EuroVelo 5: from Strasbourg to Basel

A thousand years ago, pilgrims were making their way to Rome from England. After crossing the Channel, traveling through the flatlands, Alsace, and the Alps, they followed the Via Appia and reached the port of Brindisi. From Puglia, they intended to make their way to Jerusalem in the Holy Land. This route was known as the Via Francegina.

I invite you to put yourselves in their shoes by taking the Eurovelo 5, which was directly inspired by the via Francegina. As the cycle route stretches over more than 3000 km, I have selected for you two extraordinary segments. Let's first focus on the one that connects Strasbourg to Basel in Switzerland. On one hand, it is a perfectly signposted road. On the other, it features exceptional geography with the descent of the Rhine, the Bruche Canal, the Alsatian vineyards, and the Vosges. More than once as a road captain you will have to get off your bicycle. Indeed, you will want to contemplate here a marvel of Romanesque architecture, there a medieval fortress standing out against the sky...

After crossing the English Channel, traveling through the flatlands, Alsace, and the Alps, they followed the Via Appia and reached the port of Brindisi.

In Strasbourg, the European capital, the cathedral is also a sight to behold on summer evenings when it is beautifully illuminated. By day, after climbing the 330 steps that separate you from the platform, you will enjoy a breathtaking view. Moreover, stroll through the Grande Île, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its small squares, goldsmiths' quarter, Grand-Rue, or its Quai des Bateliers. In Petite France, you will be immersed in a bucolic world made up of half-timbered flowered houses, canals, and locks. If you are looking for the best viewpoint on-site, then climb up to the terrace of the Vauban dam which overlooks Strasbourg. Finally, Neustadt, once German and also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is just as enchanting.

During our bike escape, we will make our first stop at Rosheim. The Saints Peter and Paul Church is a quintessential Romanesque monument. Take your time to admire the exceptional architectural elements formed by its sculptures and capitals. You will realize how this style, which precedes Gothic, is both refined and mystical. Then comes Obernai at the crossroads of the wine route, the Vosges, and the great rural plain. The capital oversees these districts, and gourmets will know that an excellent sauerkraut is definitely to be tasted at ... Krautergesheim!

To conclude, it is in Obernai that Saint Odile is presumed to have been born in 662. If you agree to deviate a bit from your route, you can visit Mont Saint Odile, a place dear to the people of Alsace.
Once a convent, standing at over 700 meters, Mont Sainte Odile is surrounded by natural forests. Do not miss the Pagan Wall, which dates back 1000 years before Christ, in addition to the Chapel and the tomb of Saint Odile.

Let me tell you about the patron saint of Alsace. Odile of Hohenbourg, daughter of Adalric, Duke of Alsace, born blind, was rejected by her father and hidden in a monastery. During her baptism, however, she regained her sight, and her brother Hugues brought her back home. In order to avoid the marriage her father was imposing on her, she escaped. It was then that miraculously a rock opened before her... Her father, moved by the divine intervention, founded for her the convent of which she would be the first abbess.

Make a stop at Mittelbergheim in the Bas-Rhin, one of the most beautiful villages in France for its Saint Pierre-et-Paul abbey church consecrated by Leo IX in 1049. But what animal guards the Romanesque crypt made of sandstone? An bear! Moreover, it features a porch and a historical frieze 30 meters high! Finally, you will find a statue of the Virgin from the 16th century and an ancient pulpit. Take the opportunity to have a gastronomic break at the restaurant Am Lindenplatzel, a former winemaker's house with urban design and a friendly Stammtisch atmosphere. There, you will try the bäkeoffe made from 3 meats: beef, lamb, and pork or the spätzles, but what are they?

Sélestat and Bergheim

I now suggest you take a slight detour through Sélestat for its humanist library. Here are collected 550 incunabula, 2000 prints, and some 450 manuscripts. Among the prestigious works is a Merovingian lectionary* dating back to the 7th century. Besides the 4th century Sorbonne Bible, you will, for example, find the Book of Miracles of Saint Foy. It is a religious manuscript related to the foundation of the Benedictine priory of Sélestat. It features illuminations adorned with plants and fabulous monsters. Here is a unique opportunity to consult a book dating from the Middle Ages!

Turn and push on to the Haut Königsbourg castle, which served as a model for Miyazaki and hosted the filming of The Grand Illusion. At the crossroads of trade routes: wheat, wine, salt, and silver, this fortress is perched on a rocky spur. It has a rich history of 900 years. Successively a residence of the Hohenstaufen, Dukes of Lorraine, Habsburgs, it offers a view over the Alsatian plain, the Vosges, the Black Forest and on a clear day... the Alps! At the turn of the century, William II launched repairs; the castle had been damaged during the Thirty Years' War.

The village on the Alsace Wine Route, Bergheim in Haut-Rhin, became known for its witch trials. It is important to know that women were accused of having made a pact with the devil and ended up being burned at the stake. In the 16th century, owning a cat or possessing St. John's Wort was enough to be suspected of magic. Besides the witchcraft museum, you will discover ramparts with towers and a pleasure garden with a 700-year-old lime tree. It's up to you to spot it!

Leaving the road, you will find Ribeauvillé. Also on the wine route, the small town has 5000 inhabitants. Besides the 3 castles of the Lords of Ribeaupierre, you will wander through its alleys and its Grand-Rue lined with Renaissance buildings. Do not miss the Butchers' Tower, the former Corn Exchange* or the fiddlers' house*. Additionally, gourmet tours are offered during which you will taste flammenküche or plum tart! Finally, for children, a trail called “On the route of the minstrels” has been designed, these instrumental music players who were used on public occasions.

Kaysersberg, what an evocative name! Located on the Roman road between Alsace and Lorraine, 12 km from Colmar, this site was once a trading crossroad. First, you will see its fortified bridge. Moreover, the viewer is inevitably struck by the dark pink sandstone of its Church of the Holy Cross. At the entrance, take an interest in its Christ and Romanesque portal. Once inside, you will admire its sculpted altarpiece. Just a few steps from the church, admire in the charming main street the Constantin fountain. For my part, I found here some magnificent Christmas baubles in a glassmaking workshop!

Have you heard of the night watchman of Turckheim? If not, I suggest you make a stop in this town famous for its vineyards. But where to meet him? Past the Porte de France take a right and head towards the Corps de Garde. You are now at the tourist office! Be aware that his rounds take place on summer evenings starting at 10 p.m. What will you learn during this visit? Oops, I promised to keep my tongue...

A few swerves from the bike path, you will reach the town of Colmar near the Franco-German border. The most interesting aspect, some would say, is that Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines are produced there! Certainly, but the city also showcases buildings in Gothic and Renaissance styles. Added to this is a museum spanning 7000 years of history: Unter den Linden. Moreover, the architecture of the museum designed by Herzog and Meuron contrasts with the medieval cloister housing works by Cranach and Holbein, not to mention the famous Isenheim Altarpiece!

Just a few swerves from the cycle path, you will reach the town of Colmar close to the Franco-German border.

If you have time and adore Alsatian villages, Eguisheim surrounded by verdant hills will delight you with its flower-adorned houses. Do not miss the Manoir des Dîmes or its church made of yellow sandstone. Have you developed a taste for cycling to the point where you no longer want to leave your saddle? To use the words of Pierre Sansot, an anthropologist and philosopher who praised slowness, it's because " perched on a bicycle, you will feel as though you are riding on the spine of the Earth. "

Lectionary: liturgical work
Corn Exchange: grain hall
Fiddlers: violins