Riquewihr, Eguisheim et Colmar : trésors médiévaux d’Alsace – Les 100 Lieux qu’il faut voir – MG

Riquewihr, Eguisheim et Colmar : trésors médiévaux d’Alsace – Les 100 Lieux qu’il faut voir – MG

Do you like France? Do you enjoy exploring it,
discovering it, going out to meet it? You even sometimes get
the impression that you know her well. We all have a small beach,
a small cove, a clearing, a hamlet or a path that belongs only to
us, far from the beaten track and that we only want to share
with those we love. This is the France we want
you to discover, through 100 places you absolutely must see in your lifetime. Today, we set off to discover
the Haut-Rhin, an Alsatian land of tradition
endowed with a beautiful heritage. During this trip,
you will discover the famous medieval town of Riquewihr, whose exceptional wines
are exported all over the world. Then, we will explore the historic heart
of Eguisheim, considered the quintessential postcard of Alsace. Finally, we will visit Colmar and its
splendid canal, which has earned it the nickname “Little Venice of Alsace”. Authentic Alsatians will
guide us throughout this getaway. Men and women proud to
extol the virtues of this region they love so much. Riquewihr is a medieval town classified
among the most beautiful villages in France. It is because it remained nestled
behind solid perimeter walls surrounded by hundreds of hectares
of vineyards that this splendid site is still
in its original state today. And it is a lover of the heritage
of this region who will be our guide. Alongside his sales job,
Benjamin spends most of his free time cleaning castles or
historical sites as part of an association. To introduce us to Riquewihr,
Benjamin chose to call upon one of its key figures, Tournable,
who comes from a very large family of winegrowers established here since 1639. André Huguet is also the president
of the local history society. So André, tell me a little bit about
the history of the village. Oh, village, oh,
we don’t appreciate it in Riquire. We have been cities since
1320 and we are very attached to it. Okay, but what about the
population? No, no, quite simply,
because we had a perimeter wall, we had the right to call ourselves a city.
All right. And right behind it, the Grand Cru? Ah yes, it’s a hillside renowned since
the High Middle Ages, which is mainly planted with Riesling. Riesling, which is
the great wine of Alsace. From our region, of course. Listen, if you agree, will you take me for
a little drive around town? So.
Let’s go to town. All right.
I follow you. We were Alsace, the
southernmost region, north of the Alps. And we were very fortunate to have
the Rhine, which was a good wine at the time. It was a wine with a high
alcohol content, which could withstand the journey for weeks, months. And Riquire wine, in particular,
was renowned, hence the wealth of the houses. Okay
, there you go. Because we exported a lot. We exported more in the 16th and 15th centuries
than we export today. Than today.
Ah, well that’s interesting. So.
We’re going to visit the Gourmet’s House. The gourmet acted as an intermediary
between the producer and the buyer. There were always only two gourmets to be cooked again,
and they were chosen from among the wealthiest, richest people. Because, as they say, when you’re already
rich, you’re perhaps more honest. And that’s right, I don’t know anything about it. So , there we were, in
front of the Auberge au Cerde. And we’re going to go see
the next beautiful property. From the city.
From the city. Who else has their own particularities, then?
Absolutely. One is more beautiful than the other. You’re going to tell us all about it. Here we are, entering the courtyard of this
beautiful property built in 1581 by Johannes Feere, E.
F. There are also the initials of my great-
great-grandfather, because my family lived in this property from 1781 until 1902, when my grandfather sold the house
because he had become a gourmet, so he needed more space
and easier access because of course, the lime wagons could not
come here, they could not store the wine as they did… You have positioned yourself at the entrance to the town. That’s exactly it. So, what is interesting
about the beautiful houses in Riquire is those that have a spiral staircase
outside made of stone. When a house has a wooden staircase
inside, in the event of a fire, which was
a tragedy of the Middle Ages, one could not escape, whereas with
a spiral staircase, it was very easy. And we have
at least 10 copies of that to anneal. A tower, it looks a bit princely, it makes you
stand out, but it has a lot of class, but it was very useful, very useful. When you come to Riquewihr,
follow in the footsteps of André and Benjamin, and lose yourself in the streets
and passages of the town to admire the richness of its architecture. The village owes its wealth
to the exploitation of Alsatian green gold , cultivated
on the surrounding hillsides. We are on the heights of Riboville, the
central point of the Alsace Wine Route. I’m going to take you to visit a very
old cellar, the cellar of the Bott family, winegrowers for seven generations. So, we are going to discover a family story. And at the Bott’s, it’s Nicole, the mother,
who takes care of promoting the estate’s wine throughout the world. SO ?
