Turckheim

Turckheim is a small wine-growing town in the Haut-Rhin département of Alsace, just a few kilometres from Colmar, nestled at the foot of the sub-Vosges hills. It has retained its fortified walls and three historic gateways marking the old entrances to the town: the Porte de France, the Porte du Brand and the Porte de Munster. The old centre features half-timbered houses, fountains and cobbled lanes arranged around Place Turenne, named after the marshal whose memory remains linked to the region. One well-documented local tradition is the night watchman's round, who patrols the streets in traditional dress on summer evenings. The town lies within Alsace's wine-growing area and is home to the Grand Cru Brand, one of the region's noted vineyards along the Alsace Wine Route; a local cooperative winery produces and sells wines from the area. Surrounded by vineyards and hills, and close to Colmar, Kaysersberg and the Munster valley, Turckheim makes a convenient base for exploring the Alsace vineyards, its characterful villages and walking trails between the plain and the lower Vosges mountains.