Eguisheim, Andlau, Mont-Saint-Odile : l’Alsace en héritage – Les villages de nos régions – MG

Eguisheim, Andlau, Mont-Saint-Odile : l’Alsace en héritage – Les villages de nos régions – MG

Discovering France
means wandering its cobbled streets, climbing to the top of its most beautiful towers,
tasting its specialties, climbing its trails or sailing on its rivers. It also means meeting its inhabitants,
those who, every day, maintain and strive
to bring our heritage to life. Discovering our country
means immersing yourself in the villages of our regions. Let’s explore the Grand Est,
a region that brings together Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne. Its largest city is Strasbourg. This corner of France,
dominated by the Vosges mountains, has very distinctive landscapes. A bucolic setting that will appeal to
nature lovers. From the flowery villages of Alsace
to the picturesque towns of Champagne, this welcoming region
should quickly charm you. During this trip,
we will take you to visit Alsace through two
typical villages: Eguisheim and Andlau. Then, we will stop at the
Mont-Saint-Odile convent to introduce you to the most popular monument in Bas-Rhin. Before heading to the
Lorin villages of Saint-Quirin and Plombières- les-Bains, a
spa resort like no other. And we will end our journey
in the Champagne region, in Essoyes, the village of the painter Auguste Renoir. To
start this trip to the Grand Est in style,
let’s head straight to Alsace, to discover Éguisheim in disguise. 80 km from Strasbourg, in Haut-Rhin,
this village is a must-see in the region. Éguisheim owes its reputation
above all to its architectural heritage and its colorful facades. Like
them, Mélanie is convinced that she lives in one of the most beautiful villages in France. Good morning.
Yes, thank you very much. Good day.
Good morning, Mr. Geisler. Good morning. Every day, she walks through these picturesque
concentric streets which give the village the air of a labyrinth. At the center of this labyrinth,
the main square. From here,
you can admire the statue of Leo IX, the only Alsatian pope in history,
who some claim was born in Eguisheim. Inside the alleys,
you will appreciate the charm of the half-timbered houses. All year round, Mélanie shows
tourists around this ancient medieval village. There, in fact, you are
in the old ramparts. In fact, at the beginning, it was really two
surrounding walls that fortified the city. And when people finally no longer needed
these fortifications, they built their houses
against the old rampart walls. If you pay attention,
you will notice that many of them have
medieval inscriptions. This one is a little different
from the others, since it tells us: Was stehst du all hier zu gaffen? Gang schaut zu deinen zahren. Basically, it means: What are you doing
staring at me? Go on your way
and mind your own business. Compared to the others,
there was perhaps no need for divine protection and ultimately,
now, with hindsight, we can find it a bit comical, ultimately. Now, on the facades,
it is flowers that have pride of place. It must be said that the village
has a status to maintain. For more than 30 years,
it has been at the top of the national competition for Flowery Towns and Villages. When you see the mothers who share this
with their children and the small families we have in the village,
even in They can read all their facades, it’s really impressive. Flowers are a real tradition. I think it’s really
part of our culture. And culture in Eguisheim
also comes through in the cuisine. To whet your appetite, stop
at the village’s only bakery. You will not be disappointed. In Eguisheim, the unmissable salt pretzel
is the best in Alsace. He’s right here.
Good morning. Water, flour, coarse
salt and a very technical gesture. We refine the edges.
Yeah. Just cross,
turn your hands over and bring up small pieces on the thick part. You do the gesture in a big way like that. It’s not easy
to reproduce the gesture. But remember one thing, a pretzel is
always eaten the same day. Here Melanie, do you want to taste? With great pleasure. Tell me if they aren’t the best. It’s already crispy. It’s soft inside. This is awesome. And on the day of your visit to Eguisheim,
perhaps you will be lucky enough to spot the emblematic
Alsatian stork. Hello Mr. Spies. Are you coming to see our storks? Well yes, I wanted to know
if there were any new eggs. By the 1970s, the storks
had deserted the village. Since then, a program to reintroduce
these birds, so dear to the hearts of Alsatians, has been put in place. For the moment,
they both get along well. But hey, there’s no
production, there’s no… Okay, so we don’t have any
eggs to cut ourselves with. This year, no, I think.
