__ ...Here's a set of captures I shot in the late summer season in Alsace two years ago, as the grape harvest had just finished, during a short period when it 's usually high time to have a go at the 'nejer siesser' , ( i.e. the new sweet) words in the Alsatian germanic dialect to coin this newly fermented grape juice straight from the barrel, which is still not proper wine, but already moderately high in alcoholic content, a must every fall in the region !
__ Well, before having the opportunity to sip this sweet and opaque beverage, I started climbing up the hills overlooking the city of Ribeauvillé that you can see in the first photo. Back in medieval times, this city was protected either from Germanic or French invaders thanks to three towering castles perched on top the surrounding hills, actually the purpose of this hiking tour for me; even though the hills are only about 2000 ft. high (600 m) the slopes to get there are very steep indeed .
__ The first photo features a tiny part of the Saint Ulrich castle (13th century) overlooking Ribeauvillé, surrounded by the golden leaves of the vineyards on the outskirts and at the foot of the castle, while the second photo shows what is left of an impressive stronghold called the Girsberg castle, built in 1250. The third photo features the castle of Haut-Ribeaupierre, dating back from 1084, a long time ago then !
__ Thank you very much for your supportive comments in my gallery. Zoom in for a better immersion in the full-size vista and have a nice forthcoming weekend.