A watershed between the Moselle and Rhine basins gives Petersbach a distinctive geographical location; engraved or carved door lintels also point to its rural architectural heritage. The landscape and the village’s history offer two different ways to explore the place.

Forest and Geographical Location

Petersbach is part of the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park. Of the municipality’s total area of 887 hectares, 431 hectares are forest. Forest therefore occupies a significant part of the municipal area, but not all of it. Petersbach also lies on the watershed between the Moselle and Rhine basins. A watershed separates the catchment areas of different river systems; here, the village lies between two river basins. This amounts to just under half of the municipal area.

The family walking trail Le plateau passes through forests and reaches the first open landscapes of the Lorraine plateau in Petersbach and Lohr. Forest sections and open areas form distinct parts of the route. This distinguishes the trail’s focus on the landscape from a visit to individual historic buildings. By comparison, a connection from the Sentier poétique René Char to Petersbach is mentioned only as a possible extension.

Rural Architectural Heritage and Church

Petersbach’s rural architectural heritage includes engraved or carved door lintels. A lintel is the horizontal element spanning a doorway. Engravings and carvings make this part of the building a detail of its design and draw attention to its craftsmanship. The village’s history can thus also be explored through individual architectural elements.

The Eglise Saint Pierre et Paul is the oldest building in the village and is documented from the 15th century. Inside is a polychrome, gilded wooden statue of the Virgin Mary and Child dating from the early 16th century. The building and its furnishings therefore have different dates: the 15th century applies to the church, while the early 16th century applies to the statue. Polychrome means finished in several colours; gilded means covered with gold. If you would like to see the statue, check access to the church interior in advance.

Places of Remembrance and Route Planning

In open countryside towards La Petite-Pierre stands a sandstone replica of a Napoleonic resting bench. The original was erected in 1812; this date refers to the original, not the replica. The date of the historic model and that of the object described are therefore clearly distinguished. Unlike the door lintels and the church, the bench is explicitly situated in open countryside.

A route document from 2019 mentions possible extensions of the Sentier poétique René Char to Petersbach. Before your trip, check the current route, signage, and access. This helps distinguish the possible detour from the described route of the family walking trail Le plateau.

Discover more destinations: Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Hindisheim, Balbronn, Itterswiller, Lampertheim, Saverne, Eckwersheim, Hunspach.

For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.