On a whim we went to Nancy as I’d heard it was one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, so thought it was worth checking out. The drive into the city hides its secret well, there’s nothing of note but on further exploration, it’s stunning. Staying at the Mercure Nancy, an average hotel but well located, we set out to explore the city and find the magic, we are not disappointed. The first place we happen upon is Place Stanislas… huge gold gilded gates, grand buildings and a majestic statue of the man himself – Stanislas. Duke Stanislas was the exiled King of Poland who became Duke of Lorraine in the early 1700s and built this square to honour is son-in-law Louis XV of France.
In the corners of Place Stanislas stand ornate water fountains, superbly crafted and lighted. The temperature was well into the minuses with one of the fountains so cold, the water had frozen mid-stream, it was a sight to behold… bathed in blue lights, jagged icicles hanging from the mouths of rearing horses, dramatic and poignant. Through the triumphal arch was a Christmas ferris wheel and market, it completed the fairy tale look. The arch links the old town to new town which we discover includes the fort, Cathedral, King’s Palace and the Parc de la Pépinière, a superb garden with wide paths lined with huge old beech trees. it’s easy to see Nancy’s rich history and its historically and culturally significant with obvious signs of wealth, importance and status. Nancy is UNESCO listed for its 18th century architecture… and there’s no doubting its beauty.
But we must move on as Christmas time in this area is all about Strasbourg, the best markets in the world, so they say. We arrived to snow and lots of it, it was a blizzard driving in and the city is white. Now this is a must-see place – it’s truly incredible BUT beware…. the entire centre is shut down after 11 am each day. Then security check each and every bag that goes through… and yes, that did include our 2 large cases, 2 carry on cases, handbags and computer bags.
Fortunately, we had booked Hotel Maison Rouge, a fantastic hotel located in the city centre, great until we were faced with dragging the bags through snow and over cobblestones the estimated 500 metres. Thankfully the concierge raced up the street with a trolley and loaded everything up! A true lifesaver but I saw a lot of other people struggling their way to hotels with broken wheels and very wet bags… again beware!
But back to the reason we were there – the Christmas markets. The sheer size is incredible, the detail of each and every display is mind boggling, the light displays, enormous Christmas trees and festivities at every turn… there was no escaping Christmas… and no way you wanted to, it was magical. Each street has its own theme…. there are angels lit up, heralding the crowds in as you approach the Cathedral, in the bar and restaurant dense street, it’s wine and beer barrels lighting the way, and if you’re into crystal, Baccarat has installed massive chandeliers all the way down their cobbled street. Everyone is there to celebrate the season and t’s truly delightful!
With ten markets in the centre area there’s a lot to explore with a variety of different festive and local food and wares. There is little difference between them all, the Christmas decorations are pretty much the same for stall to stall and the food with a steady diet of sausages, pretzels, tarte flambée, some sweet baked goods and, of course, vin chaud – the famous mulled wine, I found it sickly sweet but it seems a winner with the locals and tourists as it’s on sale everywhere. There is the odd standout stall, you just have to work a little harder to find them like in Place Grimmeisen, it’s smaller, artisanal and more of a local vibe.
One of our great meals so far was at Au Crocodile. It’s a restaurant with an interesting history dating back to the beginning of the 19th century, it is rumoured to have housed a convent that was bought by one of Napoleon’s soldiers, Captain Ackermann. He had returned from the Nile with a stuffed crocodile. Over a period of time the restaurant changed hands and by 1958 received a Michelin star, the first of many in the hands of a variety of people.
The interior is rich and luxurious oozing old-world charm with an enormous glass ceiling, a famous 1874 fresco by François Adolphe Grison decorating one wall. Despite the height of the ceilings and size of the artwork, it’s an intimate space, the service is superb and the menu reflects the passion of French gastronomy. With truffles in season, we opted for the set menu, I swapped out the foie gras for lobster, but all round it was flawless, delicate but rich, the presentation, for the most part done at the table, a show in itself. It was paired, on the Sommeliers recommendation with an Auxey-Duresses Les Hoz 2020 – Bourgogne, crisp, dry and a perfect match for the scallops and lobster.
A few days later we head a little further into Alsace and starting with a little serenity we head to the heart of the forest to the L’Arnsbourg Restaurant and Hôtel. To get to the hotel you drive along a windy, deserted road, there’s few houses, no village, no lights… it’s a weird feeling of being lost but the car GPS pushes on, and so do we. Up a hairpin turn and a large locked gate meets us on arrival… when it opens all is revealed, the place is setting is spectacular. It’s remote, but the main building is new and a warm log fire greets us as we walk in. The guest suites are modern, luxurious, spacious and all with breathtaking views of the forest around. It’s a refuge, a sanctuary, there’s nothing to do but feel at peace.
The Arnsbourg restaurant is part of the hotel, reached down a well-lit path that winds its way through the forest. Nestled among the snow and trees with floor to celing glass windows, the restaurant showcases nature at it’s finest. The décor is decadent, the setting superb, and the food to follow meets all expectations. Surprisingly there’s plenty of patrons but with a place this good, the secrets a little hard to keep.
Next day we are off to the delightful village of Kayserberg and the 18th century hotel Le Chambard. The hotel has two great restaurants, firstly the Winstub, it’s typical Alsatian food, tasty, hearty and the atmosphere is loud and fun. The send is not for those on a budget, on the otherhand if you’re looking to splurge you can’t go wrong with the 2-star “La Table d’Olivier Nasti”. The food is sublime, each and every dish superb, the only thing lacking is the décor, it’s a little ski lodge looking for my liking. Having said that, a visit to see the kitchen at work is a great touch, and the skill of the team of chefs undeniable. This is one special place.
We decide take the vineyard walk from Kayserberg to Riquewihr, it’s beautiful and made even better by a wine stop along the route… there’s nothing like sitting on a bench among the grapevines with a paper cup and a chilled wine we’d bought in the village the day before! Short version of the walk home, because I’m still scarred, but basically Kerry looked for a shortcut (and that never ends well) He led us up a hill, down a gulley, up another hill, we were no where near a path, Google maps deserted us and we were surrounded with wild boar trails… aahh when will I learn, but back to the good times!
Riquewihr is yet another picture postcard village… brightly coloured wooden houses lined along the quaint cobbled streets decorated with an abundance of Christmas cheer. It’s packed, in fact, it’s a full on hustle, but it’s Christmas so who can get mad! Luckily, we had reservations at Brendelstub, a lively restaurant serving fantastic tartes flambées along with a decent lunch menu.
The Christmas spirit is in abundance in Alsace, with entire villages made pedestrian, everyone gets out to celebrate the festive season. It’s part of their culture, the celebrations, parties and festivities, it’s contagious and so much fun, the pop-up outdoor bars to hole-in-the-wall restaurants, each village overflowing with light displays, Christmas trees and decorations … it’s superb.