Listen, we’re on the eve of the grape harvest. So. So , we have the vineyards
right below the house. Yeah, OK. And so, in our case,
it’s a family estate that dates back to 1835, passed down from father to son. And so, currently, it’s already
the seventh generation which is… It’s the seventh generation. So, our son Paul succeeds my husband,
Laurent, and his father, Pierre. So. So, it’s a beautiful family story. Quite. Listen, if you want, to get right into the
heart of the action, we’re going to go down to the cellar. In the cellar, to be precise.
Let’s see what happens. Very well, with pleasure.
I’m with you. Please . So Benjamin, here, I’m taking you to our
safe, since there’s cash in here too.
Oh yes ? And so,
these are bottles that are intended to be sold very soon, either
to our store customers, in restaurants or around the world.
All right. Here, I present to you a
century-old lightning bolt dating from 1899. Okay. And this lightning bolt was in Paris during
the Universal Exhibition in 1900. Oh really? And represented the Botte family
and the town of Rivaudvilliers, whose coat of arms we have here in Paris. So then it was dismantled
and rebuilt here on site. And brought back here. Because the door isn’t
big enough to fit him back in, of course. All right. Sylvanaire, Muscat, Riesling, Pinot gris,
blanc and noir, and finally, Geberstraminer. The Botte family cultivates all
seven Alsatian grape varieties. Our hostess will be happy to let you
taste them, in moderation, of course. Paul? And you will also meet the new
generation of the family, embodied by his son Paul. Paul?
Yes. Ah, you’re here?
Yes. Hi Paul.
SO ? I’m coming. Are
you cleaning? I’m cleaning, well yes,
the grape harvest is coming. So, everything has to
be spotless, completely clean. Of course.
I’m finishing up and I’m here. Okay, I’ll wait for you here. Well, I’ll leave you two then
. See you later .
Hi Nicole. Every year, Paul cleans
the barrels before the new harvest. In Alsace, these
venerable barrels are called foudres. Here, it now rubs shoulders with the very
best in high-tech winemaking. That’s it, it’s all clean,
it’s all spotless. Can you put in the new juice?
We can go. It’s a technique. So. It requires a bit of flexibility. Is there a little less work here? Next to it , there’s a little less work. Cleaning a stainless steel tank
takes 5 minutes of work, whereas using a wooden barrel requires
spending a good hour in it and a bit more elbow grease. You can find this type of plaque
inside, limescale plaques. Is that tartar? It’s tartar, actually,
it’s the acidity that precipitates into crystals, and that’s what rediscovers the whole thing
inside your food. So, to clean a surface like
this, you can imagine that it takes much more
time and patience than a smooth stainless steel surface. And it was the new generation
that brought this into the cellar? This is the contribution of the new generation. So, I’m quite proud of it because
the new winery is also equipped with a
cooling system that allows the temperature of the wines to be controlled
during fermentation. So, it’s also incredibly practical. And up there, that little
tune we hear being sung. Ah, what we hear singing there
is fermentation. So in fact, we install these small
bungs to control the fermentation. So, as long as there is a release of gas
, it means that our wine is fermenting. Maturing. So, this little
tune will be playing for two or three months. Two, three months?
All right. That
morning, the estate was buzzing with activity , as the grape harvest had just
begun. Benjamin accompanies Paul to the vineyards
where the grapes that have made the region’s fortune are harvested. This is the first plot of land that my parents
bought together. Ah yeah, yeah. That’s just a
little anecdote. Ah well, that’s not neutral, OK. Well, shall we go? There you go
, that’s perfect. Come on. First day of the grape harvest? Benjamin’s first day of the grape harvest
, exactly. Which plot are we on? Today, we’re starting
with a first plot planted with Muscat grapes. All right. So the harvest begins for the Muscat grapes;
we don’t like to harvest when they are fully ripe so that they retain all their
freshness and crispness. And a little bit of acidity.
And a bit of acidity and all its aromas. So here we have a Muscat
Grand Cru, Kirchberg de Riboville. One of the three great wines of the region. One of the three great
vintages of Riboville, yes. Show me, I can take one… There, we simply cut it. We’ll take a bunch, there, OK. Listen, I want to taste it. Listen, do what you like. It’s sweet, it’s good. You can smell its aromas a little.
Ah, its fruits, there. We’re going to try to find all of that
in the bottle. Of course. Even if you don’t have the chance to come
during the grape harvest, know that these ancient vineyards will still
offer you dozens of possible walks
in a breathtaking setting. After your visit to Riquewihr,
we recommend that you travel just 18 kilometers away to
visit the impressive Haut-Queu-nixbourg fortress, perched on a
rocky spur at an altitude of 757 meters. And it is Aline Sauer, a
presenter on the site, who will reveal its nine centuries of history to us. Are you going to show me all of this
a little bit? Yes, you know him a little bit? A little bit, but I’d like
some information. I believe we’re already
in a place where we can see the different stages of the castle’s construction? Ah, well, this castle actually
has a great history. It dates back to the 12th century. At the time, it was the
German emperors Frederick of Hanftaufen. Do you know a little bit about it? Okay
, yeah. Do you know its legend? Do you know what they’re
saying about him? Oh not at all, tell me. In fact, it is said that everywhere he went,
he left a castle at the tail of his horse. And so, that’s why we have
castles scattered all over the Vosges ridge. So you see, in fact,
he built the castle on this mountain, on the rock that you see just behind you. That’s the first layer. So.
