Alsace

The Saint Odile’s convent is one of the most visited places in Alsace. And still today a very important pilgrimage center. A visit to its interior allows you to learn about the life story – and legends – of the patron saint of Alsace. From the gardens you will enjoy a spetacular view of the region. If you up for a litte walk, you can take teh path to the miraculous well and to the pagan wall.

**A visit to the convent can be combined with a visit to the charming little town of Obernai or included as one of the stops during your tour along the Wine Road in Alsace**

Although small, the Alsace region has one of the largest concentrations of medieval castle ruins. A visit to the Haut-Koenigsbourg – nowadays a museum of the Middle Ages – allows you to understand the tumultuous history of the region and discover why this castle is considered one of the main symbols of German influence in the region.

** It can be included as one of the stops during your tour along the Wine Road in Alsace**

In order to save historical buildings from destruction, a local association was created to preverse this architectural heritage. The houses saved from demolishion, were disassembled and taken to a specif area where they have been reassembled and regrouped to recreate a typical 19th-century Alsatian village. A visit to this open-air museum allows you to learn about the way of life of a population that was, for the most part, rural until the XX century.

Another tradition that has its roots in Alsace: les “Fermes Auberges”.

For centuries the Alsatian farmers used to move (together with their animals) to their upper farms located in the Vosges Mountains, for the spring and summer months. As the pasture is richer and fresher up there, their cows would produce a higher quality milk that would be used to make the local cheeses.

Slowly, the hikers used to use these locations for a “pit stop”. The farmers would kindly offer them a little something to eat and drink (farm products).

The boom of the farms was due to a tragic event: during the First World War, a road was built on the top of the mountains in order to provide the soldiers with munitions and food. After the war, with the development of the car industry and paid holidays, the visitors stared to come in greater numbers.

Include a drive trhough this historical road (pierced by memorials) and a meal in one of the many farms, is to dig deep into the Alsatian history…is to appreciate the true soul of this region.

Throughout the centuries, Alsace was a land of battles and wars. Different nations wanting to conquer this fertile and strategic land, have passed through here not without leaving very visible marks. Understand this part of the local history is undertand the soul of the this land, of these people.

There are several choices for you to learn about these pages of history “in loco”…where hsitory was actually made:

MILITARY FORTIFICATIONS: an important strategic location such Alsace, had to be well defended from the enemy. Here you can visit teh Fort Mutzig, a fort build during the Second German Empire (it was the most modern of its time) or visit one of the two forts of the Maginot Line(a line of forts built by the French before WWII).

NATZWEILER-STRUTHOF: The only concentration camp located in the French soil. An emotional reminder of an Alsace that had lived under Nazi administration for 4 years, before it was liberated by the allied forces.

HARTMANNSWILLERKOPF: This is the main site of the WWI battles in Alsace. On the Vosges mountains, French and German tranchies laid a few metres from each other. This mountain was nicknamed ” the man’s eater”. Walking thorugh the former tranchies, visiting the necropolis and the musem with objects found nearly, will give you a good perpective of the deptht of the tragedy.