In Bartholdi’s Footsteps

Petite-France is Strasbourg’s most picturesque neighbourhood, known for its cobblestones pretty half-timbered houses, beautifully decorated bars and restaurants and the sparkling water of the River Ill.

A town worthy of fairy tales, a stroll through Colmar will lead you down cobbled streets, bordered by peaceful canals and historic pastel colored houses.

The Alsace Wine Route winds along 170 kilometres from the north to the south of the region, between the plain and the Vosges Mountains. No less than 70 villages are nestled amongst the vines, each more charming than the last.

In September 1940, in annexed Alsace, close to the village of Natzwiller, the Nazis discovered a vein of pink granite. In March 1941, Himmler, head of the SS, ordered that a concentration camp be built to exploit the granite for the major construction projects of the Reich. On 1st May 1941, at the place known as “Struthof”, Konzentrationslager Natzweiler was officially opened. It would be the only one in France.

A centre of pilgrimage dedicated to St Odile, the patron saint of Alsace, this convent is one of the region’s unmissable sites. Standing at the top of a hill, the convent boasts extraordinary panoramic views of the Alsatian plain.

Built in the 12th century, Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle has for centuries witnessed conflicts and rivalries between lords, kings, and emperors. To visit this castle is to time travel through 900 years of history.

The Humanist Library in Sélestat is one of Alsace’s most important cultural treasures. Its collection spans from medieval manuscripts to rare printed works 15th and 16th century, in a magnificent architectural setting created by Rudy Ricciotti.