And then, on top of that,
another castle was added in the 15th century. And then there’s one last
part of the story. You were talking about the third
layer, yes, I like it. That’s exactly it. This is the 20th century period. In fact, as this castle was burned down
during the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century,
it was restored by Emperor William II at the very beginning of the 20th century. And this is the last
part of the castle. In fact, everything that is
located at roof level. We will go through the lower courtyard of the castle. This is where all self-sufficient life was organized
in the Middle Ages, meaning that all the people
who worked for the Lord actually lived in this
part of the castle. The blacksmith could be found. We also had the tavern here
and then the stables just below. In fact, it’s a
really lively place. And right there,
we find the entrance to the linear logistic system. That’s the way I’m going to take you
now to see what’s hidden a little higher up.
Great. So. Once we have crossed
the drawbridge, we will arrive in the upper part of the
castle, really in the heart of the lodgings. There, just to your left, we pass by
the only well in the castle. Aline and Benjamin then pass
through the spiral staircase of the Seigneurial Lodge to reach a room
that few visitors know about: the kitchens. As you will see, this is actually the
most amazing place in the castle. So, go ahead, Benjamin, come in. Here, we arrive in a truly
exceptional place where very few visitors have had access, since we are
in the 1900 kitchens, the kitchens of Emperor Wilhelm II. So it was he who had
the castle restored at the very beginning of the 20th century. So, Wilhelm II
was certainly a great emperor, but above all he was passionate about modernity. Even for the reconstruction work,
all the modernity of the time was used, and this can be seen in
its kitchens. You see, we have this grand piano here. In fact, if you look just above,
we have a whole system of pipes that goes up to this hot water tank. The heat produced by the piano
allows for the production of hot water. And then, if we continue,
we arrive at the level of this sink where you can see a
hot and cold water mixer tap. You know that at that time,
in the villages, people didn’t even have running water. So imagine here,
for an emperor who only comes once a year, a mixer tap… First water.
Exactly. So you see, we arrive in this
second room, so the cold part, with an icebox here. Giant.
Giant, yes. So actually, it was simply used
to keep food fresh. We put ice inside,
place the dishes on top, and close it up. A bit like the freezer effect. Where did the ice come from in 1900? The ice cream comes directly
from Strasbourg by train. It’s delivered here,
we put it inside. The idea is not for it to stay for
several days, just for the duration of a meal. In fact, what happened,
if you paid close attention around you in those kitchens, everything looks brand new. It looks like it was just
installed yesterday. In fact, it was never really used. The only time these kitchens were
used was for the inauguration of the reconstruction of Haut-Connix-Bourg,
on May 13, 1908. In fact, on that occasion,
a large reception was organized at the castle, and it was a restaurateur
from Strasbourg who had all the dishes delivered here to the castle. So, the kitchen didn’t work. So, the idea
was simply to keep it warm or keep it cool. So, all this modernism from these two
kitchens for a single meal that wasn’t even prepared here.
Exactly. All right. A
little further on, our guide enters the
Kaiser’s room, whose lavish decoration still testifies to the ambitions of the last
master of the place, Emperor Wilhelm II. So,
you see, we leave the accommodations to arrive in the Kaiser’s room,
that is to say, the emperor’s room. And right in front of us,
on these frescoes by Léo Schnoupp, you can see the great families who
lived here, at the castle, represented in the form of medieval tournaments. So, the idea of ​​Wilhelm II, in particular,
when you arrive, is to look up at the ceiling and you see this eagle
which is the symbol of the German Empire, with at its head in the golden Oriole,
the Prussian motto Gott mit uns, which means God with us.
With us. So. And at the head of this eagle are
the coats of arms of Alsace and Lorraine, the two regions newly
reconquered by the German Empire. So, his idea was to show that here,
at that time, we were under Germanic domination. So, we understand that
Emperor William’s objective is to demonstrate the belonging
of the Alsace region to Germany, as has been the case for 30 years,
at the time of the restoration. He thinks that will change more. Now that he
has reclaimed his territories, he hopes to keep them forever. History shows us
that this has changed again. After this detour through Upper Königsbourg,
we suggest you head back north through the department
to reach the next major stage of this getaway in the Upper Rhine. Like Riquewihr,
Eguisheim is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, but also one
of the most famous villages in Alsace. Its renown is due to the
remarkable quality of its architecture. Fortified since 1257, Eguisheim consists of concentric alleyways that wind around its castle
and half-timbered houses. It is in the company of Albert that we
will discover this magnificent place. This retired police officer was born in these
valleys, which he knows like no one else. After travelling extensively,
he naturally decided to return to his region where he enjoys playing the role of a volunteer guide, much to the delight of tourists. But before we begin our visit
to Eguisheim, Albert wants to make a short detour to the
nearby Münster Valley. Very different from the plains landscapes,
this small corner of hilly nature is remarkably similar to the vast expanse of the Alpine pastures. This is where one of the
last 15 clog makers in France works. This ancestral know-how has been passed down for
generations in André Héberlet’s family. A technique that you can observe up
close, since his workshop is open to the public.
