Formerly, the region of Riquewihr was an essentially wine-growing country. The architecture of the dwellings was adapted to this economy. The cellars were half-buried and built in stone. They housed the wine barrels and were heated in winter to maintain a mild temperature. Another specificity is the arched porch, which often opens onto an interior courtyard, where the winepress is. It is still used nowadays, during the harvest period in Riquewihr. The addition of ramparts around the city also had the Alsatian houses' floors risen.