Bike Tour Through the Vineyards to Kaysersberg

From my base in Riquewihr, I was able to take short and long bike tours through the vineyards along the Southern Wine Route in Alsace. A rather short tour took me to Kaysersberg, another Alsatian wine village with a long, eventful history and an old town full of well-preserved historic buildings – despite the bitter battles against the German Wehrmacht in the winter of 1944/45.

This military conflict is particularly commemorated by Memorial Hill 351 near Sigolsheim, which I reached via a short but steep climb. The hill bears the military designation “Hill 351” due to its height of 351 metres and is now a place that commemorates the victims of the bloody and costly liberation battles of the French and US armies against the German occupiers in Alsace.

From this strategically important hill, there are extensive views over the Alsatian wine-growing region, the Weiss valley, the Vosges, and across the Rhine plain as far as the Black Forest. This so-called “Blood Mountain” is now home to an American memorial and the French military cemetery “Nationale Nécropole de Sigolsheim“. Here lie 1,589 soldiers, including graves of soldiers from the Maghreb and Jewish soldiers. The hill remains a symbolically important place for reconciliation and remembrance.

After this moment of reflection and historical contemplation, a short descent led me down to Kientzheim. The main street through the historic centre is flanked by open channels on both sides. They run directly in front of the half-timbered houses, embedded in the medieval streetscape.

Kientzheim is another centre of winegrowing and home to many traditional wineries with tasting rooms. The Château de Schwendi, a Renaissance castle once owned by the commander Lazarus von Schwendi, is now the seat of the Confrérie Saint-Étienne, the Alsatian wine brotherhood. It also houses the small Museum of Alsatian Wine.

It was only a few minutes by bike to the old town of Kaysersberg. The town was first documented in the 12th century – its strategic importance stems from its location in the upper Weiss valley at the entrance to Lorraine, along an old trade and military route. In the 13th century, the Staufer dynasty – as a sign of imperial power – built a castle on a rocky spur above the town, which gave the town its name: Kaysersberg. The massive round tower of the castle ruins is still preserved today. In 1293, Kaysersberg was elevated to an imperial city, which secured its economic independence and political significance. A flourishing winegrowing culture developed early on. Merchants, craftsmen, and winemakers shaped the medieval townscape, which is still reflected today in the carefully restored alleys.

On Rue du Général de Gaulle, the main artery of the historic town centre, colourful half-timbered houses with carved beams, leaded windows, and stone oriel windows line up. Many date from the 16th and 17th centuries – witnesses to a prosperous past. In the heart of the town stands the Église Sainte-Croix, a Romanesque-Gothic church of art-historical importance. Particularly impressive is the late Gothic winged altar, created around 1518 – probably in the workshop of the famous Alsatian sculptor Hans Bongart. The gilded shrine depicts scenes from the life of Christ in vibrant colours and is one of the outstanding examples of Alsatian sacred art.

An architectural gem is also the Pont Fortifié, a 16th-century stone bridge that not only spans the Weiss but was once part of the town’s fortifications. The bridge was equipped with loopholes and parapets on both sides. In the middle of the bridge, there is also a small chapel housing a multicoloured statue of the Virgin and Child. Before the statue found its place here, residents responsible for minor offences were locked up here and thus made a mockery of the town. Today, it is a popular photo spot.

Anyone wishing to delve deeper into the town’s history should visit the Albert Schweitzer Museum. Albert Schweitzer – doctor, musician, theologian, philosopher, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate – was born in this house in 1875. The museum is dedicated not only to his life and work in Lambaréné (Gabon) but also to his humanist worldview.