Hi André. Hi Albert.
How are you doing ? THANKS.
The shape? So, you came to make
clogs with me? I don’t really know, good idea, but do people
still wear clogs today? Absolutely. The clog is still used today,
whether in cutlery, crystal making, earthenware making
or foundry work. It’s still a
wooden shoe, and wood is a neutral color. As a result, it doesn’t let in
either heat or cold. So we’ll simply put on the clog
to go to the garden. It’s a shoe
that’s still quite easy to wear. It is easy to take off,
it is easy to put on. And most importantly, something
that women really like is that we’ll leave the dirt outside. With that, you’re going to make me a hoof? Yes , we’ll do it. And then I’ll show you
a little bit how it works. We’re going to do the length cut. Here, we give it the width
and we’re going to give it the height. That’s just a feeling, that’s all. You feel it that way. Besides, that’s difficult to explain. Can we already guess a little bit? That’s good. Now, we’re going to adjust the angle. Ah yeah.
Gorgeous. It was quite easy, actually. In fact, the hoof was already in the hole. You just have to remove what’s sticking out. So.
In fact, he was hiding. Although
the finishing touches are done by hand with the same tools as in the past,
this craft was mechanized as early as 1847 in order to be able to cut and hollow out
the pieces faster. André can thus produce
up to ten pairs per day. These customers are mainly
farmers, but part of its production is dedicated
to folklore for carnivals. I can tell you, Albert,
that they did it. It lost weight. It’s true ?
Yes, you see. So now we move on to the manual finishing.
Hand-finished? Finally, and especially you. And then, we’ll first
round off the back of the hoof. We’re going to add a small
border here and we’re going to trim his nose. We’re going to do all this with just one
tool, which is the r wall. You see, we’re rounding it off here? Because that’s something we need to
be ready to sabotage. You’ll see later, you
need to know how to work from right to left, and from left
and from left to right. During your visit,
André can make you a custom-made pair in just one hour. Contrary to popular belief,
it seems that the clog is becoming very fashionable again. André even invented a special model
for Starlette: the needle clog. I was told you made
clogs for Shakira. Ah!
Yes, wait. Let me fantasize a little and tell me
if it’s true or not. Look at.
Ah yeah, but it’s not a hoof. We’re moving straight to a shoe. It’s a 15cm heeled shoe,
which was commissioned from me for a young fashion designer for a fashion show. It’s true that we’re almost
in unique pieces. We made about ten pairs. It should be noted that the stylist takes
care of many people, including Shagira, in terms of shoes, etc. Did she wear those shoes?
Listen, I don’t know. You don’t know anything about it?
I don’t know. Let’s dream,
let’s say, she wore it. Let’s just say it. The
next day, Albert arranged to meet us at dawn, on the heights of the
Minster valley, for a completely different visit. It is 7:00 am. I am alone in the world. The cows are waiting to be milked. I’m taking you to the Ferme Auberge
du Strowberg, a high mountain farm in our region, at an altitude of 1100 meters. This 17th-century farm inn has been
run by the same family since 1907. Here, you can enjoy a
tasty meal that will allow you to taste local gastronomy after witnessing
the making of the famous Münster cheese with Thomas Barbe. Hi Thomas.
Hi Albert. How are you ? Are they all from the Vosges? Only Vosges cheese, yes. I really like this cow, which is
extremely well adapted to our mountain. It is very,
very flexible and very hardy. And what’s more, it reminds us of our
snowy peaks when we look at them with their black and white coat. There you go Albert, I’ll let you through. Where are you taking me, Thomas? So here we are, arriving at the cheese factory. So here it is, the cauldron
where we poured the milk before. Is this where the milk is transformed? That’s
it, yes. So, the milk was
heated to 35 degrees. Rennet was added. So, rennet is a ferment
that will curdle the milk. And so now, we have a large
yogurt that has formed in the vat. So here we are
making farm cheese. Absolutely, yes.
Unlike the milkman. Can you explain it to me? Well, the farmer’s cheese, first of all,
is a cheese that is produced directly on the farm. There is no mixed milk, so there is only
milk from our herd. Here, we have the thin layer of soil, so,
first of all, we’re going to be able to salt it. We take a pinch of salt,
then rub it, and then roll it in the salt
on its side and it rests in the mold. And you only salt it on one side?
