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| Mittelweier | ||
| department | Haut-Rhin | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 840 (2018) | |
| height | 174 | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| Tourist info | 33 (0)3 89 73 23 23 http://www.ribeauville-riquewihr.com | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Mittelwihr is a winegrowing village in FrenchAlsace, Department Haut-Rhin, and member of the association of municipalities Pays de Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. Mittelwihr is in the 3rd section of the Alsatian wine route (Terre et Vins au Pays de Colmar). The village lies between Bennwihr and Beblenheim and like this one is surrounded by vineyards.
Mittelwihr is one Ville fleurie, a "flower-adorned city" and carries im Concours des villes et villages fleuris ("Competition of cities and towns decorated with flowers") 2 out of 4 roses.
background
Something about the story
The Unterlinden Museum in Colmar contains a find that was excavated in Mittelwihr: a fragment of a Roman altar dedicated to Jupiter. This proves that people lived in Mittelwihr as early as Roman times. Several Alsatian and Lorraine abbeys (Ebersmunster, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Murbach, Pairis) owned properties in Mittelwihr in the Middle Ages. From the 13th century to December 1944, the place owned a castle, which originally belonged to the Lords of Reflingen (former Alsatian aristocratic family) and which became state property after several changes of ownership. Mittelwihr was almost completely destroyed in December 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s.
The crest
Blazon: (Source: Book of arms of the municipalities in Haut-Rhin from 1981)
- D'argent au lion rampant de gueules.
- "In silver shields a right-turned, soaring, red-armored, red lion."
getting there
By plane
The nearest commercial airports are the Strasbourg airport
(IATA: SXB), 64 km, and EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg(IATA: BSL, MLH, EAP), 72 km.
The Colmar-Houssen airfield (7 km away) allows the landing of small private planes.
By train
The place does not have a train station. The nearest train station with a TGV stop is in Colmar.
By bus
A 106 bus connects the town 3 times a day in 16 minutes with Colmar and in 18 minutes with Ribeauvillé.
In the street
The journey takes place by car
- from north and south over the
Alsacienne auto route, and N 83
Ostheim, then about the D 3 to Beblenheim and the D 1bis directly in the center of the village. - from the west from inland (Saint-Dié-des-Vosges) about the D 415 to Kaysersberg and D 1bis in the place.
- from the east: The next Rhine crossings to Germany are at Breisach (32 km) and Marckolsheim (28 km)
mobility
Like many others in the region, the place is surrounded by vineyards. The location is slightly sloping to the southeast. The town center, which is interesting for tourists, is only about 200 m in length in each direction.
Tourist Attractions
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Due to the destruction in December 1944, in which only a few houses were spared, such as the lower parts of the medieval church tower and some arches of the church from the 19th century, the beautiful half-timbered houses of earlier centuries are no longer preserved unless they have been rebuilt true to the original were.
The central square of the place is Place du General de Gaulle.
- 1 Mairie - The town hall, built in 1960, has a metal lion on the gable, the heraldic animal of the place. The village already had a house known as the "gentlemen's" or "council chamber" in 1530, which served as the town hall after the French Revolution.
- 2 Lion sculpté - One of the witnesses of the prewar period is the sculpture of the lion, whose lower jaw was shot off by a shell during World War II - at that time still part of a memorial for the dead near the multi-denominational church.
- The round fountain in front of the town hall is adorned with a bronze sea horse that was made around 1960.
- 3 Maison Bott-Greiner - In December 1944, around 200 people were accommodated for two weeks in the spacious basement of this house. On the house facade in the Rue de l'École one discovers a wood-carved window frame with cantilever pieces. On the facade facing the courtyard, a plaque commemorates the founder of the Alsatian wine cooperative, Friedrich Paul Greiner (1871-1927).
- 4 Maison Preiss-Henny - In December 1944, almost 300 people were accommodated in the basement of the house, which is still there today. On the cellar entrance door there is a coat of arms with several old, damaged shields.
