Pottery

From clay to a kougelhopf cake mould
Experience 47

What do all these things have in common: every-present kougelhopf (found at all the festivals), gentle lamala, and generous baeckeoffe? Their stories all begin with a terracotta mould, each with its own unique shape. It's hard to imagine the skills needed to make one until you watch the potter shape the clay. Let's relive the history of pottery. Meet us in Soufflenheim, in northern Alsace.

Go behind the scenes of
an ancestral art

Local crafts, know-how passed down through generations, passionate culinary traditions: so many reasons to love Alsace and to stop for a visit to a pottery workshop. Some of them offer guided tours: more authentic than a museum visit, and we even get to take home a souvenir stamped with "IGP" (protected geographical indication). Let's go!

Learn the secrets of this ancestral art with a visit to Poterie Siegfried-Burger, Poterie Beck, Poterie Ernewein-Haas (clay miners since 1165!), Poterie Hausswirth, or Poterie Ludwig. Masterful hands, decorative brush strokes, and firing: we're blown away every step of the way. You have to see it with your own eyes.

The pottery workshops make both traditional and modern items: something for all tastes!

Several of Soufflenheim's pottery workshops invite you to stop in to explore at your leisure.

Find out more

A walk in the woods

We lace up our sneakers for a walk along the "Potters' Tour" in Soufflenheim. The itinerary has several variations, each one with puzzles for little detectives ages 4 and up. Curious and active? Let’s take the tour by bike!

We make our way to the Haguenau Forest to see the clay pits where artisans have been mining clay for centuries to make pottery. We’ve learned all about the history of Alsace's pottery workshops: inside and out. It's worth noting that the Haguenau Forest is the largest forest in Alsace and recognised as an Exceptional Forest. We take a few mental pictures to savour the moment.

Little curiosities and great discoveries

Just 10 km to the north, Betschdorf is also a land of pottery. Here, the pieces are more decorative: in a traditional cobalt blue colour and made with the salt-glaze method. We love it! We stop for a visit in the Pottery Museum to learn all the secrets of this technique.

Should we continue our journey in Hunspach? It's none other than the Favourite Village of the French (2020)! A typical village of Northern Alsace, it’s also one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. Seebach, right next door, is just as charming. Both villages have fun walks for families.

Northern Alsace

Liesel'stips

Be sure to visit the half-timbered church in Kuhlendorf, merged with the town of Betschdorf. It’s the only religious building in Alsace with half-timbering. Its bell tower is the only way to tell it apart from the surrounding houses. It was used both as a church and a school. 😉