Only on one side, yes. And very importantly, the salty side must be left exposed
to the air so that the salt penetrates the cheese well. So, salt, it is… Why do we salt cheese? Firstly, it’s to give it its flavor
and also to allow it to be preserved. So, we’ve finished here. Is that where you’re taking me, down to
the cellar? Absolutely, yes.
I’m following you. You can follow me, yes. Here we are, arriving at our
aging cellar, Albert. It’s a cellar that has
already been in use for… a few years. My grandfather used to work there. So, this is a typical cellar
from the Münster Valley. So we’re on clay. So there you have it, it is in this soil
that all the necessary ferments for the refining of the thin soil are present. The earth and the planks.
And the boards. And the boards. That’s where the
red ferment is, what we call the red ferment, which will give that
rather particular orangey color to the thin clay. And incidentally, for those who think
our thin earth stinks, I invite them to come here. It’s a real fragrance that makes me want to
eat it. But we’ll clean first. So.
Well, you can take some, if you want. I can take any of the first ones. The ripening process lasts a month,
during which Thomas cleans and turns his cheeses every two days. Careful attention is required, without which the minced
earth would not have its characteristic taste. Albert then meets up with Sabine,
Thomas’s mother. She finishes preparing a
traditional menu that delights passing hikers every day. It’s called the Marker menu. Welcome to the Farm at Berge
du Strowberg, in our old stable. Is it true that we’re
in the old stable? Yes, we renovated the room
and the timber frame dates back to the 16th century. Oh yes ?
Yes. So, there have been
marquises at Strowberg for a long time. Yes. By the way, Albert, do you
know what a marcaire is? I think I know. Marquer, in fact,
is a translation or adaptation of the Alsatian word malker,
which is actually the boy who takes care of the cows and the cheese. Hence the name Mark Meal. So, back in the day,
he used to bring his cows up here and he would make his famous roisga pragli,
his potatoes, in a cast iron cauldron with which he served the master. And that’s how he fed himself,
with potatoes and the master. I suggest you follow me into the kitchen
to prepare this famous Marcar meal. Otherwise, our customers will have
nothing to eat. I’m following you, which way is it?
It’s this way, please. The Marquère menu offers another
local specialty: meat pie. Of course,
Sabine’s is made entirely with farm products. So, we take minced pork
and veal, we add an onion, we add bread soaked in milk, parsley. I add two eggs
for every kilo of meat, two handfuls of salt, and nutmeg. It’s the kind of pie
your mother or grandmother used to make. And then my mother-in-law too, especially. My mother-in-law was there before me. And of course we add
a touch of Edeltspicker. A nice little treat nonetheless.
A nice little treat. We’re going to mix it all together. Once everything is well mixed,
we will put it on our dough. That was quite a huge help. A subtle scent that makes you want to try it. We put a lid on top.
We’ve closed. We take a cup with ten egg yolks. Cup with ten yellows. The top. Homemade and handmade. Homemade and handmade, without a brush. The helping hand is there. Next, we take a fork
and make a decoration. It seems like you’ve been doing this your whole life. It’s been a few years, 20 years, right? Even though I’m at Strowberg. So, my pie is ready. It is ready to cook. Shall we put it in the
oven? Let’s put it in the oven, Albert.
GOOD. We’re going to do it. Alright . So, we’re going to put them in the oven
for an hour. One hour. Ladies, here are the three pies. To taste this enormous pie
and Sabine’s other recipes, you should book a table before coming. Like all good places,
the hostel is often fully booked. With this little detour through the Minster valley
over, it’s time to visit the historic heart of Eguisheim. To do this, Albert joins Daniel Héret,
a guide fond of juicy anecdotes who knows every nook and
cranny of this charming village. Albert.
Hello Daniel. How are you ?
Very well, and you? Do you know why I invited you here? I want to introduce you to this
admirable village of Eguisheim, whose origin is
perhaps Merovingian, or Carolingian, 770, Aguinisheim. That’s the name of this small town. And then, it would later become Eguisheim,
much later, in Alsatian, we say EXA.
