| Sundgau | |
| Information | |
| Country |  France |
|---|---|
| Region | Haut-Rhin |
| Regional capital | Altkirch |
| Location | |
 47 ° 34 ′ 12 ″ N 7 ° 15 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Touristic site | |
the Sundgau is a territory located in the south of the region Alsace.
Understand
Sundgau is a territory located in the south of the Alsace region (in the east of France) better known under the appellation Sud-Alsace. The name Sundgau comes from Alemannic and means "southern county" (Sund or Süd "south", and Gau "county") explaining the writing in Old French Sundgow.
Regions
Cities
Besides the capital Altkirch, the main other cities are the three former cantonal capitals before 2015.
- 1 Altkirch – Modern city with an original spirit, strong of a dynamic commercial fabric, grouped within the Altkirch Traditions association, it also organizes many and varied cultural events such as: the Enchanted Forest in December, the Festival du Court Footage in spring, the Fête de la Musique and the Sound'Go Festival in summer, concerts and many other shows carried by energetic local associations.
- 2 Danemarie – Between the sub-Vosges hills and the first foothills of the Jura, in the Belfort gap, there is a village nestled on the slopes of a hill in the Largue valley. Dannemarie, former capital of the canton, plays a driving role and shines on the Porte d'Alsace with its dynamic trade and its multiple services to the population.
- 3 Ferrette – Small town nestled at the foot of its castle, the city of the powerful counts of Ferrette is nestled on the first foothills of the Alsatian Jura ... This city with a prestigious past will charm you with its narrow and romantic paths which lead to the haughty ruins of the castle of Ferrette and to the mysterious Grotto of the Dwarves where a famous legend is told.
- 4 Hirsingue – Hirsingue is a commune in Haut-Rhin located south of Altkirch. It is also a stopover on the famous Fried Carp Route.
These three former cantons and that of Altkirch make up the district of Altkirch, which forms part of the geographic Sundgau and corresponds almost exactly to the Pays du Sundgau, within the meaning of the Voynet law which sets up a country as a territory of projects .
Villages
- 5 Grentzingen – Crossing this village, parallel to the course of the Ill, allows you to discover a unique architectural ensemble dating mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries.
- 6 Hirtzbach – Typically Sundgauvian village, which has just added to its long list of distinctions the Prize of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Interprofessional Office of Fruits, Vegetables and Horticulture
- 7 Illfurth – Illfurth is the capital of a community of communes of 10 villages. Its location a stone's throw from the Mulhousian agglomeration and Altkirch, the capital of Sundgau, allows its inhabitants to combine the advantages of the city with the charm of the countryside.
- 8 Friesen – The flowered village of Friesen, in the Vallée de la Largue, has preserved some fifty half-timbered buildings, the construction of which spanned from 1497 to 1878: corbelled houses, traditional farms, fountains, monobloc farms, houses of short timber housing, forges… put on a show.
- 9 Obermorschwiller – Obermorschwiller, a village of 430 inhabitants, presents a rich and varied habitat from the 16th to the 19th century, certain elements of which benefited from the restoration campaign, in the 1970s, of the association "Maison Paysanne d'Alsace" originally. of the Ungersheim Ecomuseum. In 2012, under the leadership of Marc Grodwohl and with the University of Haute Alsace, a new study of the church, guarded by two splendid three-century-old lime trees, and of the houses of the village led to the establishment of an architectural heritage circuit. This village has managed to preserve its typical Sundgauvian rural habitat.
- 10 Oltingue – Oltingue was the most populated of the 33 villages of the seigneury of Ferrette before the Thirty Years' War. The village has kept its borrowings from the old terraced cultivation which gave pride of place to the vines favored by a dry climate attributed to the location of the village, at the foot of a hill, in the blind spot of atmospheric currents. The Ill crosses the town with many sites to discover.
- 11 Winkel – The village of Winkel is above all known for being home to the source of the Ill, the backbone of theAlsace, which, after a journey of 217 km, flows into the Rhine north of Strasbourg.
- 12 Bendorf
- 13 Courtavon
- 14 Seppois-le-Bas
- Altenach
Other destinations
To go
The main roads that cross the Sundgau are:
- D419 – Between Basel and Belfort
- D432 – Between Mulhouse and Lucelle (Swiss border)
- D463 – connects Basel To Montbeliard
The region is also served by several bus lines from Haute Alsace:
- Line 804 between Altkirch and Cernay
- Line 829 between Altkirch and Saint-Louis
- Line 830 between Ferrette and Mulhouse
- Line 831 between Lutter and Mulhouse
- Line 832 between Bendorf Mulhouse
- Line 833 between Zaessingue and Mulhouse
- Line 834 between Dannemarie and Mulhouse
- Line 835 between Biederthal and Mulhouse
- Line 836 between Pfetterhouse and Mulhouse
- Line 851 between Bouxwiller and Mulhouse
Finally, the Sundgau is also crossed by the Mulhouse - Belfort railway line and a TER serves the stations of Illfurth, Tagolsheim, Walheim, Altkirch, Dannemarie and Montreux Vieux.
