Alsatian Heritage & Culture

11 kilometres long, 5 to 6 metres high, 2 metres thick, 300,000 cyclopean sandstone blocks linked by unique dovetail wooden tenons - the Pagan Wall surrounding Mont Sainte-Odile is one of Alsace's most impressive and mysterious archaeological structures. Who built it? When? Why? Historians are still debating.

With their exposed beams, colourful facades and flat-tiled roofs, half-timbered houses are Alsace's most recognisable architectural symbol. But why the exposed wood? Why the vivid colours? And what did they really mean? A journey into the fascinating history of a living heritage.

Born blind around 660, probably in Obernai, rejected by her father the Duke of Alsace Etichon-Adalric, miraculously healed at her baptism, founder of the abbey of Hohenbourg on the mountain that bears her name, canonised in 1049 and proclaimed patron saint of Alsace in 1946 - Saint Odile is one of the most fascinating spiritual figures of the Middle Ages.

With its white plumage, black wingtips and long red bill, the white stork is Alsace's most iconic bird. But this symbol came close to vanishing forever : by the 1970s, only a handful of breeding pairs remained in the region. The story of a fascinating bird, caught between medieval legends, ecological crisis and a remarkable comeback.

These songs are examples of the rich Alsatian musical tradition, which mixes French, German and Swiss influences.

These superb Vintage Decorative Plaques in thick laminated cardboard are decorated with authentic Alsatian motifs: storks, half-timbered houses, traditional costumes and Héritage Alsace inscriptions. Perforated with 4 holes for easy wall mounting, they bring a touch of authenticity and character to your interior. An original and lasting Alsatian souvenir.

Déco Alsace is expanding its Collection of Illustrated Books about Alsace with 12 new titles. Tourism, heritage, legends, terroir recipes and illustrations by great Alsatian artists - fascinating works to discover and fall in love with Alsace in all its facets.

Buying our pottery is good, but understanding how it is made is better ! Discover below the 10 main stages of pottery making. You will discover a step that is very important to us because it improves the quality of the pottery significantly...

The Alsatian dialect is a Germanic language. It has a multitude of variants from the south (Haut-Rhin) to the north (Bas-Rhin) of Alsace. But it is also, at least since the Revolution, the language of the enemy, subject to particular historical conditions.

Hansi, real name Jean-Jacques Waltz, was born in Colmar in 1873. Illustrator, caricaturist and watercolourist, he is the most beloved visual artist of Alsace and the undisputed ambassador of Alsatian folk traditions. His colourful illustrations of half-timbered villages, storks and figures in traditional costume have stood the test of time and remain the most recognisable symbols of Alsatian identity.