On our last day on board the River Queen, we docked at Breisach Germany Thursday morning at 8 AM, however I didn’t get to spend much time at Breisach. The Alsatian Village Day I had signed up for was scheduled to leave at 8:45 AM. Unfortunately, it was a drizzly, grey day, unlike the beautiful sunny ones we had enjoyed. Nevertheless, the thought of strolling along streets lined with medieval houses that looked like they were part of a fairy tale landscape was still appealing. Even the bus ride to our destination was a treat as we motored along country roads dotted with quaint villages, castle ruins and the ever-present vineyards. It had me wishing we could stop at and wander around but before long we were nearing the parking lot at Kaysersberg.
Yet all was not what it seemed. Our local guide told us something we never would have guessed. Most of the villages we drove through and would visit, had been turned into rubble by the end of WWII. Yet almost all were now restored to their former beauty. Alsace-Lorraine, an area France and Germany had fought over for centuries, was the the site of Hitler’s last ditch offensive to hold back the allied advance. Spearheaded by fanatical SS troops mixed in with regular Wehrmacht regiments, Operation North-wind took place in the winter of 1944-45. with heavy casualties on both sides including many civilians. it was hard to imagine the heartbreak of that time this morning.
As our tour bus motored along country roads, through picturesque villages, we came to one that had not been restored to its original beauty. This was the village of Bennwhir which had been almost totally destroyed in 1945. As we drove through this nondescript town, our guide pointed out a statue of two children in front of a plain modern church. The church had obviously been built in the 50’s of gray stucco with modern stained glass windows. However, the statue, a World War I memorial, called Felicite, of two children holding hands, had been the only thing left standing in Bennwhir after the battle. Perhaps because they didn’t have the heart to restore their town. the citizens of Bennwhir rebuilt their town in post war utilitarian architecture. Thus the buildings are not quaint or colorful but more modern in style and mostly painted in gray tones. Although Bennwhir is on the wine road, it does not have as much tourist activity as its neighboring towns but the residents don’t seem to mind. The Rambler thought Bennwhir was a poignant reminder of the changes wrought by WWII and somehow, quite appropriate.
All the other small towns that dot the wine road had gradually been painstakingly restored after WWII until now it is impossible to tell what is old and what was reconstructed as you walk past. However, according to our Alsatian guide, Riquewehr, our second stop was unusual in that the brunt of the fighting swirled around this village and it received little damage. Thus the buildings we would see there really were built during the middle ages. Re-built or original, the villages in this area are among the most beautiful in France. This area has been claimed over for centuries by French and German forces. Over time there was much intermarriage and cultural exchange between the two nations which only made the WWII battles more bitter.
Kaysersberg’s most famous citizen was the renowned humanitarian, theologian, philosopher and medical doctor. Albert Schweitzer. Schweitzer was born in Kaysersberg in 1875 and died 90 years later in Lambarene, Gabon. In his 30’s, Schweitzer, already famous, trained as a medical doctor and headed to Africa where he established a medical mission. He was aided by his wife who had trained as a nurse. Schweitzer is not as well known today as he was in the last century as he received much recognition for his efforts including the Nobel Peace Prize. A simple museum dedicated to his life is at the outskirts of the town. Unfortunately it was closed when we visited.
Kaysersberg is more than just a pretty face, it is dominated by a ruined castle, the Chateau de Kaysersberg which protected this strategic area for centuries. Although we had no time to walk up to the ruin, it was visible from almost everywhere in the town. One other shop caught my eye as we headed up the slippery wet cobblestones. Its sign said Elsass Dream, the Porte de Bonheur! Since my name is Elsa, I was naturally attracted to it, but the shop wasn’t open. It seems to be some kind of home decor place so I naturally took a photo. Just the other day, I realized that it probably wasn’t owned by someone named Elsa; in fact if you say Elsass it sounds like Alsace, which it probably meant. Oh well, it was a cute place.
Kaysersberg also had an ancient fortified bridge, its stone sentry box still stands. It is necessary to cross the swiftly flowing Weiss river which runs past the town. Right at the end of the main street stands the ancient church of the Holy Cross or Sainte Croix. Its oldest part dates back to the 13th century but I have a feeling that it was badly damaged during WWII as the stones of the facade do not look like they have been there for 1000 years. Yet the dimly lit interior had a magnificent altarpiece that must have been painted in the middle ages, as well as a crusader’s tomb. Some of the stained glass in the small windows looked old but other parts were new. We had some free time in Kaysersberg and I spent mine in the church. The Ramblers had just learned we had lost an old friend and it seemed appropriate to remember her in this simple but spiritual place.
Lest you think that my visit to Kaysersberg was totally serious, our little group of damp tourists spotted a patisserie not far from the church. Of course it was too good to pass up and we all bought pastries to munch on as we strolled along. The tables out front would have been inviting if the weather had been better. Soon it was time to head for our bus and our second stop at the village of Riquewhir. It was still raining and the cobblestones were slipperier than ever.
Even though Riquewhir had kept most of its timber frame buildings intact during the battle of the Colmar Pocket, i didn’t enjoy it very much. Instead of the quiet main street of Kaysersberg, Riquewir’s main street was line with shops and wine tasting bars. Of course there were racks of stuffed storks in varying sizes as the stork is the official bird of the area, although not as plentiful as it used to be. Perhaps the falling birthrate of the area has sent the storks elsewhere as they are not nearly as busy delivering babies as they had been in the past. As for tasting wine at 11:30 AM on a damp, rainy morning, it had little appeal. To make matters worse for me, the terrain was hilly which made the cobblestones even harder to walk on. Thus I made my way slowly and carefully to our bus, and was happy to wait on board. Yet,overall the tour was a good one and I wouldn’t have missed it. When we lived in Metz for Study Abroad, we didn’t have much time to tour the countryside, and this was a delightful area.
Tonight we would have the farewell dinner, and by 4:30, the River Queen would be on her way to our last stop, Basel, Switzerland. There we would disembark but instead of heading home, the Ramblers had opted for extending our stay and seeing something of Switzerland as long was we were there. The first two nights we would stay at Les Trois Rois as part of a Uniworld extension and then on our own at a less expensive hotel down the street.
On to Basel!