All right. Maybe for next year. And if not, if there is nothing,
we will leave them, we will let them fly again. Because storks
are a love story. Yes.
That’s it. And, it seems, they
remain faithful for their entire lives. That’s what I heard.
It’s like us. That’s what they say. In any case, after visiting Eguisheim,
it’s hard not to fall in love with Alsace. Besides, let’s extend our
trip to the surrounding area. Less than an hour’s drive from Eguisheim
is a village called Andlau. Located 30 km from Strasbourg,
in the Bas-Rhin, Andlau is nestled between vineyards and Vosges forests. This is where Maurice has lived
for over 60 years. And the first thing he wants
to show us is the abbey. This Abbey is the very heart of the village. And there he crossed history and
left us these magnificent buildings which are the pride of the place because they
are emblematic of all the Romanesque art which flourished in the Upper Rhine. Hello, hello. Like Maurice, he then went to stroll
through the alleys adjacent to the abbey. So, the charm of these streets
is obviously these houses with the Colombois who is taller. Then there are the people who go to a lot
of trouble to make it look cute. And the most beautiful place to admire these
colorful half-timbered houses is on the banks of the Andlau, the river
that crosses the village from east to west. The river flows quietly, Let’s stay here, certainly, but let’s head towards the
vineyards surrounding Andlau. At the heart of the Alsace wine route,
the commune has three great classified growths on this land. Hi, hello at work already.
How are you ? Yes, it is necessary. Raphael and his wife
took over the family business. We create something with our hands,
a small piece of vine, a small garden. We arrive at a bottle that looks a
bit like a postcard from Andlau, too. If people chose to settle here
almost a millennium ago, it was because they felt
there was energy here. There is a small river flowing
in a valley, a castle watching over us. We feel really comfortable here. As you leave the vineyards, ask for the house
of Daniel, the Shield maker. He too will be happy
to talk to you about his passion. Good God, that’s quite
a story. Absolutely.
So it’s a… These are pieces that are staggered… Copies, of course. Pieces ranging
from the 12th to the 16th century. So, it is called
triangular shield, large almond shield, spots, shield. These creations are exported throughout
Europe, often to museums. The most faithful reconstructions
possible using period materials. Moreover, contrary to what one might
imagine, shields were never made of metal. These shields
are primarily made of linden, a short-fibered wood that crushes, is
light and does not split. In any case, it is important to take
into account that the shield is fungible. It’s something that lasts two
or three fights and then you throw it away and go do another one. And if you are fond of history,
and more particularly of the Middle Ages, before leaving the village,
go up to the Spèsbourg castle. For almost eight centuries,
he has watched over Andlau. Hello Maurice. At home, how good it is.
How are you ? There are plenty of tools waiting for
me to lend my hands, right? Yeah. Actually, it’s a love story, I
think, between the villagers and the castle. Because 30 years ago,
the castle was closed to the public. They were no longer accessible and were
threatening to collapse. And that was unacceptable to us. So, we decided to form
an association and the bet paid off. It has become a living place. Several hiking trails start from this castle
. One of them, about 5 km long,
leads to Mont-Saint-Odile. A must-see stop on our
itinerary in the Grand Est. A pink sandstone vessel placed
on the mountain, a place of meetings and pilgrimages. It is the antechamber of heaven. There we meet God,
there we meet others and there we have time to meet ourselves. So, how are things going? Father Kuehler officiates at Saint-Odile. If you come across him, you’re
sure to have a good time. God made the sun
because of your beautiful eyes. Wait, that’s not schnapps. No, no, no. You have beautiful teeth.
THANKS. But more seriously,
people come here above all to pay their respects to the patron saint
of Alsace, Saint Odile. Marie-Thérèse, a historian, has always been interested
in the life of this saint. Good morning.
