What to see in Alsace. 1. Northern Alsace

Last Updated on 27/08/2024

What to see in Alsace? Half-timbered towns, cultural attractions, wine routes, castles. Nature is represented by the Rhine and the Vosges. But for hiking the Black Forest mountains seem to me more beautiful than the Vosges. It is worth hiking through the local hills in autumn, when the vineyards become colorful.

In this part we explore Northern Alsace from Germany to Selestat.

Maps nearby
Alsace attractions from Selestat to Colmar and Eguisheim
Tourist map of Alsace. 3. Southern Alsace
Northern Black Forest
Black Forest from Altensteig to Gengenbach
Around Stuttgart Kraichgau
Strasbourg (Strassburg). What to see

Northern Alsace on the map

Everything important that you can see in the region – with notes and links.

• 1 – top
• 2 – very good, although not so well known
• 3 – good for a short vacation or a layover. Several medium-level interesting places
• 4 – local or specific, not for everyone

Marks without brackets – I was there (there are links to the posts). With brackets – I wasn’t there. Of course, the notes are subjective

List of beautiful villages means Les plus beaux villages de France

Alsace public transport and welcome cards

Northern Alsace

In the northern Alsace there are not a lot of attractions, much has been destroyed there. Most of them are quite local. Let’s see what we managed to find. The names will be slightly different if you search in German.

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1. Wissembourg

Old town.

How to get: train

(3)
2. Hunspach

Picturesque old town (in the list of beautiful villages).

How to get: train

(2/3)
3. Lembach. Fleckenstein

Old city. Fleckenstein Castle (Link), popular among tourists.

Between this city and the next there are several castles of varying degrees of ruin: Schöneck (Link), Vieux Windstein, Lichtenberg, Wasenbourg.

How to get: bus from Wissembourg or Lembach

(3/4)
4. Bitche

Fortress of Vauban – 17th century Fort of the Maginot Line.(link)

How to get: car. Train and bus rather unrealistic

(4)
5. Le Petite Pierre

Picturesque city. The Lalique Glass Museum in a nearby town. (link)

How to get: car

(4)
6. Bouxwiller

Old city. Museum in the synagogue.

How to get: bus from Saverne or Haguenau

(4)
7. Morsbronn les Bains

Amusement park Didiland (mainly for the little ones). LInk

How to get: bus from Haguenau

(2/3)
8. Haguenau

Old town, church of St. George, the remains of the city walls.
Alsace Museum. Historical Museum.
Luggage Museum.

Soufflenheim -suburb with several potteries.

How to get: train

(3)
9. Saverne

Old city. The impressive ruins of the Haut Barr fortress near the city Link.

Rhine-Marne Canal.

How to get: train

(4)
10. Marmoutier

Church 11th century

How to get: bus from Saverne or from Strasbourg with transfer

(4)
11. Wangenbourg-Engenthal

Fortress ruins.

How to get: bus from Strasbourg with transfer

1
12. Strasbourg

Cathedral, old town (UNESCO). EU quarter
Canal boat trips

Museums:
decorative arts, archaeological, fine arts (all three in the Rohan Palace) Link
the Alsace Museum Link
Museum of the cathedral Link
the museum of the artist Tommy Ungerer, with his works and a collection of old toys.Link
Science museum for children Le Vaisseau Link
chocolate Museum Link

Strasbourg (Strassburg). What to see
Strasbourg public transport and welcome cards

What to see in Alsace from Strasbourg to Selestat

(4)
13. Kolbsheim

Historic garden. Link

How to get: bus from Strasbourg

(3)
14. Molsheim, Dachstein, Mutzig

Old towns

In Molsheim there is a museum of local history, where part of the exposition is dedicated to Bugatti. Link

Mutzig – Fortress Fort de Mutzig. Link

How to get: train

(4)
15. Oberhaslach, Niederhaslach

Oberhaslach – small waterfall

Niederhaslach – gotic church.

How to get: car, on foot from station or navette Mutzig

(4)
16. Rosheim

Old city. Church 12th century

How to get: train

(3/4)
17. Ottrott. Monastery of St. Odile

Mont Saint Odile (link) is 763 m high, there is the monastery of St. Odile, patroness of Alsace, on the top. The monastery is active, the church is pilgrimage.

According to legend, the blind girl Odile, the daughter of a local duke, who lived in the 8th century, received her sight and received the ability to heal other people. She founded a monastery on a mountain where the people came. The monastery was repeatedly destroyed, but the relics of the saint were preserved. Almost nothing remains of the original buildings. Around the monastery is a park with many flowers and various plants.

To the monastery of St. Odile from Strasbourg / Obernai bus 257

(2)
18. Obernai

Old city. Leonardsau park and palace.

How to get: train

(3)
19. Barr, Mittelbergheim, Gertwiller, Andlau

Barr – old town. Museum La Folie Marco. Interiors 17-19 centuries. Link

Mittelbergheim – town from the list of most beautiful.

Gertwiller – gingerbread museum Link

Andlau – old city, ruins of fortresses.

How to get: train to Barr, Gertwiller.
Andlau, Mittelbergheim – buses from Barr

(3)
20. Erstein

Museum presenting a private collection of Würth – art of the 20th century (including Munch, Picasso) .Link

Along the Rhine natural parks.

How to get to museum: train

(4)
21. Dambach-la-Ville

Old city. Fortress ruins.

How to get: train

Next: from Selestat to Colmar
All posts about #Alsace
Alsace Wine Route. 2. Kaysersberg and Eguisheim
Alsace Wine Route. 1. Ribeauville, Riquewihr
Selestat and around: Koenigsbourg Castle, Monkey Mountain, Cigoland