Winter is here at last! For a few days we are visiting Alsace and against all expectations snow fell yesterday morning. We quickly drove across the Sundgau region to the South of Alsace to take photos of the villages under the snow…
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When we stay in the Sundgau, we have a few favourite spots we enjoy visiting: Hirtzbach and Ferrette. On our way from Altkirch to the Alsatian Jura, we also stopped at Hirsingue where the banks of the Ill River offered some good spots for photos.
First, the village of Hirtzbach and its river bordered by two long streets. See how the colours of the half-timbered houses are enhanced by the snow:
Half-timbered houses in Hirtzbach © French Moments
The railings of the chateau of Reinach:
The chateau of Reinach, Hirtzbach © French Moments
The St. Affre chapel is situated in the upper part of the village with great views over Hirtzbach and the Ill valley. We took a photo from this exact location in Spring. This scenery looks similar to a Bavarian landscape (without the Alps!)
The St. Affre Chapel in Hirtzbach © French Moments
Our next stop on the way to the Alsatian Jura was Hirsingue. There isn’t much to see there except for the picturesque banks of the Ill River, which are – like neighbouring Hirtzbach – bordered by beautiful half-timbered houses.
The banks of the River Ill at Hirsingue © French Moments
Half-timbered houses in Hirsingue © French Moments
Lastly, the village of Ferrette. The little town lies to the South of Mulhouse, between Montbéliard and Basel. It takes great pride in its ancient town centre topped by two medieval castles:
The little town of Ferrette under the snow © French Moments
The two castles of Ferrette © French Moments
The view from the castle extends to the hills of Sundgau and the Alsatian Jura.
View from the castle of Ferrette © French Moments
View of the Alsatian Jura from the castle of Ferrette © French Moments
Find out more about the Sundgau.
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2 Comments
Greetings Pierre,
Could you please let us know if Colmar/Strasbourg normally gets snow for Christmas? We are travelling from Queensland and are interested in this area.
Merci
Bonjour Nicole! Thank you for your question. I have been living in the Alsace region for more than 10 years and as far as I can remember, it has been snowing only once on Christmas Day. It does snow sometimes in December but it is not always the case… that said, you never know, you might have a pleasant surprise. If so, the Christmas markets of Alsace will be truly enchanting. Just be prepared for cold days – particularly at night time. My advice: make sure you visit a few Christmas markets at night time: they are awesome with the illuminations. If you have any more questions about Alsace, please do not hesitate to ask! Have a nice day Down Under. 🙂