Ah, Alsace! Land of sauerkraut, half-timbered houses and vineyards as far as the eye can see. But wait, there’s so much more to discover in this charming and slightly mysterious region! Forget the classic tourist guides. Today, we’re diving into the unusual, the extraordinary and the unusual – Uncharted Alsace!
Thought you knew Alsace? Well, fasten your seatbelts (or your Alsatian braces) because I’m taking you on a journey of uncharted Alsace through 10 astonishing sites, from the beating heart of Strasbourg to the most surprising corners of Wissembourg, Mont Sainte-Odile, and many more.
Alsace: one surprise after another!
Alsace isn’t just a region where the houses look like something from a storybook, and the wine flows freely.
No, it’s much more than that!
Uncharted Alsace is like a great treasure hunt, full of surprises and mysteries, where every turn reveals a new enigma to be solved.
Imagine wandering through the cobbled streets, where every footstep sounds like the echo of a forgotten legend.
Think you’ve come for a simple wine tasting? Please wait until you discover the epic tales and age-old traditions that give each grape variety its unique character.
But Alsace isn’t just about its past; it’s also a vibrant and colourful present. The regional shops are full of surprises, with stalls overflowing with local specialities, where Munster cheese, gingerbread and tartes flambées rival in flavour.
Between the castles that proudly dominate the hills and the mysterious forests where, according to rumour, legendary creatures lurk, one thing is sure: you’ll never cease to be amazed.
Alsace is not just a destination; it’s an adventure where every discovery is a new page in a storybook.
The Ten Sites of Uncharted Alsace
As you can imagine, uncharted Alsace has hundreds of nooks and crannies, each with its unique charm.
The task of choosing just 10 was a real headache! I had to leave out some of the gems reluctantly.
But this is where I appeal to you: if you know of any other hidden gems in our beautiful region, I invite you to write them down in our comments section at the bottom of this article. Your suggestions are welcome – they invite you and me to continue exploring this land of mystery and legends!
1. The belly measurer in Strasbourg
Have you heard of the ‘büchmesser’? It’s an Alsatian word that hides a rather funny local tradition. Imagine a special pillar in Strasbourg that served as a ‘belly measurer’ for the cathedral’s workers. Go to Place de la Cathédrale to see it!
Take a good look at this pillar. It would go unnoticed. The people of Strasbourg (who know it well!) call it the ‘büchmesser’.
The idea was that the cathedral’s masons had to pass between this pillar and the wall to prove they were thin enough to squeeze through the cathedral’s small spaces.
I tried it myself, and phew! I got through, but only just! Anyway, with my fear of heights, climbing the cathedral’s scaffolding wouldn’t have been my cup of tea!
2. The man on the balustrade of Strasbourg cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral dates back nearly a thousand years. This long history has given rise to many legends, some more far-fetched than others.
One of them tells of an underground lake hidden beneath the sanctuary. Another tells of a curious revenge worth mentioning in this uncharted Alsace post…
To get a better idea, head to the cathedral’s south transept to admire the majestic Pillar of Angels. Adorned with 12 statues and rising to a height of 18 metres, the sculpted column plays a crucial role in supporting the transept vault.
Near it, high up, is a curious sculpture: the Man with the Balustrade. The stone man, leaning and staring at this pillar, is shrouded in a fascinating legend.
The sculpture, located above the Saint André chapel, depicts a man gazing intently at the Pillar of Angels. According to legend, during the cathedral’s construction, a passer-by criticised the master builder, Erwin de Steinbach, arguing that the pillar was too frail to bear the weight of the vault. Annoyed by these doubts, Erwin immortalised the sceptic in stone, condemning him to eternal vigilance as the pillar collapsed.
However, a historical detail adds a layer of irony to this story: the statue was sculpted in the 15th century, well after the completion of the south Transept and its famous Pillar of the Angels, dating from 1200, and the work of craftsmen from the Île-de-France region. Thus, two centuries separate the creation of the sculpture from that of the pillar it contemplates, perpetuating its silent waiting through the ages.
3. The Egyptian House in Strasbourg
At Number 10 Rue Rapp in Strasbourg stands a house like no other: the Egyptian House, built in 1905. It’s a stunning blend of Art Nouveau style and Oriental inspiration.
Just imagine sculpted motifs that play with the curves of Art Nouveau on the bottom of the house and wrought-iron balustrades that give the balconies a sophisticated air.
But the show’s highlight is the large, colourful fresco that runs from the bottom to the top of the façade. It shows two majestic Egyptian figures surrounded by plants as if they had stepped straight out of a lush garden. The columns around the fresco are not to be outdone with their geometric patterns and bright colours.
And this original and colourful house is right next to the more serious parts of the city.
When the Neustadt was built by the German authorities, they wanted official buildings for the new capital and residential houses. So, they gave free rein to their imagination when it came to house styles.
The result: the Egyptian house, a jewel of originality and fantasy amid all this seriousness!
4. The House of Salt in Wissembourg
The Maison du Sel in Wissembourg is a bit like a chameleon of history: it’s seen it all, done it all! With its unique four-storey roof, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
It is thought to date back to 1448 if an old inscription on its façade is to be believed.
Originally, it was a hospital with an enormous patient ward, over five metres high. Imagine the size of the pillars to support all that!
But the building’s originality doesn’t stop there. Later, it became a salt depot and then a slaughterhouse. It’s as if it had had several lives.
In the 18th century, it even got a makeover, but they removed the little bell tower that housed the ‘Spitalglocke’ (hospital clock).
Today, it’s a private house, so you can’t go inside to visit. But just seeing it from the outside is like stepping back in time!
