An old tradition in the valley of the Upper Rhine, southern Germany and Switzerland, Fasnacht (carnival) is the time of the year when the reign of bad spirits of the cold and grim winter period is over and these spirits are symbolically being hunted down and expelled. Carnival – Fasnacht in the valley of the…
Tag: Alsace
Carnival – recipe of Alsatian apple donuts
In the valley of the Rhine, and since the Middle Ages, the time of the Carnival is a highlight in the heart of winter. To hunt the demons of winter to celebrate the lengthening days and before the fasting period of Lent that follows, people were feasting (and formerly this allowed to finish the victuals…
St Maurice Abbey church in Ebersmunster, a baroque cathedral in the Ried
Right in the middle of Alsace, not far from Selestat, between Strasbourg and Colmar is Ebersmunster. Ebersmunster is a village of some 500 inhabitants lying in the Grand Ried. The Grand Ried is the swampy plain that spreads between the Rhine river and the Ill river. It is a flat, wet and fertile land with…
Haut-Koenigsbourg castle: a 900 years long history …
When I was a kid, we went to the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg with our school. It was always a romantic and magical day out that struck our minds of children. For several years since, the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg is at my window. And it is still magical … Of course, for almost a millennium, it…
Happy New Year wishes sent from Riquewihr, Alsace
A very Happy New Year to all of you! We will be back soon with new posts about what to see and what to do in the Upper Rhine valley. In 2010 the Lonely Planet guides voted Alsace first among the top ten regions to be discovered in the world. Alsace is unquestionably spectacularly beautiful….
The true history of the Christmas Tree
Updated with Christmas 2013 info The fir has long been the symbol of Christmas in Christian homes. A well-established tradition in Alsace for over 5 centuries, the Christmas tree would have crossed the blue line of the Vosges mountains to conquer French families only after the 1870s. At the heart of Alsace and the Rhine…
Christmas in the Valley of Villé – Alsace – Dec 7-8, 2013
A wounderful Christmas event out of the beaten track This event is one among the few which are not very well-known by tourists but which are prepared by locals for locals. Every year, thousands of Alsatian families are attending. In the year 2012 it was happening in the village of Lalaye. This year, in 2013,…
Bergheim – A Trail of 50 Nativity scenes (cribs)
A fine rain has replaced the few flakes of snow that had fallen during the day. To go home to La Vancelle the roundabout at the exit of Riquewihr – like a big lottery wheel – decided to send me to the wine road rather than the highway … At 18 o’clock, almost everyone has…
Christmas Trails in Osthouse
Les Sentiers de Noël — Update 2015. OSTHOUSE Christmas Trails — 27/28/29 Nov and 05/06 Dec, 2015. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets: €6,50 – free for children under 12. 17:00 – 21:00 on Friday and 16:00 – 21:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Official website: http://www.lessentiersdenoel.fr The previous event took place in 2012. Hereafter my personal…
5 Christmas markets are awaiting you in Colmar!
The Christmas markets 2018 will start officially in Colmar Nov. 23, 2018 and will welcome you every day until late December, 31. Colmar is located in the very center of Alsace, a mere 10 kilometers away from the Alsace wine hills. Colmar and its surroundings has a sunny microclimate and is the second driest city…
Christmas market magic in Riquewihr
The Christmas market 2014 will start officially in Riquewihr Nov. 29, 2014 and will welcome you until late December, 28. Here is a set of pictures taken on a Sunday evening between 5 pm and 6 pm. At that time, especially on a Sunday evening, a large part of the crowd had already departed and…
You must be logged in to post a comment.