Photography by Matt Davis
Destinations: The Molsheim Experience
April 1, 2006
On the older part of the property, beside the unrestored remnants of the stone
archway in front of the château, two large former horse stables have been fully
restructured. The stable building to the south of the château now acts as the
customer center and is where clients consider paint schemes and interior options
for their cars. In the central atrium of this building sits an exquisite 1926
example of the all-conquering Type 35 in perfect Bugatti blue.
The stable house on the north flank contains the quality control area where all
suppliers make their initial deliveries, as well as three nicely appointed guest
apartments where Bugatti clients can stay when they visit the facility for
initial consultations, delivery, or maintenance.
This brings us back to the all-important food and lodging aspects of any visit
to the heart of Alsace. If it’s your first visit, put all of the postcard images
of Paris and the Côte d’Azur out of your mind. There are parts of France that
are quite mysterious, including this remote, historically war-torn northeast
corner.
The Alsace has a complex personality. It is technically in France, but much of
its history occurred while it was part of Germany. The local people prefer being
part of France and speak French, but you can feel, see, and taste the German
influence everywhere you go. The important wines are the flavorful Riesling,
Muscat d’Alsace, and Gewürztraminer. Gamy meats are eaten in abundance all year
long, and the best local meal to warm someone in the winter is a hearty choucroute garnie–sauerkraut with a variety of meats. An even more
typical dish is bäckeoffe, with equal parts pork shoulder, lamb, and lean beef
and sliced potatoes, onions, garlic, a full bottle of dry Riesling, and spices,
mixed together and baked in a crust in a large round ceramic or copper pan. And
the foie gras overfloweth.
Thus, the impression I get as I drive the Bugatti Veyron around its home turf is
of an international melding of cultures. This complex bouquet of a car could
only be created here, even though the 1,001 hp engine produces about 800 hp more
than I need to drive on the tight and heavily regulated roads of the Alsace.
A favorite regional dining venue is Le Caveau de Gail in the fairy-tale medieval
village of Obernai, about 15 minutes from the Bugatti campus. This Alsatian
culinary hot spot is located in a charming place to stay, the Hôtel à la Cour
d’Alsace (www.cour-alsace.com), at the
end of the narrow rue de Gail. This was the former manor house and wine cellars
of the barons de Gail, and it is the perfect waiting area for any
self-respecting Veyron buyer. Should the inn be fully booked, the nearby Hôtel
Le Parc (www.hotel-du-parc.com)
offers excellent accommodations and dining. Another choice is the Hôtel Le Clos
Saint Vincent in Ribeauvillé, which is farther south and closer to the Black
Forest.
Upon taking factory delivery of their million-dollar baby, Bugatti buyers
receive a 10-minute send-off stint behind the wheel. Here is where they can take
a short detour along the spectacular Route des Vins (Wine Route). This two-lane
road winds for 120 miles north-south through the most famous vineyards along the
lower eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains to the west of the river Rhine and
not far from Molsheim. Think Napa Valley, only dotted with medieval castles.
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