Only a few miles south of the frenetic activity of Strasbourg and the European Parliament, Obernai pulses with a more quiet energy. A stroll through this prosperous town reveals crooked alleyways lined with shops, hidden courtyards, lush parks, and lovely villas.

Just steps from the town square lies our home for the first two nights, the Cour d’Alsace, a small neighborhood that has been transformed (with painstaking care) into one of the area’s most extraordinary hotels. Check in, explore town or simply relax in the gardens before our first dinner together this evening.

Our first day’s walk will take us through meadows, vineyards and orchards as we explore the cluster of villages surrounding Obernai. After a hearty lunch of onion tart and quiche Lorraine in the medieval village of Boersch, we continue on to the tiny settlement of St. Leonard.

Here Jean-Charles Spindler will illuminate the rare art of “marquetry,” an exquisite technique of painting through wood inlay. Unlike decorative inlay often used in furniture, marquetry relies heavily on an understanding of wood grain and color to create subtle murals that shimmer with realism.

A pleasant stroll along the river will bring us back to Obernai with time to explore the many shops.

We begin with an early morning visit to Mont St. Odile, a 15th-century fortified convent high on a hill above the Rhine valley. We’ll explore the legends of the abbey and take in the spectacular view that extends far across the river Rhine to the Black Forest in Germany.

From St. Odile, our path leads through lush woodland as we descend to the village of Barr. We are truly in the country now! From your balcony at the Hotel Arnold, evening falls on a landscape of seemingly infinite vineyards.

Dinner tonight is in the hotel’s elegant but cozy Winstub. It is the perfect opportunity for our first taste of “choucroute,” Alsace’s signature dish of sauerkraut and at least five types of cooked pork.

This morning, we begin our journey through 1,500 years of Alsatian history as we walk along the rugged hills of the eastern Vosges Mountains to the ruins of the Chateau Bernstein, which was destroyed over a millennium ago.

Descending to the more tranquil Huhnersmuehle or “hens mill,” today a small fishery, we will enjoy a lunch of local freshwater delicacies.

Our destination this afternoon is the nearby city of Selestat for a visit to one of the most unique libraries in the world. Founded in the early 1500s, the Humanist Library of Selestat contains tomes dating back to the 7th century and one rare volume in which the word “America” appeared for the first time in print. We have arranged for a private guide to walk us through centuries of Europe’s most valued manuscripts.

The dense grouping of villages in southern Alsace rises up as if from living myth. Riquewihr, Ribeauville, St. Hyppolyte, Guemar: Each settlement seems to evoke its own mysterious legend. The vineyards are often shrouded in morning fog, and the beginning of our exploration here is an atmospheric romp from village to village.

We will stop in the area’s best-preserved town, Riquewihr, for a guided tour and a light lunch of salad and crepes before continuing on over the hill to our new home in Kaysersberg. The origins of Kaysersberg date back to Roman times when it was known as “Caesaris Mons,” but today its character is distinctly medieval.

Our home, the lovely Hotel Chambard, is at the village’s heart. It is an ideal location for casual wandering among the twisted back alleyways and shop-lined main street of town.

On our final day, we circle through the villages of Alsace’s southernmost wine country. Niedermorschwihr is a tiny hamlet whose confectionary art is renowned as far away as Paris. After a sweet stop here, we continue on to Ammerschwihr to enjoy lunch and a crisp glass of Riesling before returning to our comfortable home in Kaysersberg.

Today we have asked the hotel to pull out all the stops in preparing our final night’s feast. Chef Olivier Nasti has become renowned for his tasting feasts, which include venison medallions with cranberries and Tarte Alsacienne with custard and fruit.

A late night stroll through town will seal in our minds all of the rich atmospheric detail of Alsace, a 21st-century fairytale.

After breakfast, we have arranged for private transport to the town of Colmar, just 40 minutes south of Strasbourg via the main railway line.

Whatever your travel plans, we will go over them with you and make sure that your continuing journey is as easy and effortless as possible.

Au revoir!