Circulate
In addition to the various means of access described in chapter To go, the Sundgau has several cycle paths:
- Euro-Velo 6 (35 kilometers in the Sundgau) – This route of 3 653 km, which connects the Atlantic with the Black Sea, runs along the three largest European rivers, the Loire, The Rhine and the Danube, of Nantes To Budapest crossing 10 countries. In Alsace, it crosses the Sundgau along the Rhône-Rhine canal then joins, Mulhouse, Kembs and Huningue before entering Swiss.
- The Largue valley track (18.5 kilometers between Dannemarie and Pfetterhouse) – borrowing an old railway line, it is characterized by its ponds and its typical Sundgauvian villages.
- Hippoltskirch - Waldighoffen (15 kilometers) – Partly on a track shared with local residents' vehicles and agricultural machinery, the track runs along the Ill.
- Altkirch - Henflingen (10.5 kilometers) – The track runs along the Ill river and crosses in particular the village of Hirtzbach.
The tourist office also offers several circuits partly borrowing these cycle paths (access to the plan):
- Alsace gate (39 kilometers via Wolfersdorf, Eglingen, Hecken, Sternenberg, Bréchaumont, Montreux-Vieux, Valdieu ...) – This circuit offers a unique discovery of the Sundgau. It crosses villages quite unknown to cyclists, it is an interesting alternative that allows you to feel the influence of neighboring Franche-Comté. This route takes the cycle routeNantes-Budapest which runs along the Rhône-Rhine canal. The multiple locks offer a real spectacle from the towpath.
- Around the canal (40 kilometers via Altkirch, Ballersdorf, Altenach, Wolfersdorf, Eglingen, Illfurth, Walheim ...) – This circuit offers varied landscapes drawn by the Sundgauvian hills. Discovery can begin at Altkirch, city of 6,000 inhabitants and capital of Sundgau. From Carspach, the small forest road taken leads to the cycle path of the Largue valley. The route follows the cycle path which runs along the Rhône-Rhine canal as far as Illfurth and offers a beautiful panorama of the Vosges. Departure advised from the Ill parking lot in Altkirch.
- In the land of ponds (33 kilometers via Ballersdorf, Altenach, Ueberstrass, Bisel, Heimersdorf, Hirtzbach, Carspach ...) – This circuit leads to the discovery of the Largue valley and a landscape dotted with a multitude of ponds. Along the Largue cycle path, the Maison de la Nature in Altenach and the stork enclosure in Hindlingen provide an opportunity for a short stop. The route leads through Hirtzbach, a typical Sundgauvian village, beautifully flowered and traversed by the Ill. From Carspach to Altenach a peaceful forest landscape will be appreciated.
- The two valleys (30 kilometers by Altkirch, Wittersdorf, La Chappelle St Brice, Willer, Grentzingen, Ruederbach, Heimersdorf, Hirtzbach ...) – This circuit crosses several villages very representative of Sundgauvian architecture: many half-timbered houses adorn the route. It leads to the discovery of the Hundsbach valley, a river which has helped to shape this hilly landscape.
- At the foot of the Alsatian Jura (37 kilometers by Ferrette, Koestlach, Durlinsdorf, Seppois le Haut, Heimersdorf, Grentzingen, Durmenach, Luppach ...) – This circuit in the center of Sundgau allows you to immerse yourself in the rurality of this territory. The villages crossed, the landscapes which evolve as you go along are the attractions of this discovery. A detour to Feldbach may be necessary for lovers of Romanesque art.
- The upper valley of the Ill (50 kilometers by Ferrette, Bendorf, Hippoltskirch, Fislis, Willerhof, Muespach, Willer, Waldighoffen, Bouxwiller ...) – This route runs along the Ill river and allows you to discover many curiosities which will be as many opportunities to make a stop: flowery villages, chapels, Peasant Museum of Oltingue. Ferrette, a medieval city built in a picturesque site, is also on the circuit.
- The upper valley of the Largue (41 kilometers by Ferrette, Koestlach, Mooslargue, Seppois le Haut, Le Largin (Switzerland), Morimont, Winkel, Bendorf ...) – This circuit southwest of Sundgau crosses the medieval city of Ferrette, runs along the Grumbach valley and sets off to explore the Alsatian Jura. Relaxing at the Courtavon lake or observing Morimont castle can be the subject of a short detour. A small passage in Switzerland requires to bring an identity document.
