Alsace nestles on the left bank of the Rhine against the Vosges Mountains. Wide fields and vineyards shine golden in autumn. They frame villages with picturesque half-timbered houses and romantic towns like Strasbourg or Colmar. Along the Alsace Wine Route, gourmets stop at hotels in Alsace at the Fermes Auberges, traditional inns. Hikers explore castles such as Fleckenstein Castle and Hohkönigsburg Castle. Motorcyclists conquer the Vosges on the Route des Crêtes ridge road.