Visit of Wissembourg, a charming town in Northern Alsace

My summary

Northern Alsace, often overlooked

It’s fairly well known to German tourists, but much less so to others, who tend to concentrate their visits to Alsace on the Strasbourg and Colmar regions and the Wine Route. It’s a shame, because Northern Alsace also has a lot to offer! There’s beautiful nature, interesting skills (especially in glass, crystal and pottery) and charming traditional Alsatian villages like Seebach and Hunspach.

Wissembourg is a small town that I fell in love with when I first passed through it. So I went back with more time on my hands and my impression was confirmed: it’s beautiful! As a bonus, Wissembourg is far less touristy than the other towns and villages on the Alsace Wine Route, so it has a pleasantly peaceful atmosphere. It remains lively, but you can walk around quietly without fear of the crowd, which is very pleasant.

Walking tour of Wissembourg

Wissembourg is easy to discover on foot: you can stroll through the town center, or walk along the ancient ramparts to gain a bit of height. The town boasts some very fine buildings, including superb half-timbered houses. The river Lauter runs through the town, which gives it a lot of charm: it is pleasant to walk along the waterfront and admire the houses.

Must-sees in Wissembourg include the Abbatiale Saints Pierre et Paul, the Maison du Sel (and its incredible roof… we wonder how it’s still standing!), the Remparts circuit, a walk along the Faubourg de Bitche and the Rue Nationale (the town’s main shopping street) and the Rue du Marché aux Poissons. These are only a few indications, you should stroll around! Wissembourg also has beautiful terraces perfect for a break during your visit.

To make sure you don’t miss a thing, you can opt for the Old Wissembourg discovery tour: it’s 3km long and has 15 stages, allowing you to discover some 30 of the town’s remarkable buildings.