Looking for an easy, informative walk in Alsace Verte? The circuit around the August 6, 1870 battlefield at Woerth, in northern Alsace, is a peaceful loop, ideal for walking while discovering an important part of Alsace’s history. My summary I liked I liked less Video summary See this post on Instagram A publication shared by […]
Walking through century-old trenches, high up in the mountains: that’s what the Linge Memorial Museum in Orbey has to offer. This site, listed as a historic monument since 1921, tells the story of the Battle of the Linge, which pitted the French army against the German army in the Vosges, from July 20 to October […]
In La Wantzenau, north of Strasbourg, MM Park is one of the largest museums in Europe dedicated to the Second World War, and it’s even a must-visit stop for Americans and Britons retracing the footsteps of the conflict in Europe. Yet many Alsatians have never visited it. Housed in a former 7,000 m² printing house, […]
Did you know that people in Alsace and Moselle changed nationality four times between 1870 and 1945? The Alsace-Moselle Memorial, in Schirmeck in the Bruche Valley, retraces this unique story from 1870 through to European integration. Put like that, it might sound a bit dry. But the museum is really well done and genuinely interesting. […]
Descending 30 meters underground, walking through concrete galleries, and seeing an eclipse turret in action: this is what awaits you when visiting the Maginot Line in Alsace. Although I grew up a long way from France, visiting the Maginot Line is a childhood dream for the history buff in me. Little did I know that […]
The Struthof is one of the most striking memorial sites in Alsace. 15 minutes from the Alsace-Moselle Memorial in Schirmeck, it occupies the site of the former Natzweiler concentration camp, the only concentration camp set up in France. It’s not the most cheerful visit on a weekend in Alsace… but I think it’s essential. On […]
To the south of the route des Crêtes, at an altitude of over 900 m, the Hartmannswillerkopf (or Vieil-Armand, often abbreviated as HWK) was the scene of particularly violent clashes in 1915-1916. Let me take you to this memorial site: you can walk through authentic trenches, pay your respects at the crypt and cemetery, and […]