Wissembourg (or Weißenburg in German) is an interesting place I wanted to visit years ago, but it was simply too remote from… well… everything. It lies on the border between France and Germany, at the heart of the German-speaking region of France. It was built around the Weissenburg Abbey beginning from year 660 and it was part of the Décapole, an alliance between several imperial cities inside the Holy Roman Empire (Haguenau, Colmar, Turckheim, Obernai, Kaysersberg, Rosheim, Munster, Sélestat & Mulhouse, with the notable absence of Strasbourg). The atmosphere is unique in Alsace, probably due to the fact that the town lies in the South Franconian dialect area (Südrheinfränkisch, the Karlsruhe German dialect) and not in the typical Low Alemannic dialect area (Niederalemannisch, the North Baden German dialect) or what is commonly called Alsatian on the French side of the Rhine River. As you will see below, the architecture is a bit different, the town is practically at the foot of the heavily-forested Northern Vosges Mountains, and I can also tell you that it is the only place in France where I could hear only German on the streets and even inside the abbey. It is unlikely that I visit again this remote place, so I added more photos than usual.

Palais Stanislas, residence for the exiled king of Poland, Stanislas Leszczynski.

Towards Wissembourg Abbey

Westercamp Museum, previously Sous-Prefecture

Abbatiale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul or the Weissenburg Abbey

Maison de l’ami Fritz; apparently a film was made here

Its green in February…

The Lauter River, which flows along the French-German frontier.

Life is tranquil here…

St John’s Church

The view from St John’s towards the Abbey

On a bridge on the Lauter, view towards the mountains. The red building to the left is the headquarters of the Communauté de communes du Pays de Wissembourg.

On the same bridge, view towards the center of the town

The main square, with the abbey and the Conseil General Du Bas-Rhin building next to it.

Much more space compared to the typical Alsatian community…

St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church

The Salt house (Maison du sel) and, in the background, the tower of the Mairie.

Towards the Mairie (town-hall)

Mairie de Wissembourg

There was a farmer’s (most likely bio) market in front of the town-hall.

Across the Mairie

New and old…

As I said, different architecture.

More street views…

Tour (tower) de la Poudrière, towards the exit to Germany.

The railway station.

On the border with Germany

Looking back to France