Made in Alsace

Alsatian culture and know-how

Half-timbered houses are a familiar sight in our towns and villages. As far as traditional dress goes, Alsatian folklore is best symbolised by the headdress. As for cuisine, sauerkraut wins the award for the most popular speciality.
Everywhere you look, you’ll find iconic and passionate emblems of Alsace.

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EXPERIENCE 25
Be astonished by the diversity of Alsatian heritage

What's a Stub? What are the colours of Kelsch fabric? Why is the Alsatian headdress decorated with flowers? Find fun answers to all your questions in the elegant collections of the Kochersberg House in Truchtersheim. It’s a not-to-be-missed visit to immerse yourself in the culture and traditions of Alsace.

On the same site, visit also the Eskapade, a modern building that holds exhibitions, concerts, and other contemporary performances, and the Kube, a 360° interactive digital gallery. In Alsace, tradition and modernity make the perfect pair.

An authentic immersion

EXPERIENCE 26
Learn Alsatian by listening to a passionate guide

Like Quetsche d’Alsace plums and pretzels, the Alsatian dialect is part of the regional heritage. Immerse yourself in the local identity while learning the basics alongside a knowledgeable and passionate guide. Bis bàll (see you soon), buschur (hello), e Güeter (enjoy your meal). It's all rather simple to pronounce, but you will have to keep in mind that there are slight differences between the dialects of the north and the south.

A fun way to explore the culture of the region and immerse yourself in the characteristic humanism of the Rhine Valley.

Follow the guide

Experience 27
Build a half-timbered house like a carpenter

Half-timbering is the great classic of Alsace’s regional architecture. Their splendid exteriors inspire you to search for their secrets. Learn about this essential heritage in a new way: try your hand at half-timbered construction at Les Ateliers de la Seigneurie. It's an opportunity to slip into the shoes of a carpenter, the real builders of these half-timbered houses. Test your abilities while assembling pieces of wood and see how the materials come together to make a pointed arch. Ready, set, build!

Join a workshop

Experience 28
Immerse yourself in the life of a 1930s Alsatian village at the Ecomuseum of Alsace

Observe the daily life of rural Alsace of yesteryear at this reconstructed Alsatian village with 70 authentic traditional buildings.
Walk along the streets of the Ecomuseum of Alsace and discover half-timbered houses, a farmyard, a wash house, a barn, and different typical scenes of life in the village.
Watch a demonstration at one of the workshops to rediscover the traditional trades and the amazing know-how of the artisans, including potters and blacksmiths. The rich collection includes more than 40,000 objects from everyday life: furniture, clothing, tools, and other memories from an era that comes to life before your eyes.

Experience 29
Unravel the secrets of Alsatian traditions

Its traditions make Alsace unique, they sparkle on the calendar of festivities as constant bright stars. Christmas and Easter, of course, but also for the feast of a saint, at the beginning of summer, or at the end of the harvest. In Colmar, plenty of visits are based around local events. It's more than simply folklore, it’s a chance for a real hands-on experience: Christmas preparations, making bredala, Christmas tree decorating, the feast of St. Nicholas, the parade of Hans Trapp, or the secrets of the hare and the hen. A wide range of traditions told in the form of stories and tales by the tour guides of the city.

Visit with a guide