Herrlisheim près Colmar

The only partner village to the east of the RN 83, Herrlisheim is part farming, part viticulture, with 200 hectares of vines and 400 hectares of cultivated fields.

With its 1,700 inhabitants, the village is located 8 kilometers from Colmar, along the Lauch river, in the heart of Alsace.

A Merovingian villa in the 7th century, then an abbey court from the 8th to the 10th century, Herrlisheim was referred to as an "Oppidum" (fortified town) in the 14th century, when it was attached to the bishopric of Strasbourg.
Herrlisheim takes its name from "Herlischesheim", which translates as "charming village".

The Saint-Michel church was partly built in the second half of the 14th century in Gothic style. All that remains of this first building is the 34-meter-high bell tower. Rebuilt in 1906, the church contains a number of precious furnishings, some of which have been listed as Monuments Historiques:

- The polychrome wooden statue of Sainte Anne Trinitaire, dating from the first half of the 16th century.

- Panelling and stalls. The panelling features four medallions depicting the Virgin and Child and St. Nicholas.

- Other relics were discovered during the latest restoration work in 2001, including rib-vaulted rooms with carved keys bearing seals of the Hattstatt family dating from 1411, and a mermaid with two tails.

In the 14th century, Herrlisheim was a small fortified town attached to the bishopric of Strasbourg. It was surrounded by a wall from the end of the 13th century until the French Revolution. The Tour des Voleurs (Thieves? Tower), dating from 1370, separates the upper from the lower town and served as a water tower or prison.

The Tour des Sorcières, still visible today, heralded the beginning of the ramparts in the Middle Ages. The ramparts were neglected during the French Revolution, when they were filled in and the two town gates destroyed.

Herrlisheim has developed harmoniously, and many of the houses in the town center have carriage gates, most of which date back to the Renaissance.

A member of the Villages Fleuris, Herrlisheim also boasts a renaturalized meadow along the Lauch, classified by the Conservatoire des Sites. Numerous signposted footpaths, as well as a Herrlisheim / Colmar cycle path, invite you to discover the vineyards dominated by the ruins of the Châteaux d'Eguisheim.

Within its walls, the village is home to an unmissable array of retailers and food artisans who promote local products that combine wine and gastronomy.

Herrlisheim and its frogs

Frogs are a well-known nickname in the village. Tradition has it that the expanse of meadows surrounding Herrlisheim was teeming with jumping and swimming amphibians, who sang their love songs in the summer months. A visit to Herrlisheim meant a visit to the frogs, much to the annoyance of the locals. Little by little, the population adopted this friendly nickname, to the point of making it their own and honoring it with the Frog Festival held every year on the first weekend in July.

Built Heritage

- Village center: Schauenbourg patrician house with sundial dating from 1551. Double corbelled house dating from 1613.

- St-Michel church, 15th-century bell tower

- Tour des Voleurs (Thieves' Tower) 1370, part of the old town wall.

Movable heritage :

- In Saint-Michel church: 16th-century Ste Anne Trinitaire and 18th-century Boiserie (1785)

Herrlisheim is a member of the "Village Cigognes" network.

DATAtourisme France