5. The Pagan Wall on Mont Sainte-Odile
At the top of Mont Sainte-Odile, you’ll find a curiosity that has intrigued visitors for centuries: the pagan wall. It’s not just a pile of rocks but a truly ancient work of art, stretching for 10 kilometres and sometimes reaching 1.60 metres in height. It’s like a giant necklace wrapped around the mountain!
The origin of this wall is a real historical puzzle. Some say it dates back to Roman times when legionnaires hung around here. Others think it served as a fortification to protect an ancient sacred site or perhaps as a simple fence to demarcate territory. But in reality, nobody is 100% sure.
What fascinates me is how it was built: large sandstone blocks stacked with astonishing precision without an ounce of mortar to hold them together.
Today, the Pagan Wall has become a must-see spot for hikers and nature lovers. You can walk along it, touch the stones smoothed by time, and let your imagination wander. Was it a fortress? A sanctuary? The frontier of an ancient, forgotten kingdom? The mystery still lurks. Uncharted Alsace at its best!
6. The Lak’mi of Bergheim
Welcome to Bergheim, where the entrance to the village is full of surprises! And with good reason: since the 16th century, a strange man called the ‘Lack’mi’ has been greeting you with a display of his bottom!
It’s a bit of local history. Since 1361, Bergheim has been a refuge for those who have committed petty crimes. Between 1530 and 1667, no fewer than 744 people found sanctuary here. In 1534, a grateful inhabitant of Rodern, happy to have been protected, built a rather unusual monument near the village gate: a figure defying his pursuers by showing them his backside!
The ‘Lak’mi’ became famous throughout the region for its impertinence. But then, in 1852, the original monument disappeared. Instead, a bas-relief was installed on the door. This is the one you can see today, still as cheeky as ever… or rather, as cheeky as ever!
7. The Fortified Bridge in Kaysersberg
The fortified bridge at Kaysersberg is something of a star attraction in uncharted Alsace. With its battlements and little oratory, it’s got style! It links the old town to the upper part and crosses the River Weiss, which winds its way 24 kilometres from the Vosges mountains.
At first, it was just a wooden bridge. But in 1514, it was upgraded to a solid, well-defended stone bridge. But why? To prevent enemies from crossing the river. So, loopholes and openings for firing arrows and cannonballs were added.
In the middle of the bridge is a small chapel with a colourful 18th-century statue of the Virgin and Child. This was also the ‘punishment’ corner, where those who got into mischief were locked up to be ridiculed in front of everyone.
For a touch of history, the chapel features the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire and the town. Finally, on the upstream side, there’s a figurine of Saint John Nepomuk, the patron saint of people who work on water and… bridges
8. The twisted bell tower of Niedermorschwihr
Arriving in Niedermorschwihr from the Turckheim road, you’ll discover a fairytale village. Imagine half-timbered houses, endless vineyards and plenty of sunshine. But the real eye-catcher is the church and its unusual bell tower.
The 42-metre-high church tower in Niedermorschwihr has an astonishing feature: it’s twisted! It’s known as a ‘twisted steeple’. And it’s no joke: it really does lean 45º to the left.
Built in the 16th century, the bell tower has survived, although the church was rebuilt in the 18th century. The story goes that lack of money prevented the bell tower from being rebuilt. And that’s just as well because this twisted bell tower has become the village’s pride.
The church, a historic monument, is also home to an organ dating from 1726, a real marvel from the Silbermann workshops. And as a fun little anecdote, Niedermorschwihr is twinned with Sérignac-sur-Garonne. The church there also has a twisted bell tower. It’s a small world of twisted bell towers!
9. The Witch’s Eye in Thann
Château de l’Engelbourg is an old 13th-century fortress perched on a hill to watch over the Thur valley.
In the days of the Counts of Ferrette, it was very important to keep an eye on the surrounding area. But when Alsace became French after the Treaties of Westphalia, the castle lost its role as guardian of the Vosges.
As a result, Louis XIV ordered the castle’s demolition in 1673. The intendant, Mathias Poncet de la Rivière, brought in miners to care for it. They worked so well that the large tower rose and broke into pieces. One of these pieces created what is known today as the ‘Witch’s Eye’.
The castle was oval-shaped, 150 metres long and 70 metres wide, all at an altitude of 445 metres. With its thick walls and 13th-century keep, it was a major fortress. Today, only spectacular ruins remain. In the 19th century, they inspired many artists to create romantic engravings.
10. The Klapperstein: public punishment in Mulhouse
Mulhouse had a funny tradition of punishing gossipers: the Klapperstein, or ‘stone of the gossipers’.
If you were telling lies, you had to ride around town on a donkey with this heavy 12 kg stone around your neck. In that way, the courts showed everyone that gossip was not appreciated here! It was a bit of a ‘watch out’ for those who liked to talk too much.
Klapperstein was the Mulhouse version of a much harsher punishment from the Middle Ages: stoning. Fortunately, in Mulhouse, people preferred to hang a stone around their necks rather than throw stones. This punishment continued until Mulhouse joined France in 1798.
Today, no one is punished with the Klapperstein, but the original can be seen in the town’s historical museum. There is also a copy hanging in the town hall. It depicts a head with eyes wide open and a tongue out.
And for those of you who like sayings, here’s one about the Klapperstein: ‘I am the stone of the talkative, well known to those who speak badly. Anyone who likes to argue will carry this stone into town’. In Mulhouse, it was a way of saying: ‘Watch what you say!
Other uncharted Alsace sites
Do you know other sites that should be listed in this uncharted Alsace post? Let us know in the comments below!
🇫🇷 Read this article, Uncharted Alsace, in French on our blog Mon Grand-Est!