Get out of town! | esaparis

Weekend

Trip

This year's weekend trip will be to Alsace.

On Friday, we'll travel by TGV to the the charming town of Colmar, called the "Venice of France" because of the lovely canals and beautiful architecture. After checking in to our hotel, you'll have a walking tour introduction to the town. Dinner is hosted by ESA at the hotel.

On Saturday, a bus will pick us up and take us to visit three Alsatian villages. First stop: Eguisheim, ranked as one of the prettiest villages in France, where you'll find plenty of sites for fun photos and charming cafés for lunch. Then on to Riquewihr, situated on the Route de Vins. Finally, we'll stop at the famous Beauvillé textile factory in Ribeauvillé for souvenirs. You can pick up a tea towel, a tablecloth or other linens at great prices compared to retail. Free time for dinner back in Colmar.

On Sunday, you can have a leisurely morning at the hotel, take a last stroll through Colmar, or join us for a visit to the Unterlinden Museum where the Isenheim Alterpiece, painted by Mathias Grunewald will astonish you with its beautiful colors and ominous depictions of life in Hell. After lunch (on your own), catch the TGV back home to Paris.

Colmar

Day Trip:

Giverny

Discover both of the gorgeous gardens of Claude Monet, the great impressionist painter, as well as his home.

Spend the morning photographing this splendid site and the village which has grown up around it.

See the inspiration for all those paintings you've seen.

After lunch (not included) at one of the local options,

visit the 18th century chateau de Bizy, where we'll have a tour and a snack. This castle saw visits from Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour as

well as King Louis-Philippe in the 19th century.

Cheateau de Bizy: Theoliane, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Spend a day in Medieval Provins

Spend a day exploring the beautiful medieval town of Provins: from the Tour César, to the city's ramparts, this UNESCO world site is full of lovely sites to photograph, paint and enjoy. After a lunch in town, we'll have fun rooting for our favorite knight (or princess) at the Legends of the Knights performance.