December 21st, 2007 
Sheila Simkin Continuing from Kayserberg to Riquewihr was the most difficult section of the day. Up to the Chateau, very steep, and closed for repairs. Many more ups throught forests, dodging fallen trees and it was interesting how instead of removing some of these trees, they were just left there…sometimes with little ladders to climb up and over them. Not easy to squish under a huge tree, wearing a pack.
More ups through forests with chestnut trees, the hairy chestnuts all over the ground and on the trees. At first glance, they look like little sea urchins. I carefully picked one up because the spines on the nut casing are very sharp. There were also wild berry bushes everywhere. I think they were wild blackberries…because they weren’t furry like raspberries…and these bushes were killers with sharp thorns. It was impossible to dodge all the thorns and both ex-Marine and I walked along, blood dripping down legs and arms. In the 20+ years we’ve been hiking around Europe, this was the first time we’ve ever seen such a plethora of wild berry bushes and chestnut trees.
Another two hours later, started seeing flower gardens…and knew that Riquewihr couldn’t be much further on…
…and there was our entrance to tiny Riquewihr (pop:1,212), still surrounded by walls, moats. Through the Dolder Gate, a defensive gate from only 1291, and started working our way down the street heading to the hotel. The Dolder Gate and Belfry had a museum inside but we never had a chance to visit. ..
Each village we visited didn’t look real. They resembled honest-to-god movie and/or stage sets just waiting for a Director to say …”roll em” …while Frankenstein or Igor walks around the corner. If you only have one chance to see one medieval town in your life, make it Riquewihr. The visual impact absolutely knocked us for a loop.
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