Camping Pierre de Coubertin, Alsace
It is a few years since we last visited the Alsace region of France. It delighted us on our last visit and we were not disappointed this time.
There’s the rolling forested countryside in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains to the west. To the east, the flat, rolling Rhine plain, into the Black Forest region of Germany. Fortified villages (against invading French and German armies), storks nesting on the tops of buildings, the mild summer climate and the superbquality wines, produced in the many vineyards found in every village all attracted us to the area.
For some unknown reason we have previously tended to give municipal French sites a miss, but Pierre de Coubertin is a gem. It’s situated just over half a mile from the centre of Ribeauvillé main street. It’s a safe walk there, to enjoy its plethora of shops, bars and restaurants.
The campsite manager, who runs the campsite with her husband, speaks six languages and made us very welcome. The site is very well cared for, dog-friendly, with free WiFi and 208 good-sized, flat pitches, all with 16A electric hook-up. The shower blocks are spotless and accessible for wheelchair users.
One of the quirks of Camping Pierre de Coubertin is that it would not accept bookings, while we were there in mid-July. Campers who arrived during the lunchtime period were expected to queue up outside on a section of road reserved especially for this purpose. This system does appear to work and nobody was turned away, so do not be put off.
The local area around the campsite is laced with walking routes through the vineyards and into the wooded Vosges. The cycling along quiet vineyard service lanes is a delight, but some undulating sections can be demanding. The little towns and villages, with their half-timbered frame houses and brightly painted exteriors, many dating back to the fifteenth century, create an authentic chocolate box effect and are worth exploring.