- Some of the family history found on the Website of the house:
- The family story originally began in Riquewihr, in 1480 with the birth of Hans Brus, a Martin Preiss was born in 1550, and in 1574 the first entry of a family member as a winemaker was made in a directory, although viticulture was already practiced in 1535. The family lived in Mittelwihr Castle, which was destroyed in 1944. The company is still owned by the family. Hubert Preiss (* 1946) married Chantal Beyer, daughter of the well-known, in 1969 Eguisheimer The Léon Beyer family of winemakers.
- 5 Églises - The churches: The village already had a church in 1046, which was replaced by a fortified church in the 15th century. From 1534 it served the Protestants in the course of the Reformation, and from 1688 both denominations. In 1866 the church was demolished and replaced with a new one, although the bell tower was retained. During the reconstruction, a piece of a Roman altar and grave slabs were discovered, an indication that this was a place of religion even in Roman times. The destruction in December 1944 "survived" only the lower parts of the Gothic bell tower and the arcades of the nave. In 1960 it was decided to build two churches, one for each denomination. The lower parts of the bell tower now serve as a chapel for the dead.
- 6 - In December 1944, around 100 villagers were housed in the basement of the school, which was built in 1936-37, and the German prisoners were housed in the slightly damaged building after the end of the war. The prisoners were used to clear mines and to clear the streets and farms. In 1954 the building was restored according to the original plans.
- 7 Bouxhof - Roman coins were found at the Bouxhof, another indication of the presence of Romans. Since 1168 the now privately owned court belonged to the Cistercian abbey of Pairis Monastery. Even then the estate was an important business enterprise with 50 to 80 hectares of land. In 1474 a chapel was built on the estate. 1525 - it was raging German Peasants' War in southern Germany - 200 to 300 farmers from neighboring villages attacked the estate, drove off the church employees and monks, used the wine that was available and devastated everything. The French Revolution brought about the sale of the property to private individuals. From December 1944, the property, slightly damaged, served the Allies as a military outpost until February 1945. Gut Bouxhof is still a winery today and has the seal of one Monument Historique.
activities
Between Mittelwihr and the neighboring village of Beblenheim there is a hill, the Mandelberg (Colline des Amandiers), which has been known for its excellent vineyards for generations. Its location in the northeast of Mittelwihr protects the place from the cold winds from this direction. The quality of the terroir (limestone soils, granite and clay limestone megel) was already known to the Romans, and almond trees and vines were planted before they first appeared. Before 1964, when the cadastre was revised, each parcel on the 20.85 hectare hill had its own name, since then it has only been called Almond Mountain, like its well-known wine product, the Grand Cru Almond Mountain, mainly made from Gewürztraminer grapes. A special kind of spectacle is the almond blossom in spring.
shop
There is little or no shopping opportunity for everyday goods, everything is available in the larger neighboring towns, in Ribeauvillé, Colmar or Sélestat.
kitchen
There are many Winstubswhich offer small, regional dishes in addition to wine. Restaurants can be found in some of the neighboring communities.
nightlife
accommodation
Two hotels can be found on the Tourist Information website:
- 1 *** Hôtel Le Mittelwihr, 19 route du Vin, 68630 Mittelwihr. Tel.: 33 (0)3 89 49 09 90, Fax: (0)3 89 86 02 29, Email: [email protected]. See website for prices and more.
- 2 *** Hôtel Le Mandelberg, Chemin du Mandelberg, 68630 Mittelwihr. Tel.: 33 (0)3 89 49 09 49, Fax: 33 (0)3 89 49 09 48, Email: [email protected]. More information on the website.
security
health
Emergency numbers
Please refer Emergency numbers in France
Practical advice
trips
The place is an ideal starting point to the other very beautiful villages of the municipality, to the Vosges and to Colmar.
literature
Individual references and sources
- Tourist information brochure (also in German)
Web links
- http://www.mittelwihr.eu/ - Official website of Mittelwihr
