Attractions and Places To See in Vosges Du Nord - Top 20

Quite well preserved castle with a beautiful view of Fleckenstein Castle and, in the other direction, of Wegelnburg.

Beautiful old town. The best way to explore is on foot, along the Circuit des Remparts (circular path above the city walls). If you don't want to walk, you can take the "Sightseeing Train" through the city. Departure is at the Tourist Information Office.

Today we "slipped over" the German/French border to Wissembourg, one of the most beautiful towns in Alsace. Wissembourg, also known in German as Weissenburg, is located directly on the German-French border in Alsace. Directly on the banks of the Lauter River is the historic old town with its many half-timbered houses, which still characterize Wissembourg today. Some of them date back to the late Middle Ages. But the small town in Alsace looks back on a longer history. Above all, the monastery founded in the 7th century, which soon became an abbey, ensured a steadily growing settlement. Between the beginning of the 14th and the late 17th centuries, Wissembourg was one of the Alsatian imperial cities. The long history of the town, which has a population of just under 8,000, can be discovered on a leisurely stroll through the narrow streets. The old town is still surrounded by the remains of the old city fortifications. The towers of the Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. Paul are a defining feature of the historic center. They form the northern starting point of the Romanesque Road, which connects Romanesque monuments in Alsace. The predominantly Gothic Abbey Church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul is one of the largest churches in the Bas-Rhin outside of Strasbourg. Also worth seeing are the 15th-century Salt House, the 16th-century Maison de l'ami Fritz, and the neoclassical town hall, a central work of Strasbourg's city architect Joseph Massol. Gourmets also appreciate Wissembourg: the town is home to several excellent restaurants, and the "Caves de Wissembourg" winery sells fresh Alsatian wine from the surrounding area. Due to its compact size, Wissembourg is best explored on foot, as we can happily confirm and recommend. It's truly worth it. We were very pleasantly surprised. 😉 https://www.geo.de/reisen/22484-rtkl-wissembourg-eins-der-schoensten-staedtchen-im-elsass

The sandstone formation Altschlossfelsen, which is designated as a natural and cultural monument and is also the largest rock reef in the Palatinate, is really fantastic. The name comes from a castle built on the rock towers many hundred years ago was built, but has long since fallen into ruin. Beautiful rocks run through the forest for more than a kilometer. Unfortunately often overcrowded on Sundays and public holidays...

Small, romantic French town that invites you to linger with its half-timbered houses and many different restaurants. It's always fun to walk through the streets and experience the savoir-vivre of the French up close

On August 4, 1870, Prussian troops defeated the French in the Battle of Weissenburg. Two well-kept monuments - one for the French and one for the German fallen - on the Geisberg on the Wissembourg-Riedseltz road commemorate the many fallen soldiers. Citizens from Wissembourg fought as soldiers on the French side. With the Peace of Frankfurt (1871), Alsace (with Wissembourg) and Lorraine were incorporated into the newly founded German Empire. From June 28, 1871 to 1918, the city was part of the Reichsland Alsace-Lorraine. After the First World War, the city was added to France along with Alsace under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. During the Second World War from 1940 to 1944/1945, the city and the country were annexed by the German Reich. In March 1945, the city and the surrounding area were captured by US troops as part of Operation Undertone. The city has been part of France again since 1945. Negotiations continued until 1990 regarding sovereignty over the Mundat Forest in the north of Wissembourg in the Palatinate.

Historical Middle Ages in the picturesque old town.

The White Lady of Hohenbourg Castle Not far from Hohenbourg Castle, just before the German-French border, is the Maidenbrunnen, which bears witness to a sad story: The lords of Hohenbourg and Wegelnburg were enemies for a long time. And as it was bound to happen, the squire Robert von Wegehiburg fell in love with Edwige, daughter of Lord von Hohebourg. She often lingered at the rich source between the two castles. One day Robert went hunting. He chased after a wild boar that rushed to the spring where Edwige was staying. In the heat of the moment, the wild boar jumped at Edwige, but Robert, a good hunter, was able to catch the wild boar just in time and won the heart of his beloved through this act. Often the two secretly spent time at this spring between the enemy castles. But one day the lord of Hohenbourg surprised his daughter in the arms of his archenemy's son. In blind rage he stabbed Robert in front of Edwige's eyes. She collapsed in grief and died on the spot, immediately following her lover to the realm of the dead. Since that awful day, two forget-me-not shrubs have been growing at this spring, now known as the Maiden's Well. It is not uncommon to see a white shadow over the Maidenbrunnen here at dusk: it is the ghost of Edwige, which descends from the cellars of the Hohenbourg and seeks the place of her love. There she sings sad words and sheds tears in the rivulet before vanishing again, carried by the wind. This legend comes from this link_: (https://www.wanderparadies-wasgau.de/hohenbourg.php)