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Kaysersberg is a village in the Haut-Rhin with 2,800 inhabitants situated 11 kilometres from Colmar, in the Weiss valley. Founded in Roman times, it reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a free imperial city of the Alsatian Décapole. Its name - Kaisers Berg, "Emperor's Mountain" - recalls that it was long a strategic imperial fief controlling access to the Schlucht pass and the trade routes crossing the Vosges towards Lorraine.
Today Kaysersberg is regularly cited among the most beautiful villages in Alsace and France. Its privileged geographical situation - set in a green valley with the vineyard downstream and the Vosges forest upstream - gives it a unique, more intimate and better-preserved atmosphere than the major tourist villages of the plain.
Kaysersberg castle, perched on a rocky spur at 260 metres altitude above the village, is one of the most romantic sites in Alsace. These medieval ruins, dating mainly from the 13th century, dominate the village and the Weiss valley with an exceptional panorama. The ascent to the castle from the village takes about 15 to 20 minutes on a marked path and is rewarded by a 360° view over the village, the vineyard, the Alsatian plain and the Vosges ridges.
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The fortified bridge of Kaysersberg is one of the most remarkable architectural curiosities in Alsace. Built in the 15th century to defend the crossing of the Weiss, this covered and crenellated bridge is the only intact medieval fortified bridge in Alsace. Its integrated chapel, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, patron of travellers and boatmen, is a rare testimony to medieval religious architecture associated with defensive infrastructure.
The view from the fortified bridge over the Weiss, the half-timbered houses jutting out over the water and the ruined castle silhouetted on the hill is one of the finest photographic perspectives in Alsace.
Albert Schweitzer is undoubtedly the most famous child of Alsace. Born in Kaysersberg on 14 January 1875, he was successively theologian, philosopher, musicologist and Bach specialist, internationally renowned organist and humanitarian doctor. Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1952, he is world-famous for his humanitarian work in Africa, notably the hospital he founded and directed at Lambaréné in Gabon for more than fifty years.
Albert Schweitzer's birthplace in the main street of Kaysersberg is now a museum dedicated to his life and work. The museum, modest but well-designed, is an essential complement to the visit of the village to understand this exceptional personality's formation.
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The Grand'Rue of Kaysersberg is one of the finest streets in Alsace. Over a few hundred metres it lines up half-timbered houses from the 15th to 18th centuries of exceptional architectural richness and variety. Unlike other Alsatian villages where facades have sometimes been uniformly restored, those of Kaysersberg have retained their natural patina and irregularities that testify to their authenticity.
Several houses bear dates carved in their timberwork or door lintels. The Brief house (1594), the Hôtel du Cerf (16th century) and the Grand'Rue fountain (1618) are among the most remarkable architectural elements.
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Kaysersberg is surrounded by high-quality vineyards whose Grand Cru Schlossberg, classified on the neighbouring commune of Kientzheim, is one of the most renowned in Alsace for Riesling. The well south-facing granite slopes of this exceptional terroir give Rieslings of incomparable minerality and elegance, capable of ageing twenty years and more. The Grand Cru Furstentum, classified across Kientzheim and Sigolsheim, is renowned for its Gewurztraminers and Pinot Gris of exceptional aromatic richness.
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Kaysersberg's Christmas market is unanimously considered one of the most authentic and beautiful in Alsace. Set up every year from the last weekend of November to 26 December in the lanes of the historic village, it attracts visitors from around the world drawn by its intimate atmosphere and the quality of its local crafts. Unlike the large markets of Strasbourg or Colmar, Kaysersberg's has preserved a human scale and rigorous selection of exhibitors.
In the evening, when the lights illuminate the half-timbered facades and the ruined castle stands out against the starry sky, Kaysersberg offers one of the finest Christmas spectacles in Alsace.
Kaysersberg is ideally explored on foot. The compact and entirely pedestrianised historic centre can be covered in two to three hours for a complete visit including the castle. Kaysersberg is accessible from Colmar in 15 minutes via the D415, from Ribeauvillé in 20 minutes and from Strasbourg in 1 hour. Free car parks are available at the entrance to the village.
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