Thann marks the southern end of the Alsace Wine Route, where the vineyards run out and the Vosges close in on the river Thur. It is a small industrial and market town of about eight thousand people, with a Gothic church whose slender spire is one of the finest in Alsace. The Collégiale Saint-Thiébaut, built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, has a richly carved west portal and a roof of glazed coloured tiles, and it was built to house a relic of Saint Theobald, a bishop whose thumb, according to legend, was brought here in the Middle Ages. Legend also says that three small lights appeared in the fir trees above his resting place, and to this day, on the evening of 30 June, the town burns three fir trees in a fire ceremony to remember it.
Above the town stand the remains of the Engelbourg castle, of which only a round tower survives, with a gaping hole in the wall that locals call the Witch's Eye. The slope beyond holds the Rangen, the southernmost grand cru vineyard in Alsace and probably the steepest, a volcanic hillside terraced with dry-stone walls where the grapes ripen in the heat of the dark rock. Wine from the Rangen is concentrated and smoky, and the vineyard is a spectacular sight in autumn, when the leaves flare orange against the black stone.
At the end of the wine route, Thann is a fine place to finish a ride. The last miles from the north run through vineyards and villages, and the road finishes with a gentle climb into the valley. There is a pleasant buzz in the town, with cafés and brasseries around the main square, and the old centre is compact enough to explore on foot. Fuel is available in town and in Vieux-Thann next door, which has several stations and a large supermarket, so a long day is easy to end here.
Behind the town, a road leads up into the Vosges toward the Route des Crêtes and the Grand Ballon, a classic mountain ride for those with energy left, but keep in mind that it can be closed by snow outside summer. The light is lovely in the evening, when the hills turn blue and the spire catches the last sun. Order a tarte flambée and a glass of the local wine, and let the day end gently.