fill the streets at midday.
Wintzenheim, about three kilometres away, has fuel, supermarkets and the services of a small town, and Colmar, a bigger and more famous city, is a few kilometres further north. In the village, cafés and winstubs, the traditional Alsace wine taverns, serve onion tart, sausages with sauerkraut and plates of local cheese.