- Around the Glaserberg (48 kilometers via Oltingue, Rodersdorf, Wolschwiller, Kiffis, Lucelle, La Charrière, Winkel, Ligsdorf, Raedersdorf ...) – This circuit allows you to discover the Alsatian Jura. It takes the Lucelle valley and runs along the Swiss border. Many times panoramas present themselves to the eyes of the cyclist who travels this route. It is a circuit that will be appreciated by sportsmen.
- The Sundgau gate (26 kilometers via Leymen, Biel Benken, Flüh, Neuwiller, Hagenthal le Bas, Bettlach, Lindsdorf, Rodersdorf ...) – This is the shortest of the 9 circuits on offer. It runs along and crosses the Swiss border twice. Small hooks will allow you to walk the Landskron castles or discover the Saint-Brice chapel nestled in a bucolic setting. The panoramas over the Alsatian Jura and Basel countryside are superb. Note that this circuit is not marked on Swiss territory.
To see
- 1 The Rhine Center for Contemporary Art (CRAC) 18 rue du Château, 68130 Altkirch,
33 389 08 82 59, e-mail : [email protected] 
Tuesday to Friday from 10 h - 6 p.m. Weekends and public holidays 14 h - 6 p.m.. 
Free entry. – permanently presents contemporary art exhibitions. - 2 Romanesque church of Saint Jacques de Feldbach church street, 68640 Feldbach – The church was designed in 1144 by Count Frederick I of Ferrette as a burial place for himself and his family.
- 3 Sundgau Nature House rue Sainte Barbe, 68210 Altenach (From Dannemarie, take the Vallée de la Largue cycle path (direction Seppois / Pfetterhouse)), 33 389 08 07 50, fax : 33 389 08 07 55, e-mail : [email protected] – offers guided outings to discover the natural heritage of Sundgau
- 4 Museum of lovers and Sundgauvian heritage rue de Ferrette, 68480 Werentzhouse, 33 389 40 50 47 – The museum keeps a collection of more than 20,000 postcards in a thousand binders from the surrounding villages.
- 5 Peasant museum 10 rue Principale, 68480 Oltingue, 33 389 07 32 69, fax : 33 389 07 17 03, e-mail : [email protected] 2,5 €. – Located in a half-timbered house, this museum contains many utensils, accessories, furniture, equipment, old looms, bread oven, earthenware oven ...
- 6 Alsace firefighter museum 12-14 rue de Luppach 68480 Vieux-Ferrette, 33 389 68 68 18, e-mail : [email protected] Open from April to the end of October, from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 h at 18 o'clock. Closed Mondays except public holidays.. 8 €. – the Alsatian Fireman's Museum houses a collection of more than 260 devices presenting material dating from 1648 to 1969.
- 7 Sundgauvian Museum 1 rue de l'Hotel de Ville, 68130 Altkirch, 33 389 40 01 94, fax : 33 389 40 01 94, e-mail : [email protected] – traces the history of Sundgau and the city of Altkirch. Located right next to the town hall, in a magnificent Renaissance building that once belonged to the bailiff of Altkirch, it presents models of Altkirch through the ages, period costumes, works of art from 'reputable local artists, etc.
Tuesday to Friday from 
Free entry.jpg/15px-Feldbach-Interior_of_Église_Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur_(4).jpg){kind=small}
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To buy
Eat
- Fried carp – Sundgau specialty.
Have a drink / Go out
Housing
Sundgau has 4 campsites in Altkirch, Bendorf, Courtavon and Seppois le Bas.
Around
- 1 Basel – Famous for its colorful carnival, the city is also renowned for Baselworld, an annual fair dedicated to watchmaking and jewelry, and for Art Basel, the most important annual fair of contemporary art in Europe, which is held around mid-June.
- 2 Freiburg im Breisgau – Capital of the south of the Black Forest, it is also a pioneer city in terms of ecology. Its mild climate and historic city center attract more than 3 million visitors each year.
- 3 Swiss jura – The canton is part of the Jura and Trois-Lacs tourist region and part of the Doubs regional natural park is located on its territory.
- 4 Mulhouse – Considered a "European capital of technical museums", the city has been labeled a city of art and history.
- 5 Saint Louis – flower town with three flowers allocated by the National Council of towns and villages in bloom of France and which has several small parks.
- 6 Territory of Belfort – presents a diversity of landscapes shaped by historical and geological influences, in particular the Ballon d'Alsace, the Vosges mountains and the lake of Malsaucy.
- 7 Doller Valley – famous for its beaver population and the Train Thur Doller Alsace (TTDA) which takes a section of the old railway line from Cernay to Sewen
