March 07: locate Guebwiller


Part of the Rue République

The City Center, Guebwiller

The Hotel D'Alsace

To Guebwiller!   We found our way OUT of the Swiss parking ramp and proceeded to drive to Guebwiller, France. Guebwiller lies on the famous "Wine Road" (which follows the Rhine river valley; between Mulhouse and Colmar) and nestles at the foot of the Grand Ballon. The town is skirted by the River Lauch, and lies at the entrance of the Florival or Valley of Flowers. The entire town is surrounded by vineyards and lush hilly woodland. -- After driving down the same road three times, (the Rue République) we finally asked for help in locating the Hotel d'Alsace (it was on the Rue République). Once it was explained, we easily found it!   We checked in about 3pm. Brought in our luggage and proceeded to sleep on and off for the next 12 to 14 hours. We hoped that our jet-lag would be cured when morning arrived.


Terraced vineyards on hillside

Eglise Saint-Léger (12 century)

A platter in the Musee du Florival

Surrounding hillsides are used to grow grapes

What a nice little village!   Guebwiller is a fairly active town with plenty of small shops, both retail and food. It also has a terrific museum, the Musee du Florival, which displays the work of several artists; featuring regional handicrafts, local geology, archeology and includes one of the most comprehensive collections of Theodore Deck's ceramic work.

Three Churches!   There are three churches which dominate the view of Guebwiller, each is a different style. There is the Eglise Saint-Léger (12 century). It is a beautiful example of romaneque "transitional" architecture and is located next to the CDHF. There is the Eglise des Dominicains (14th century), richly decorated with frescos. And the Eglise Notre-Dame (18th century), a beautiful example of neo-classical architecture.