An artistic tour of Orschwiller

To start exploring the village of Orschwiller, park in the chapel square, on the corner of the Route du Vin and the Grand Rue.

(S/E) With your back to the chapel, turn right up the Grand Rue. In the background, you'll see the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, perched high on its summit! The contemporary bus shelter (2016) next to which you pass on the right presents a summary of its history. A little further along, on the left, a statue of a host-bearer, created in 2017 by Huber, a sculptor from Oberkirch (Germany), is a reminder of the importance of wine-growing in the village. Continue up the street until you reach the junction with Place des Charpentiers.

(1) Turn right. You will pass a beautiful fountain, adorned since 2019 with statues of Bodo Ebhardt, the German architect who restored Haut-Koenigsbourg in the early 20th century, and Leo Schnug, the painter responsible for the paintings in the main hall. As you walk along the street, at the junction with Rue des Prélats, look out for house no. 17 on the right (carved wooden corner post) and continue straight on to the school.

(2) Go back and take the right-hand side of Rue des Prélats. Turn left and then right and walk to the Place de la Mairie. In the square, note the fountain with its octagonal basin, the bailiff's house (facade no. 3) and building no. 5 with its carriage gate.

(3) Follow the building to the right, until you reach Rue Georges. Then turn left down the small elevated alleyway and walk along the wall until you reach Rue du Château.

(4) Turn left. On the right, you will see a Metzeral sandstone fountain, which was installed in the early 2000s. After passing the town hall, turn right and head straight for the church, whose imposing façade you can see.

(5) After visiting the church, turn left along the cemetery, then left again. The path through the vineyards takes you back to the bottom of the village. When you reach the Rue de l'Altenberg, turn left. You will come to the Grand Rue. Turn right to return to the original starting point. (S/E)

(2) The Orschwiller school, built in 1894, is an imposing sandstone and brick masonry building on the site of the seigneurial farm (Dinghof).

(3) The Place de la Mairie is a beautiful area in the heart of the village, which was given a facelift when it was redeveloped in 2011. The town hall (1828) stands proudly in front of an octagonal fountain. The building at no. 5 (formerly a tithe house) still has a large carriage gate and a pedestrian door with a bracketed arch dating from 1588. Admire the imposing façade of no. 3 rue de la Mairie. Before the Revolution, this was the bailiff's house.