May 28, 2026
Today, we headed north on the Route des Vins to Kaysersburg - about 1/2 hour from Logelheim. Now called Kaysersburg-Vignoble, the town sits on the edge of the Vosges just a short distance northwest of Colmar. We parked just outside the city ramparts near the Kesslerturm tower and headed first toward the city center and the tourist office.
 |
| The Kesslerturm forms part of the city ramparts, just outside the river Weiss |
 |
| Crossing the bridge on Rue du College |
The ruins of the 13th century castle can be seen from many points in the city. It sits above the town and above the vineyards which surround the town.
As is common in old towns, the church, Ste Croix, and its plaza, mark the center of town. The church dates from the 13th to 16th centuries. At the center of the plaza is the fountain of Emperor Constantine, where tourists linen up to have their photo taken. Did I mention there were a lot of tourists in town today? Did I mention that we did the tourist line-up?
 |
| The required pose by the fountain photo |
Our next stop was the tourist office to get a walking tour of Kaysersburg. Located just behind the church in a 1605 Renaissance building, this tourist office was modernized without losing any of it's historic importance. The entrance to the office was handicapped accessible but also included a sweeping formal staircase to the second floor. There were modern bathrooms tucked into a hallway that also led to the interior courtyard. An arched portico gave a glimpse of the vineyards just outside
 |
| Dave thought these urinals were hilarious. In France, everything truly is sorted for recycling. However, the bins are commonly labeled glass, papier, food waste, and garbage. |
 |
| Courtyard accessed via the bathroom hallway, part of the Hotel de Ville. Notice the 1521 Renaissance well now growing a bush. |
Map in hand, we began to follow the walking tour as it wove through the old city center. Every corner we turned was picturesque, inviting one to linger. Once away from the main road, we were the only sightseers in the calm and quiet of the town,
 |
| This house was for sale. Tempting.... |
 |
| Beside a chapel we found this memorial to WWII dead. North Africans fought side by side with the French, thus the Christian and Muslim tombstones. |
 |
| Roses were blooming everywhere. I had a hard time deciding which photo to use. This shows how they are often just part of the house itself. |
As we worked our way west, we again met the river Weiss. Here there is a 1514 fortified bridge with some sort of guardhouse in the middle of it.
 |
| Looking across the River Weiss |
 |
| the fortified bridge |
 |
| This guardhouse was used to lock up minor criminals, according to the walking tour. Hmmm.... |
 |
| The double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire. The purse, symbol of merchants, is the coat of arms of Kaysersburg |
And as we strolled to the end of town, we found the house where Dr. Albert Schweitzer was born along with a museum dedicated to his work. A nearby sign reminded us of what's important in life.
We walked back to the car via the ramparts which have been turned into a park honoring Dr. Schweitzer. We saw remnants of wars long ago and recent. One couldn't help but think of Dr. Schweitzer's work, and his respect for life.
 |
| Tower of the Upper Gate |
 |
| Memorial to the conscripted soldiers forced to fight for Hitler. The sign says 130,000 young men were conscripted between 1942 and 1944. They were called "Malgré-Nous" (in spite of us). 30,000 were killed, 10,000 disappeared, likely buried in common graves in the region, 40,000 were wounded. This quote from the bottom of the plaque lives with me now: "Alsace is the French region that paid the heaviest price for the criminal folly of Nazism." May they never suffer such losses again. |