Hello, how are you? Very good, always when I’m here. Odile inherited this perched and isolated mountain
from her father, the Duke of Alsace, and transformed it
into a monastery in the 8th century. The fact that she’s up there,
and you imagine that without a phone, without a freezer, without a snow plow,
without a car, etc. In a place exposed to storms, God
knows how many times lightning has struck there. You really had to have
guts to settle up there with a bunch of women. He was a man
of some serious stature. For 13 centuries,
the passion has not abated. Head inside the convent
to discover his tomb. Odile, we come to pray to her,
we come to invoke her, we come to confide in her for everything and anything. Yes, and I think we are
also looking for a model. Besides, in front of the saint, my father
lets himself go with a few confidences. It’s a shame I don’t know her
face, but I think she would make me fall for her. If, like Father Queleur,
when you come to the convent, you meet Alphonse,
the caretaker of the place, ask him to show you the
library, which is usually closed to the public. Here we are in one of the
oldest parts of the convent. There are approximately 2,000 works preserved here
, including 10 incunabula, that is, works from the beginning of printing. Such a wealth that 15 years ago,
these treasures are disappearing one after the other. Mystery at the convent. Some even spoke of a ghost,
a religious man who stole books. By Arcel Lupin.
By Arcel Lupin. So, the mystery was finally
discovered through a passage which is located here, behind these shelves. There you go, there you go. So that’s where it was happening. An almost perfect burglary, until
the discovery of the secret upstairs. The thief, using a rope ladder,
descended to the lower floor which leads to the back
of the library shelves. He would remove the books one after
the other, which allowed him, from there, to enter the
library premises, take one suitcase, two suitcases,
come out and put these books back in exactly the same place,
which meant that from the inside, nothing was noticeable. You can restart
the scenario, by the way. No, no, no, no, no, that should have
gotten stuck in the first channel. It’s a bit acrobatic,
it must be said. Fortunately,
the books have since been found intact. Continuation of the visit in the
museum part of the convent. On the walls are displayed photographs
of Pope John Paul II visiting Mount Saint-Odile in the late 1980s. The now saint came to the place
where all Alsatians, where people from all over the world
go to visit the tomb of Saint-Odile. And so, my God,
it was a mind-blowing day. Terrible, terrible.
He was floating. It was foggy,
but mostly there were people. And there are
always people here all year round. So, here’s a little tip:
if you want to discover this place in peace and quiet, you can book
a room to spend the night there. Part of the site has in fact
been transformed into a hotel. What could be more magical than enjoying
this breathtaking view from over 700 meters up in the early morning? The Grand Est also includes Lorraine,
a region which also has many advantages. Here, we recommend you take
a break in Saint-Quirin, a town located 80 kilometers from
Nancy, in the Moselle department. A country village with
green hills, close to the Vosges mountains. Listen to Pierre,
one of its inhabitants, talking about it. If Saint-Quirin were a woman,
he wouldn’t necessarily be a bimbo. He would rather be this
girl with crazy charm. It is not a museum village,
it is a living village. And then, at the same time,
we are a little far from everything. We are cut off from the world,
we are at the bottom of a valley. And it’s really still
parochialism. Moreover, for a breathtaking view
of its bell tower, go to the high chapel. We are following in the footsteps of those who have been
climbing there for centuries. We can’t let
several weeks go by without coming here. Every year, during a
thousand-year-old procession, the relics of the tribune Kyrinus, founder of the village,
are carried from the church to the chapel. The soul of the village is there,
it is in this place. There is the heritage of men,
there is the heritage of nature and all of this blends harmoniously. It’s superb. The
village’s main attraction is its church with its triple bulb bell tower and
a unique masterpiece inside: the Silbermann organ,
listed as a historic monument. For me, it is a huge privilege to have
access to an instrument classified as a historic monument. I was 18 years old and I felt
very humble and small to play that instrument. Yes, it’s a real source of pride,
I remember it very well. My grandfather got married there in 1933. On his wedding day,
he heard the sound of this organ. For the people here,
it’s part of their history, in fact. It’s simply part of their DNA
. As you leave the church, you
can’t miss the village fountain. Legend says that its
water is miraculous. Do you believe in miracles?
