Heiligenberg

Located at the entrance to the Bruche Valley, in the pre-Vosges hills, Heiligenberg is a small village 25 km west of Strasbourg. Its name translates as "Holy Mountain" or "Sacred Mountain", and it's a peaceful place far removed from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Its church, dedicated to Saint Vincent, was built between 1865 and 1869 to replace the former château chapel. Its STIEHR organ, dating from 1869, was restored in 2007 by organ builder Dietmar Schömer. Heiligenberg is also home to a fine replica of the famous Massabielle grotto in Lourdes, carved out of sandstone rock and inaugurated in 1928. During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871, a French balloon called the Montgolfier landed in Heiligenberg. Unfortunately, a Prussian garrison was stationed in Mutzig.

Legend has it that the rocks that make up the Heiligenberg hill originated from a castle built by Satan and destroyed by the Archangel St. Michael. The poet Ehrenfried Stöber (1779-1835) wrote the poem DAS TEUFELSCHLOSS.

DATAtourisme France