Saint-Louis combines a clearly datable urban history with contemporary art, crafts and a species-rich wetland. The town lies at the point where France, Germany and Switzerland meet. Its transport network includes the EuroAirport, among other facilities. This means that different themes can guide your plans: church and industrial history, nature watching and leisure activities.
Town history and parish church
Saint-Louis was founded in 1684 by Louis XIV and named after him. The railway is also part of the town’s history: it reached Saint-Louis in 1840. Two years later, the parish church of Saint-Louis was built by Auguste Hummel.
The church’s building history goes back even further. The 1842 building replaced a chapel built in 1751. That chapel, in turn, had replaced the first chapel, built around 1684. Several dates therefore make it possible to trace the development from the town’s early name to the later church building.
Art and crafts in historic buildings
The Fondation Fernet-Branca is located in the former Fernet-Branca distillery in Saint-Louis. The distillery building was constructed between 1907 and 1909. Its monumental façade is listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. With 1,500 m² of exhibition space, the Fondation presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, including solo and group shows. A former industrial building and changing exhibitions thus come together here.
The Cité Danzas offers another glimpse into industrial history. The former Danzas company was founded in Saint-Louis by Louis Danzas in 1816; the Cité is located in the company’s last historic building. Today, the building houses workshops for crafts and rare artisanal techniques, where craftspeople and artists work. Public access is tied to events: for example, the Cité opens for the European Heritage Days, the European Artistic Crafts Days and its pre-Christmas craft market. Check event dates before your trip.
The Au wetland and leisure activities
The Au wetland offers a different focus. It is home to around a hundred breeding bird species, and just as many migratory species use it as a stopover. The aquatic flora typical of the Rhine floodplain marsh includes around 15 recorded orchid species in particular. Cultural history and nature watching are therefore distinct interests to choose from during a stay in Saint-Louis.
There are several different options for active leisure. Lambda Escape offers escape-room scenarios for teams of two to six people, with 60 minutes to solve the puzzles. Megazone includes Megakid’s, a 1,000 m² indoor play area with a trampoline, mini-karting, a toboggan run and a zip line. The venue also offers an immersive laser game in a labyrinth of more than 650 m², designed entirely as a futuristic spaceship.
Le Five Saint-Louis offers small-sided football, padel, squash, badminton and a golf simulator. Equipment can be rented on site. The leisure activities vary in type and format, from team puzzles to a play area and laser game, as well as several sports.
Planning your stay
If you are looking for accommodation in Saint-Louis, start by deciding which themes you would like to focus on during your stay: history and architecture, contemporary art, nature or a particular leisure activity. Event dates are important if you want to visit the Cité Danzas, as it opens to the public on such occasions. It is also a good idea to check the latest information about leisure activities before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Ammerschwihr, Markirch, Brunstatt, Soppe-le-Bas, Breitenbach-Haut-Rhin, Leymen, Oderen, Sondernach.
Go to the main travel overview: Haut-Rhin.