Sometimes. Sometimes, we hope.
Just try. It is even said that this water is
particularly effective in treating skin diseases. Finally, in Saint-Quirin, the one who knows how to
take care of the inhabitants is the butcher. Don’t forget to stop by his
shop to taste his local game products. You will tell me what you think. It’s a natural thug,
you can eat it with it. That’s good to know. It doesn’t matter. Excellent. The Sausage in the Backpack. Then set off on the
hiking trails of the Vosges forests. Along the way, you will discover the
archaeological site of Croix-Guillaume and its remains from the Gallo-Roman era. Let’s leave the rural landscapes
of Saint-Quirin to discover another side of Lorraine. South of the Vosges mountains,
here is a completely different universe: the hushed atmosphere
of Plombières-les-Bains. A spa resort nestled in the bottom
of a valley 100 kilometers from Nancy. This is where Nathalie
and Nicole, two friends who are great connoisseurs of the history of this city, grew up. I think it’s really nice. I thought about Montmartre a little. Yes, absolutely.
It’s romantic. Romantic, yes, absolutely. In addition to the stone staircases
and numerous public gardens, you will be particularly struck by the multitude
of balconies that make up the architecture of Plombiere. And actually, has she
already counted the balconies? They say there are a thousand of them, but… Well yes, Plombières, Plombières,
the city of a thousand balconies. And tell me, do we know
the origin of all these balconies? Originally, you have to think that it was
still the nobility who came to Plombières, the upper middle class, and they
liked to see what was happening in the street and especially to be seen.
Yes, that’s it. In the 18th century,
many intellectuals and powerful people of this world, such as Voltaire, Montagne,
Berlioz and Joséphine de Beauharnais, passed through here. It is even said that the latter
one day fell from this balcony. But then, why did she fall? Because it still looks solid
when you see the balcony like that, you say to yourself… In fact, it was made of wood at the time,
both the railing and the floor. They heard a lot
of noise in the street. She and her friends
rushed out onto the balcony. Who gave way under their foot. And she fell.
All right. Which could have been fatal for him. To get back on her feet,
she could fortunately count on the Roman baths,
already present here more than 2000 years ago. The interior can be visited all year round. So, do you know why the Romans settled in Plombières in particular?
Finally, Plombières at the time. Yes, let’s say that they need places of
renewal for the Roman legions, to promote the rest
of the warrior, the rest of the warrior, the care, of course, of the warrior. If you get closer,
you will see these large pieces of sandstone blocks, so a stone,
a cut stone. And when we see this
impressive part, and we touch it, we know that on this stone,
the noble consul, whom you see there, placed his buttocks, and many others. And many others,
so it’s true that it’s quite… There you go, we remain impressed. Today, the Plombières
baths are still in operation. On the ground floor,
spa guests can enjoy the establishment’s amazing refreshment bar. So, these waters that we are going to taste
are warm waters which, upon emergence, come out at 54 degrees.
Yes. So that’s the aperitif for the Plombinoid spa guests
today. Yes, it’s aperitif time. And we can
really consume without moderation. Come on, here, Bric.
THANKS. You too. In any case, please note that this fountain is
also freely accessible to visitors. But the real treasure of Plombières
is the second thermal establishment, located a few steps away,
and built by Napoleon III. The emperor, who treated these rheumatisms
in Plombières, had this building erected in his image. So, our current spa guests
still have the pleasure of wandering around a building that is nonetheless magnificent. It is a building that is still
in operation, since it still welcomes spa guests, and all the
spa treatment takes place here today. If the setting tempts you, you can book your stay at
this historic spa from March to November. Another plumber’s attraction is
Rue Lietard, dedicated to crafts and antique dealers. Hello Pierre.