Exa. This street is particularly typical;
it’s a kind of rampart walkway. This gives us an idea of
the concentric nature of the town of Eguisheim, that is to say, it
is spiral-shaped, in a way. It is helical. It’s quite remarkable
when you see it from above. An aerial view from above gives us
a good idea of ​​the medieval layout of this city. It was designed around a major axis. Well, that’s exactly it, we’re going to take a
closer look at that together, if you don’t mind. I’m with you, Daniel. Our visit to Eguisheim d’Essayme
continues precisely in the main square around which the
village developed. Daniel wants to evoke the story of an
emblematic figure of the Catholic Church, whose statue
stands in the center of the fountain. He was an Alsatian pope,
the only Alsatian pope in history, whose pontificate lasted from 1049-1054,
who distinguished himself as a reforming pope, with many
great ideas. He wanted to restore
order to the Church. Priests tended to have
concubines in every corner. All of this absolutely had to be stopped
. And this is a pope who will achieve a
number of results in terms of reform. He will fight against what is called
cimonia, which is the trafficking of religious objects. And then, he will unwittingly cause
the schism, the famous schism of 1054. We will break with the Eastern Church,
which will become the Orthodox Church of today. But sometimes it is said that Leo IX
was not born in Eguisheim. So, yes,
there is indeed a controversy about this. Having been born in Lorraine,
I feel comfortable talking about it. It seems that he was born
in Lorraine, near Dabo. But the people of Eguisheim, of course,
absolutely insist on what remains being born in 1200. At the castle that is behind me in 1200. And that, we will not address. Okay, today
I think we can do… He is Talsassian. We can say that he is
Talsassian, and we say so. Once there,
you can admire the castle that once ruled the life of the village. Its construction is very unusual. We are at the foot of a section of wall, here,
a section of the Octagon, of this medieval castle which was built
during the first third of the 13th century by the will of a German emperor,
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, who was in the habit of designing
octagonal castles with concentric systems of octagons. And the inhabited part of the castle was the one
that was at the heart of the last octagon, in a way. And we build the village around what
resonates with its form. We will build the village around
this octagon, the seat of
central imperial power; the church, however, will be relegated to the periphery. Emperor Frederick II was in
constant conflict with the papacy and wanted to demonstrate by staying there that the church
should be under his authority and not the other way around. From the castle,
you will only have a few meters to walk to reach the parish church. Inspired by Romanesque architecture,
it was rebuilt in the 19th century and only its bell tower is original. Inside is a true
treasure, a unique polychrome wooden sculpture. Here, I’m going to show you one of the artistic jewels of Eguisheim, an absolute rarity. Even from Alsace. Yes, because to my knowledge,
there are only two examples of this type of opening Virgin in Alsace. It is a 14th century virgin that has
the particularity of somehow opening its entrails. At the level of his chest, we can see
a radiating system which appears to be what is called a glory and which seems to
indicate that it could also serve as a monstrance. And so, all of this is
dominated by this portal. Which is the original front door? Which was the entrance to the
original church, the one from the beginning of the 13th century. Romano-Gothic group,
we are at the crossroads of two styles here. What’s above
is interesting too. The tympanum is enlivened by a Christ
in glory quite representative of that period, with on the left…
Saint Peter. You see, I put Saint Peter,
and then Paul next to him. Below are the Virgins,
the wise Virgins on the left and the foolish Virgins on the right. And what was the intended message
on this eardrum? The main point we wanted to make was that vice
and virtue balance each other out. Our women were like that,
a little crazy, and we wished them to be wiser. No doubt, that was the
prevailing morality of that time. That’s it, it’s finished. And I absolutely wanted to show you this
masterpiece of Rhenish art. And now we’re going to move on to something
much more festive, and also more popular,
in the good sense of the term, towards the most colorful houses.
I’m with you. Disguise. At the foot of the church, Daniel advises you
to take the charming circular street that surrounds the village. By lingering on the facades
of the half-timbered houses, you can have fun trying
to guess the history of each one. The history of trade emblems
is something fascinating in Alsace, because each emblem
has its own delicate little interpretation. And here, I’m going to suggest one that
seems particularly interesting to me. In this emblem,
you can see several things. Two letters first,
I think you’ll see that. H, H.
Yeah. And then below, a tool. It could be a hammer. It’s not a hammer. A meat grinder. Well, there you go, since you saw the two
letters H, that put you on the right track. Indeed, a meat grinder that belonged, obviously,
to a butcher. It’s a butcher’s emblem. And then there’s this one. This one is difficult to interpret. I’ve heard all sorts of
crazy things about this professional emblem which, of course, speaks to me
because I know it. But when we don’t know,
what do we see there? H.
H. H. It means in service,
but that’s not it. But that’s not what’s underneath. Yes, nails, maybe. Ah, there you go, but he’s
very good, our Albert. Carpenter’s nails? No, he’s not a carpenter,
he’s a nail maker, he’s a nail maker, and he’s one of the
rather rare emblems of a nail maker in Alsace. There aren’t any.
Yes, we don’t get them often. It deserved to be examined. Some of these facades will teach you many
other things about the spirituality of the inhabitants or the
dramas that mark the history of the village. We already have a superb facade that has been
beautifully restored in appealing colors, with a detail that I want
to show you. Here, we’ll stop there. Look at this window
with the inscription: Mach Mich toch rein tu trevr Gott. Make me pure, O faithful God. What I also wanted to tell you about
this type of half-timbered facade is that there is a logic
to it all in Alsace. We need to withstand the earthquake. Quite. Therefore, timber-framed buildings
are asymptotic buildings. They are stiffened by the diagonal braces
which allow a certain stability to the timber framing. We have somewhat forgotten that the
Alsace plain is seismically active. The earthquake that destroyed Bal. The famous one, you’re right to mention it,
13 56, an earthquake of force, let’s say, of magnitude 7,
8 on the Richetais scale, approximately. It devastated the city of Basel and a large
part of Alsace was affected by this earthquake. And we remember that when we build it.
