Wintzenbach offers two clear highlights: the Sentier du Gaenseliesel as a hiking option, and local history through its churches and memorial sites. The trail has a specific length, an approximate duration, and red markings; its route along the stream and between orchards and wooded areas gives it a distinctive landscape. The historical details range from the churches’ construction history to remembrance of the Second World War. You can shape your stay around whether you mainly want to spend time outdoors or explore the town’s historical connections.
A hike with clear details
The Sentier du Gaenseliesel is 6 km long and starts at the Foyer avicole car park. The trail is marked with red rings. It is considered an easy hike, with an estimated duration of about 1 hour and 30 minutes. At around an hour and a half, this gives you a guide for planning your day; the six kilometres indicate the length of the route. The trail runs along a stream and between orchards and wooded areas. The stream, orchards, and wooded areas give the hike a varied landscape. The trail is also connected to Mothern. Taken together, these details characterise the hike in terms of duration, scenery, and local connections.
Churches: architectural history and local context
The Church of Saint-Gilles has stood on a hill above Wintzenbach for three centuries. It was built in 1722; the year is engraved on the entrance portal and on the door to the sacristy. These two locations make the year of construction a specific architectural detail, visible on different parts of the church. The church’s furnishings include an organ partly made by Michel Stiehr. The year of construction, the locations of the inscriptions, and the organ offer different perspectives on the church: its construction and its furnishings. The Protestant church in Wintzenbach is located on Rue du Château-de-Bagnac. The two churches can therefore be distinguished by their settings: Saint-Gilles stands on the hill above the town, while the Protestant church is identified by its street address.
Monuments and memories of the war
The Wintzenbach war memorial is considered unique in Alsace and was created by François Saure. A stele honouring Captain Pierre Claude was inaugurated in 1947. Claude was shot down by the Germans during the Second World War and crashed in a field in Wintzenbach. Another wartime connection is the Lancaster III, serial number ND755. It crashed northwest of Wintzenbach in October 1944; its eight crew members are buried in the town’s Protestant cemetery. The dates relate to different events: 1947 marks the inauguration of the stele, while October 1944 marks the Lancaster crash. The forms of remembrance also differ: the stele honours a named individual, while the story of the Lancaster includes its crash and the graves of its eight crew members. Together with the churches’ construction history, this chronology shows how different periods are reflected in Wintzenbach’s memorial sites.
Discover more destinations: Mittelhausbergen, Mussig, Duntzenheim, Benfeld, Elsenheim, Ohnenheim, Solbach, Kertzfeld
See the regional travel overview: Bas-Rhin.
