RIBEAUVILLÉ is the largest town between Sélestat and Colmar – not as pretty as some of its immediate neighbours, but right at the foot of the mountains and well placed for exploring the many castles and villages that surround it.If you wish to stay, you could try the rather fancy but friendly little Hôtel de la Tour, in a converted winery at 1 rue de la Mairie (tel 03.89.73.72.73, fax 03.89.73.38.74; €40–55; closed Jan to mid-March), with a Turkish bath and a winstub. Two local campsites are Camping des Trois Châteaux (tel 03.89.73.20.00; July & Aug), to the north of Ribeauvillé, and the much plusher Pierre-de-Courbertin site (tel 03.89.73.66.71; March–Nov) to the south. In the vicinity of the town are the romantic ruins of a trio of fortresses built by the counts of Ribeaupierre: St-Ulrich, an hour's haul up a marked path; just north of it the smaller Girsberg, balanced on a pinnacle which somehow provides room for a bailey, two towers and other buildings; and, further on, the ruins of the Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre. In varying states of decay, all three fortresses are open to the public, free of charge, but the keep at Haut-Ribeaupierre is inaccessible for safety reasons. Alternate spellings:: France, Ribeauvillé, Ribeauvillé, Ribeauville
| 