Every year it is the same story: you wait too long, you take whatever is left, and the evening becomes interchangeable. A successful Valentine's Day is not the most expensive or the most spectacular — it is the one that shows you actually thought about that person, their pace, what they truly love.
Here are 7 ways to spend it in Alsace, sorted by mood — not by budget. We have tested all of them with our guests since the suites opened.
In this article
- → Idea 1 — The chef-led winstub, midweek
- → Idea 2 — The private spa in your suite
- → Idea 3 — Sunset in Eguisheim
- → Idea 4 — An Alsatian cookery class for two
- → Idea 5 — A jazz evening in Strasbourg
- → Idea 6 — A couple's massage
- → Idea 7 — A surprise staged inside the suite
- → Where to stay: 3 well-suited suites
Idea 1 — The chef-led winstub, midweek rather than on the 14th
14 February falls on a Wednesday this year. Use it to your advantage: most of the big restaurants are taken by storm, but the chef-led winstubs — those run by a chef who champions a modern Alsatian cuisine — are still available if you book ten days ahead.
Au Crocodile (Strasbourg)
The institution, but its 4-course chef's table midweek is more accessible than its evening menu.
Le Wistub Brenner (Colmar)
Hubert Brenner, former sous-chef at Auberge de l'Ill. Alsatian cuisine masterfully reinterpreted. €35-50 per menu.
Au Pont Saint-Martin (Strasbourg)
Small, intimate, terrace on the Ill in summer and a vaulted room in winter. Short menu, carefully sourced produce.
Au Vieux Strasbourg (Schiltigheim)
Our recent favourite. 5 minutes from the centre, family atmosphere, warm service. Ideal for a first 14 February together.
Our tip
If you really want to dine on the 14th, push back to 9 pm rather than 8 pm. The room is calmer, the service more attentive, and you skip the rush.
Idea 2 — The private spa in your suite, without leaving
This is our most-requested formula every February. The logic is simple: no car, no planning, no schedule. You arrive in late afternoon, head down to the suite, and everything is already there — hot tub, soft lighting, champagne on ice.
Three of our suites have a private hot tub and a sauna or hammam for your exclusive use: La Suite de Vénus, La Suite Cosy and Le Palais des Mille et Une Nuits. No queue, no neighbour in the next cabin — just the two of you, for as long as you like.
Idea 3 — Sunset in Eguisheim
Probably the prettiest village in Alsace, and our favourite for a romantic walk. Eguisheim has a peculiarity: its lanes are concentric. You walk around the village in 30 minutes, you keep looping back, and the late-day light turns the half-timbering to gold.
Park at the château car park (north entrance), walk up to the chapelle Saint-Léon (5 minutes on foot), come back down via the grand cru path. You will be on your own — most visitors come in July and September, never in February.
Pair it with
A wine tasting at Léon Beyer (rue de la 1ʳᵉ-Armée) — exceptional welcome, rare wines, the right moment to discover a great Alsace cru.
Idea 4 — An Alsatian cookery class for two
Cook a real tarte flambée together, or learn how to assemble a baeckeoffe. It is far less kitsch than it sounds, and it is what our German guests choose most often when we suggest activities.
L'École de Cuisine Alsacienne (Strasbourg)
3-hour class, €95 per person, meal on site. Small groups of 4-8. Book 2-3 weeks ahead.
Cuisine Aptitude (Colmar)
More intimate, the workshop can be privatised for two (€160 for the couple). You pick your menu (tarte flambée, choucroute, knepfle, fromage blanc tart).
Idea 5 — A jazz evening in Strasbourg
If you love live music, Strasbourg hides two gems: Le Caveau du Vigneron (place du Marché-aux-Cochons, acoustic jazz Tuesday-Saturday) and Le Mudd Club (rue Sainte-Madeleine, more alternative, open stage from 10 pm). You drop in after dinner, stay a couple of hours, and head home happy.
Idea 6 — A couple's massage
If Valentine's Day is more an occasion to take care of each other than an occasion to go out, the couple's massage is perfect. Either at a professional spa nearby, or directly in the suite (we work with a qualified therapist who comes to you).
Allow 80 minutes for a full four-handed massage on tables. Rate: €220 for the couple if the therapist comes to the suite. Book as soon as your reservation is confirmed.
Idea 7 — A surprise staged inside the suite
This is the most powerful of the seven if you know what your partner dreams of. A few examples we've done with our guests:
- →Suite decorated with rose petals and candles (our standard service, free of charge)
- →Bottle of Crémant d'Alsace + a board of aged cheeses delivered at 7 pm sharp (€45 supplement)
- →Bespoke bouquet from our partner florist (from €60)
- →Gift box hidden in the suite before arrival — a piece of jewellery, a letter, tickets for a trip…
- →Personalised playlist queued up on the suite's speaker
Just ask
For any staged surprise, write to us at least 5 days ahead. We handle these requests every weekend and can manage almost anything — the only rule is that we know the person well enough to get it right.
Where to stay: 3 particularly well-suited suites
Three very different moods depending on what you want for 14 February:
Distances from our suites
Book your Valentine's Day
February weekends fill up from mid-January — especially the suites with a private hot tub. Plan ahead.
Check availability