Within the coronary heart of Alsace (France), between Colmar and Strasbourg, Sélestat is a city nicely value a go to on a visit to japanese France. Combining medieval attraction, a wealthy heritage and a mild lifestyle, this Alsatian metropolis is a compendium of historical past, tradition and gastronomy.
So what’s there to see in Sélestat ? What’s the historical past of the city ? And what are the must-see locations ? Metropolis of Artwork and Historical past.
Article produced in collaboration with the Metropolis of Sélestat
Sélestat in short
Easy methods to get to Sélestat ? The city is well accessible by practice due to its station situated simply 10 minutes’ stroll from the city centre and common connections to Strasbourg, Colmar or Mulhouse. Permit 2 hours quarter-hour from Paris or 20 minutes from Strasbourg.
When to go ? All yr spherical, with a choice for Might to October to make the most of the nice climate or in December for the environment of Christmas.
How lengthy to remain ? Sélestat is a city on a human scale. In the future is sufficient to uncover it. The city can be utilized as a stopover on a tour of Alsace.
Sélestat: 13 centuries of historical past
The historical past of Sélestat, previously spelt Schlettstadt, dates again to Roman occasions, however it was primarily within the Center Ages that it actually took off. The city grew to become a affluent metropolis from 1217 due to its standing as an imperial metropolis of the Holy Roman Empire. Within the 14th, century, Sélestat was on the coronary heart of the ” Décapole “, a gathering of ten Alsatian cities united in an alliance of mutual assist and defence.
The legend of the enormous Sletto
One legend has it that the city was created by an enormous referred to as Sletto, who is claimed to have given his title to Sélestat, from the German ” Schlettstadt “, the city of Sletto.
Within the 15th and 16th centuries, Sélestat was a Mecca of Rhenish humanism, thanks specifically to its Latin faculty, which was recognised all through Europe and attracted pupils from everywhere in the Empire.
On the finish of the Thirty Years’ Conflict within the 17th century, Sélestat grew to become a part of the Kingdom of France and loved a interval of peace and prosperity till the Revolution, thanks specifically to the presence of a navy garrison and the development of ramparts by Vauban, which had been dismantled in 1874 to permit the city to develop.
The richness of its previous can nonetheless be seen as we speak in its cobbled streets, historic buildings and remarkably well-preserved church buildings. The city boasts no fewer than 29 buildings listed as historic monuments, a formidable determine for a city of its measurement.
The cradle of the Christmas tree
Sélestat can also be well-known for having delivered the oldest written proof of the existence of a Christmas tree, dated 1521. Yearly, the city celebrates this distinctive heritage with sometimes Alsatian Christmas decorations.
Sélestat’s must-sees: a must-see
The Humanist Library
The mental jewel of Sélestat, the Humanist Library is without doubt one of the city’s most emblematic landmarks. Housed since 1889 within the former wheat market, it was restored and reopened in 2018. It homes greater than 450 medieval manuscripts, 550 incunabula (works printed earlier than 1500) and a couple of,600 printed works from the 16th century, from the collections of the previous parish library and that of Beatus Rhenanus, listed in UNESCO’s “Reminiscence of the World” register.
Who was Beatus Rhenanus?
The son of a butcher and a superb pupil on the Latin faculty in Sélestat, Beatus Rhenanus (1485-1547) moved to Basel and have become one of the crucial famend philologists of his time. An in depth pal of Erasmus, whose writings he printed and whose first biography he wrote, Beatus was ennobled by Charles V. On his dying, he bequeathed an unlimited assortment of works to the city of Sélestat.
The Humanist Library is THE must-visit place in Sélestat, with a everlasting tour enabling guests to find a few of its most interesting works in addition to short-term exhibitions on supply all year long.
Schedules: variable in accordance with the season, seek the advice of the official web site of the library
Costs: €6, €4 for under-18s, free for under-7s
Web site: https://www.bibliotheque-humaniste.fr/
The church buildings of Saint-Georges and Sainte-Foy
Though they’re neighbours, these two church buildings don’t have anything in widespread Saint-Georges was constructed by the city’s bourgeoisie whereas Sainte-Foy, which is extra sober, was constructed by a spiritual neighborhood.
The Gothic-style church of Saint-Georges impresses with its rose window, vibrant stained glass home windows and majestic nave. The older Sainte-Foy church (constructed within the 12th century – it’s the oldest constructing within the city) is a advantageous instance of Romanesque with its sober, highly effective traces. These two buildings bear witness to the non secular and architectural wealth of the city over the centuries.
Have a tendency your ear! Discover Sélestat with a podcast
A collection of podcasts brings the city’s historical past to life, from its structure to its pure and written heritage. Uncover the historical past of Sélestat in the course of the Second World Conflict, the origins of the Christmas tree custom and Joachim Meyer’s fencing treatise.
A stroll by the historic coronary heart
Begin your stroll on the Water Citadel,the primary monument you’ll come throughout as you permit the station, proceed on to the Witches’ Tower then the New Tower, a vestige of the fortifications, and lose your self within the slim streets lined with half-timbered homes. Admire the Hôtel d’Ebersmunster, a jewel of the Renaissance… Sélestat may be found on foot, along with your nostril within the air to find all the small print hidden in its structure.
Comply with within the footsteps of the lion and the enormous Sletto!
As you tour the city, look to your ft : a signposted route within the form of the footsteps of a lion and the enormous Sletto will information you to Sélestat’s must-see locations. Go to the vacationer workplace for a free information booklet. The route is 2.8km lengthy, so permit 2 hours to do it in full or 1 hour in the event you go for the shorter model.
Pure heritage
The world round Sélestat is filled with pure treasures. Only a few kilometres away, the Ailing*Wald nature reserve is exclusive. With its wildlife (together with nearly 300 fallow deer) and unspoilt flora, it’s an excellent inexperienced break.
The Haut-Koenigsbourg fort
Situated round twenty minutes away within the Vosges mountains, this medieval fort perched 757 metres above sea degree affords spectacular views over the Alsace plain. Destroyed then rebuilt many occasions, it’s a fort with a captivating historical past.
Connoisseur delights in Sélestat
Alsace is a land of gastronomy, and Sélestat is not any exception. Listed here are a couple of addresses that may delight your style buds:
- La Maison du Ache d’Alsace: half museum, half bakery and half tearoom, that is the perfect place to pattern the well-known ” bredela “, the area’s typical biscuits. – https://maisondupain.alsace/
- Le CG : a restaurant the place you possibly can take pleasure in typical regional dishes at low costs. – https://le-cg.com/le-restaurant/
- The Wach patisserie : Set in a standard home, the Wach patisserie affords a wide array of pastries but in addition, upstairs, a lunch room serving easy however hearty dishes such because the well-known tartes flambées, tartines and salads. An incredible place to chill out and recharge your batteries between two visits.
Interactive map of Sélestat
All of the addresses talked about on this article may be discovered on this map:
Take pleasure in your keep in Sélestat!
Article produced in collaboration with the Metropolis of Sélestat.
All images illustrating this text are the property of Culturez-vous and will not be reused with out written permission.
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