Hotels in Turckheim

Turckheim is a small walled wine town at the mouth of the Munster valley, a few kilometres west of Colmar, and one of the more lived-in stops on the Alsace Wine Route. Its ramparts and three old gates still frame a compact centre of half-timbered houses, and on summer evenings a night watchman in period dress walks the streets with his lantern and horn, a tradition the town keeps up with genuine affection.

The slopes above town produce Brand, one of Alsace's grand cru vineyards, and tasting rooms are an easy stroll from almost anywhere. Be honest: it is tiny, evenings are quiet beyond a handful of winstubs, and the headline sights take an afternoon, so most visitors treat it as a base rather than a destination. That is its real strength, with Colmar a short drive or local train ride away and Vosges hiking on the doorstep. Stay inside or just outside the old walls so you can walk to dinner and catch the night watchman's rounds.