Visit of Seebach, a village in Northern Alsace
Seebach is a village in northern Alsace, just outsideHunspach. In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful villages in Alsace, but it's not very well known. Come on, I'll take you on a tour!
My summary
I liked
- Beautiful half-timbered houses
- Harmony of color and architecture of the houses
- Not very touristy
I liked less
- It is not very big, plan to couple your visit with the surrounding villages 🙂
A little-known corner of Alsace
Perhaps you’ve never heard of Seebach, becausenorthern Alsace is less well known than the Alsace Wine Route and its villages. However, if you’re looking for a very authentic corner of Alsace, where you won’t come across many tourists, I recommend you go beyond the unmissable Alsatian villages and head a little further north…
You will also find beautiful things and much less people! Seebach, for example, is probably one of the most beautiful villages in Alsace (and yet there are many beautiful ones!).
What to see in Seebach
The village boasts a large number of superb, large, half-timbered houses and – this will probably surprise you if you’ve been to the Alsatian vineyards before – white in color.
However, don’t think that white houses are sad. The shutters are often colored and many flowers adorn the windows. In addition, there is a real harmony of the whole, which gives a lot of charm to the village of Seebach.
White houses?
Why this absence of color when you certainly have in mind the colorful Alsatian houses? Simply because, traditionally, the houses were white. It was only later (from the 17th century onwards) that colors appeared on timber-framed houses.
Interestingly, thechurch in Seebach, St. Wendelin of Niederseebach, is a simultaneous church, which means that it is used by both Catholics and Protestants. This happens sometimes in Alsace: I had seen for the first time such a church in La Petite Pierre.
The visit of the village is quite quick since there are globally two main streets to walk (the street of the Blacksmiths and the street of the Churches), where the half-timbered houses are well aligned. That being said, you will already spend some time there: when I went there, I stopped at each house to admire the courtyards, gardens and beautiful facades!
I invite you to combine your visit to Seebach with a visit to the neighboring village of Hunspach (also magnificent, ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages in France. I admit to a slight preference for Seebach, but it’s best to visit both), Wissembourg and northern Alsace in general.
Seebach’s Streisselhochzeit
If you’d like to visit Seebach and take advantage of the opportunity to attend a special event, the Streisselhochzeit in July is a re-enactment of a traditional Alsatian wedding, during which the courtyards of the houses are open and there’s plenty of entertainment.
I haven’t been there yet but this festival was recommended to me by trusted friends who are very attached to the Alsatian culture: I can therefore tell you that it is a quality event, apparently very nice!
Practical information
Access
By car
Seebach is located in:
- 66km from Strasbourg (about 50 minutes)
- 136km from Colmar (about 1h30)
- 180 km from Mulhouse (about 2 hours)