Hello Nathalie. How are you ?
Yes. Alright. So Pierre, I came to see,
you received any new things, right? Glass paste, you have this one. This is the one who is Muller-Frère. It is a multi-layered glass.
All right. What do you call multi-layered? It’s multi-layered glass, it was
layers of glass to make the colors. Okay.
It’s the lotti I brought in too. Oh yes, I like that.
Very beautiful with its warm light. Oh yes, that’s very pretty.
Marmoloyen. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
Yes. I find it very shimmering. So, all these color mixes,
I find it very pretty. That’s what I like. In the region, the art of lighting,
and especially glass making, has been recognized since the Middle Ages. And one last piece of advice: when you leave Le Bourg,
stop at the Bilger family establishment. Here, since 1933,
we have been making authentic Plombière ice cream, an ice cream with
candied fruit macerated with Kirsch. Yes, it’s a legacy and I remain
a bit of a guardian, so I appreciate it a lot and so it’s good. After this gourmet break, it’s time
to go and discover our last village. And this time, we head west,
to the former Champagne-Ardenne region. A village in the middle of vineyards
and bordered by the river. Here we are in Essoyes, 200 kilometers
from Nancy, in the Champagne region. The painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir
fell in love with this place. Here he drew all his inspiration for
the last 30 years of his life. Bernard is the great-nephew of Gabriel,
one of Renoir’s most famous models. Every summer weekend,
you can meet him and perhaps attend one of his guided tours. Hello, welcome to Essoyes. So, you’re… Let’s go for a storytelling walk
about Renoir and the history of the town. So here we come to Rue
Creuse, which is aptly named, and you have an old house
here, which is still marked by the scars of the French Revolution,
since you have a plaque at the top which indicates the political opinion
of the people who once lived there. They thought it was a good idea to mark 1793 in stone
, in two parts of the Republic. They said they were
revolutionaries and you had to dare to do it because there were
monarchists here too. It is the charm of these winding streets,
the river and the light, which, here, inspired Renoir so much. Here we are on the Washers’ site. This is one of the works that Renoir created
during his first stay in Essoyes in 1888. A few meters away,
you will find the painter’s studio, now transformed into a museum. Just a stone’s throw from here, you can also
stroll along the banks of the Ours and admire the typical half-timbered houses of
Champagne. And at the end of the day,
don’t hesitate to join the locals for a friendly drink. There are villages where it’s one,
it’s starting up again more or less well. And either it’s
always going well. Come on, so be it.
Come on, fine. To Renoir and Gabrielle. Let us thus conclude
this trip to the Grand Est in a friendly atmosphere. A welcoming region,
with a green landscape and very distinctive architecture. In short, an ideal destination for anyone who is a
history buff, a keen walker, or both.

Cap sur le Grand Est, entre Alsace, Lorraine et Champagne.

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À Eguisheim, labyrinthe de ruelles concentriques, façades à colombages et fleurs composent le décor autour de la statue de Léon IX – pause gourmande avec le bretzel du village. Direction Andlau : abbaye romane, maisons à pans de bois, vignobles classés et savoir-faire d’artisans comme le fabricant de boucliers. Par les sentiers, montée au château du Spesbourg puis halte au Mont-Saint-Odile, haut lieu spirituel posé sur le grès rose, entre pèlerinages, bibliothèque ancienne et panorama à plus de 700 m. Côté Lorraine, Saint-Quirin dévoile son clocher à triple bulbe, sa fontaine légendaire et ses processions séculaires, aux portes des forêts vosgiennes. Plombières-les-Bains raconte deux mille ans de thermalisme : bains romains, établissement Second Empire et “ville aux mille balcons”. Final en Champagne à Essoyes, village-atelier de Renoir, où rivière, lumière et maisons champenoises ont inspiré le peintre. Un voyage de pierres, d’eaux et de vignes, au plus près d’un patrimoine vivant.

Réalisé par Élodie BOUTIT.
© MORGANE PRODUCTION