Absolutely. It is on this last anecdote
that we leave Eguisheim for the third major stage
of this journey in the Haut-Rhin. Another unmissable gem
located less than 10 kilometers away. Located at the foot of the Vosges mountains,
in the heart of the Alsatian vineyards, Colmar is the most beautiful city in the department. Miraculously spared by wars
and often devastating urban development, it has been able to preserve and protect its
incomparably rich built heritage. To
introduce it to us, Albert handed the reins to Guy, aka Richy, for his friends. A retired schoolteacher,
he loves to sketch little humorous drawings that
greatly amuse the people of Colmar. But at 66,
Richy is also a renowned watercolourist who still marvels at
the heritage of his city, his main source of inspiration. He likes to walk there daily
to immortalize streets, doors or sculptures that he is
particularly fond of. The whole city of Colmar is so
beautiful that it inevitably inspires me. But what pleases me is that
when I show my paintings to people, I often
hear them say: Oh look, I’m from Colmar, but I don’t know that area. Perhaps that’s what
artists are for, to force others to look at what they don’t
usually see. Founded in 823,
Colmar was alternately German and French depending on territorial divisions. To evoke this past,
Richy joins a historian who has arranged to meet him in front of the birthplace
of the most famous of Colmar’s, Auguste Bartoldi, who created
the Statue of Liberty. And it is his friend, Gabriel Bremer, who will
now tell us about this story. SO ? I thought that Bartoldi was the right place to
start in order to get to know our city a little better. You did it well, obviously. Do you know he was born here? Yes, indeed.
Birthplace? Mmm-hmm. He was born in 1834 and finally, in 1836,
his mother, having become a widow, left for Paris. And in the end,
he will have lived very little in this city. And yet, he left a huge
mark, insofar as he is responsible for most of the statues
we still have today. Yes, indeed. And at the same time,
he is much better known for something else, since he is after all the great
creator of the Statue of Liberty and the Lion of Velfort. If today he has a great reputation as a
sculptor, it is because of these two works. Listen Guy, this
is a little introduction that has shown that Colmar still has
a universal vocation. We’re going to get back
to more local things. From Bartholdi, we will move on to Pfister.
Yes, gladly. And Pfister, it’s a completely
ordinary name, but anyway, it’s a great story, it’s above all a beautiful house. It’s right next door, I suggest we go and
see it, and we’ll enrich the history of our city a little with it. Colmar’s history is
best deciphered on the facades of its houses. The most interesting of these is
the Pfister house, located a few meters from the Bartholdi Museum. Built in 1537 by the hatter
Ludwig Sheerer, it was later richly decorated during the Renaissance. It’s already funny to say
Fister’s house, because nobody knows Pfister. He was a grocer in the 19th century,
who went down in history for the good and simple reason that he
restored this house. What’s exciting here is that,
beyond the fact that it’s a painter’s house, you have a kind of
two-story corner balcony. There is a rather scholarly name,
it is an auriel, a herk in German. And the oriel, as you can see,
is an oriel that allows you to see people to the right, to the left, that allows you to realize
who is in the street, etc. The medallions we see on the facade there,
can you explain to me who they represent? They actually represent
the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire , namely Ferdinand,
Maximilian and Charles. That’s one of the interesting things. It’s a veritable
history book, by the way. You will see that there are also
a number of allegorical figures above the paintings which are taken
either from the Old Testament, Genesis, as we can see,
or from So, the lover, it’s a bit like an allegorical happiness,
you see, but it has marked at the very top right with the sword Gerreschtichkeit.
Justice. Justice, dignity, faith, etc. However, what is interesting about this type
of house is that they are private houses. That is to say, these are
merchants who succeed. And for once, the expression “to
have a storefront” says it all. We realize that it’s no longer
about anonymity, it’s about success. And we want to make that known.
