What are the most beautiful places in Bergheim, in Alsace?

A small village on the Alsace Wine Route located between Colmar and Sélestat, Bergheim is still relatively preserved from mass tourism. Yet it does not lack charm with its ramparts, its picturesque streets and its House of Witches.

What is the history of the village of Bergheim?

Occupied since Roman times, the town of Bergheim was royal property in the 10th century before passing into the hands of the Duke of Lorraine who himself donated it to the Bishop of Toul. The village was then sold to the powerful Habsburg family who entrusted it to various noble families before regaining possession of it at the end of the 15th century. The city had the particularity of offering the right of asylum, which made it a privileged refuge. It became French in 1648, like the rest of Alsace, with the Treaty of Westphalia. It is then the possession of various noble families until the Revolution when its destiny is the same as that of the other Alsatian cities. Today, it is located in the Bas-Rhin and has 2,000 inhabitants.

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The Upper Gate

If you come from the Alsace Wine Route, you can start your visit to this village by the Upper Gate. This 14th century gate tower is the only one of the three originally existing to survive. It guarded the western entrance to the city and today overlooks the ramparts path.

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The walk along the ramparts

The village was fortified by the Ribeaupierre family in the first half of the 14th century. Consisting of a double enclosure, the ramparts of Bergheim are among the best preserved in Alsace. This walk offers very beautiful views of the ditches, the surrounding towers, the vineyard and the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle. Some parts of the fortifications have been transformed into dwellings.

Saint-Léger Church

The ramparts will lead you to the Church of Saint-Léger. The one that can be visited today dates from the 14th century. It was rebuilt after the fire of the previous one, but a square-based bell tower remains. It has a hall-shaped nave divided into three vessels and a narrow choir built in the 18th century. You can admire an “adoration of the Magi” on its portal. Very close to the Church is the old ossuary which now houses the city’s Museum of Art and History.

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The city center and the old synagogue

From the Church, you can stroll through the streets of Bergheim to admire the pretty half-timbered houses and colorful facades. After rue de la Cigogne and rue des Chevaliers, you will reach rue des Juifs where the synagogue built in 1862 is still located. In the 19th century, the village hosted the largest Jewish community in Alsace with 513 people of this faith, or 15% of its population. After having served as a hangar for lack of faithful, the synagogue was transformed into a cultural space in 2002.

The House of Witches

The village of Bergheim has been a center of trial for witches for more than a century. The Witches’ House Museum traces the history of this period from 1582 to 1683 during which 43 women were sentenced to death for witchcraft. Most were burned alive. Images, engravings, films, archives and texts in French and German are presented to question the phenomena of exclusion and intolerance that still resonate today. Admission is charged (3 euros).

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