Place du Marché

Place du Marché is a market square in Eguisheim, the wine village a few kilometres south-west of Colmar whose streets curve in concentric circles around its small castle. It lies close to the centre of the village and to the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul, and it is one of the places where daily life and visitors meet, with café tables, a few shops and wine cellars opening onto it. The name recalls the role of the square in the village's economy: for centuries Eguisheim has been a community of wine growers, and the marketplace was where produce and wine were bought and sold.

The square is surrounded by the type of buildings that give Alsace its image. Half-timbered houses, painted in ochre, pink, blue and green, rise to steep roofs, and many have carved beams, oriel windows and balconies hung with geraniums. The ground floors are usually wine growers' shops and cellars, with the date of building and the family emblem carved above the doorway, and the upper floors are homes or guest rooms. Courtyards open behind the gateways, and some have wells, outside staircases and wooden galleries. Eguisheim holds the label of Village Fleuri, a recognition of the flowers that decorate the streets, and in summer the square is a mass of colour. In 2013, Eguisheim was voted the favourite village of the French, and the attention it received increased the number of visitors.

The parish church of Saints Peter and Paul stands close to the square and is one of the landmarks, with a tall tower and a porch that attracts attention. Visitors can step inside to see the interior and its decoration, and the church is open during the day, although services take priority. Next to it, the Place du Château Saint-Léon, with its castle, chapel and statue of Pope Leo IX, who was born in the village, is only a short walk away. The famous circular street, the Rue du Rempart, follows the line of the old fortifications, and a walk round it, past the houses built against the old walls, takes around fifteen minutes.

Eguisheim is a wine village first and foremost. The slopes above it are planted with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat, and the village includes the Grand Cru sites of Eichberg and Pfersigberg, whose wines are known for their depth and ageing potential. Many growers have cellars on or near the square and offer tastings, and the Maison du Vin presents the local wines and helps visitors choose. Cafés and winstubs serve Alsatian dishes such as flammekueche, choucroute and baeckeoffe, a stew of meats and potatoes cooked in white wine, and the sweet kugelhopf.

In December the square joins the Christmas celebrations, with a small market of wooden chalets, lights in the streets and a warm, festive mood, though the village can then be crowded. For a quieter visit, come in the early morning or the evening, or in spring and autumn. The square suits couples, families and wine lovers, and it is a good base for exploring the village on foot. A bus and car park serve the village, and the car park lies outside the circle, a few minutes' walk away.