And we want to make that known. Like this Pfister house, which
has become the emblem of Colmar, all the facades of the city will take you on a
journey through the centuries, following the evolution of architecture. But there is one strategic point
that alone encapsulates several eras. Ultimately, there was an absolutely brilliant economy of means
in urban planning at the time. That is to say, you have two streets,
three doors and with that, you’ve solved everything. So, this is a place I like for one simple reason. On a very, very small… It’s a very small area. You have practically all the styles
that you find in the city of Colmar. You have something like a kind of pâté,
successive layers of becqu’off, in a way. You have the Middle Ages,
represented by the customs house or the coiffus, as we say here,
where goods were stored, and where all the
necessary taxes were also paid. Then you have
the important late Renaissance building , a building from the end of the 16th
century, with a large building, a facade that looks a bit like
the houses of Flanders or northern Europe, northern Germany. Then you have 18th
century buildings, classical, from the period when Alsace was French,
with the building of the Sovereign Council, which is at once a parliament,
a high court of justice, and which has been, since then, a
high court. You even have some relatively kitschy 20th-century stuff
, since they were built somewhat according to the original model. So, a little bit of everything. Just behind the Customs House,
in the lower part of the city, is the old working-class neighborhood
of Tanheurs, which the municipality renovated in the early 1970s. Take a look. There you have an old 17th century district,
functioning as the Taner district, like in all cities. It is also the place in Colmar where
the waterways have their greatest gradient, that is to say, their salubrity. We
clean up. So, what do we have
here around the coiffus? The criprix, the big butcher shop,
that is to say all the slightly dirty trades, etc. You also have tanners. So, it’s a district with an
essential economic function, which is still visible through the rooftops. The roofs where these sorts of
successive staircases of roofs one above the other have dried. We don’t have a single roof over our heads. These are primarily
display areas for drying the pots. A function that existed
until the 19th century. In truth, Colmarian,
eager to make us love his city, Richy saved the best for last. Because there is one thing you
absolutely must do when coming here, which is a boat ride on the canal
that runs through the city, and which also gives it the nickname of Little Venice. So, Guy, how are you?
It’s good and you ? Thank you. So, you’re taking me for
a ride today. It is his friend, the boatman Daniel Guert,
who will now tell us the story of this magnificent district. So, before we leave, Guy,
you see, a beautiful, pretty bridge there, the Saint-Pierre bridge,
which at the time was closed by a portcullis. And the blacksmiths poked it
when they came. And they had to pay a tax. And this tax was calculated according to… He wasn’t going to unload it,
all the boats. He was therefore going onto
the bottom of the boat. And hence the idea of ​​the market gardeners
to make a flat-bottomed boat. So the boat was going down less. And it was a real headache for the
customs officer to calculate the new tax. You had to think of that, though.
I saw it, right guys? And there’s Guy.
Yes, great. We are right in the heart of Little Venice. Why Little Venice? Because each house has an entrance
from the street and an entrance from the river. And this canal here,
so we are on the Lahore. In German, Lahore
means Leek. There is a legend that says
a shipment of leeks spilled over . This is what gave rise to the name leeks. Yes, there needs to be
an explanation for things. That’s great. Wow , that was a superb,
very tall building, I must say. What’s that? So.
So, you do have a very nice house,
indeed, on your right. So, this is the former
home of Marshal Turène. Marshal Turène, who was very well known in
the Spanish Civil War, in the Treaty of Westphalia,
which ended the Thirty Years’ War. So, he lived
here in this house for several years. You’ll notice that it’s
a corbelled house. The corbelled structure is
an inverted pyramid. And since we paid a tax on the ground floor,
the ground floor was very small. And as the floors increased,
the width of the apartments was increased. Yet another way to circumvent the law
and avoid paying taxes. Clearly, we haven’t
invented anything new these days. When you are walking around this area, be sure to take a
good look at the patterns of the half-timbered houses. They each have a
particular meaning. You will notice that these are old
16th-century half-timbered houses. Unfortunately, in the Middle Ages,
a fire destroyed all the houses as they were built
of wood, so they burned badly. So, you’ll see that there are
different signs. You have the letter S or X, which
therefore corresponds to the curse. It had to be protected from evil. Another example: you have a diamond. The diamond shape was a symbol of fertility. It was usually
the parents’ bedroom. Or the double diamond,
which you can see here, which was therefore a sign
of a good harvest, of wealth. It is with this moving discovery
of the little Venice of Alsace that your journey in the Haut-Rhin comes to a close. You now know that Alsace offers
a fantastic array of historical, natural and architectural treasures. These are all places you
absolutely must see in your lifetime.

Au cœur du Haut-Rhin, trois villages emblématiques dévoilent une Alsace authentique.

Pour découvrir les merveilles des plus belles régions de France, c’est ici
Abonnez-vous 👉 http://bit.ly/3zjR2Vj 🙏

Cette escapade à travers le Haut-Rhin révèle la cité médiévale de Riquewihr, son patrimoine viticole séculaire et ses ruelles préservées. La visite se poursuit à Eguisheim, célèbre pour ses rues concentriques et ses maisons à colombages, avant de rejoindre Colmar, dont le canal serpentant au cœur de la ville lui vaut le surnom de « petite Venise » d’Alsace. Entre Histoire, traditions, architecture et paysages typiques, ce voyage met en lumière trois lieux emblématiques qui incarnent l’âme alsacienne.

Réalisé par Nicolas COUTAND
© MORGANE PRODUCTION

#Alsace #HautRhin #Riquewihr #Eguisheim #Colmar #PetiteVenise #Culture #Patrimoine #France