Visit of Hunspach, a village in Northern Alsace

by | Updated on 4/03/2023 | Cities and villages, On a budget, Open on sundays | 2 comments

Hunspach is a lovely village located in the north of Alsace and was elected Favorite Village of the French in 2020. I had already been to Hunspach for Christmas, but had not yet been there at any other time of the year. It is now done and I advise you to visit it.

Hunspach is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1298. The Reformation made it a Protestant village. In 1619, the village came under Swedish administration and was razed and burned by imperial troops in 1633. It was later repopulated by Swiss immigrants. In 1787, Sweden bequeathed all its rights to the French Crown. The 19th century finally saw a period of prosperity for the village, which saw the construction of a railway line between Haguenau and Wissembourg.

But what to see in Hunspach? It’s simple: the houses! You should walk through the streets of the village and admire the half-timbered houses typical of the Wissembourg region. Contrary to the Alsatian villages of the Wine Route that you probably have in mind, there are no colorful houses in Hunspach. Traditionally, the houses are white and have remained so in Hunspach. This does not mean that it lacks charm, quite the contrary! This uniformity is superb. The village has beautiful half-timbered houses that the inhabitants flower abundantly: it is a real pleasure to walk around and stop in front of each one to admire the courtyards, the details of the architecture, the windows… Speaking of windows, you will notice on several houses of Hunspach curved glass in the windows, which made it possible to see outside without being seen (a fashion dating from the Baroque period).

Hunspach also has an important military heritage, including the Fort of Schoenenbourg, which is the largest structure of the Maginot Line open to the public in Alsace. These underground galleries were the most attacked during the Second World War and remained undefeated.

Hunspach is part of the closed club of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, a title that it largely deserves. However, it is not very touristy if you compare it to other Alsatian villages. Here, no line of stores but a peaceful and very authentic village. If you want to visit Alsace away from the touristy roads, this is where I recommend you go. It’s not very big, but you can combine your visit with the village of Seebach or the town of Wissembourg (among others!). There are many beautiful and unknown things in Northern Alsace!

I liked

  • Admire the beautiful white half-timbered houses
  • Not very touristy!

I liked less

  • It’s not very big, so plan to combine your visit with other villages around! 😉

My good addresses in Hunspach

  • Boutique Kelsch’Idées, a store located in a farm and offering handmade decorative objects but also local products in general. Really lovely!

My photos of Hunspach

Practical information

Access

By car

Hunspach is located in:

  • 60 km from Strasbourg (about 45 minutes)
  • 130 km from Colmar (about 1h30)
  • 170 km from Mulhouse (about 1h55)
By public transport

You can look at the Vialsace website.

Laurène

Laurène

Laurène est la créatrice du blog Mon week-end en Alsace. Bretonne installée en Alsace depuis 2014, elle est tombée amoureuse de sa région d'adoption au point de lui dédier un blog et d'acheter avec son mari une maison alsacienne dans un village du Kochersberg, près de Strasbourg. A pied, à vélo, sur ses chevaux ou au volant de sa voiture, elle aime partir explorer les moindres recoins de l'Alsace pour dénicher de bonnes adresses à partager sur le blog.

2 Comments

  1. TM Finnie

    My ancestors were born in Hunspach. Your description of it’s history helped fill in a blank in wondering how my 10th great grandfather who was Swiss ended up in Hunspach. So thank you!

    Martin Mathes immigrated to the United States in 1844. Sadly, they left the family Bible behind in Hunspach when they sailed to the US. One of my great grandfathers oversaw the building of St. Martin’s church in the mid 1700s. I had hoped to visit Hunspach, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to. I appreciate very much your description.

    Reply
    • Laurène

      Incredible story! So glad y article helped you to learn something about your ancestors 🙂

      Reply

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