Thannenkirch discovery tour

In 1152, in the episcopal records of the bishopric of Basel, a chapel is mentioned under the name “Templum Sanctae Annae supra Berken”. In the 14th century, the village took on the name of known “Tannenkirch” or “Sankt Annakirch”. The village only became as Thannenkirch after the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). Legend has it that in the 10th century, a hermit established an oratory dedicated to Saint Anne at the bottom of the Taennchel, near a spring, in the shadow of a majestic fir tree. Woodsmen and colliers from Lorraine gradually settled around the site. In the Middle Ages, Thannenkirch belonged to the lords of Rathsamhausen. In 1470, it was given to the Ribeaupierres as a fief. During the Thirty Years’ War, the village was almost entirely emptied. New inhabitants from Switzerland and the Welche country (valleys of the eastern slopes of the Vosges, with a Romance language and culture) settled here and inhabited the site once again. In the 19th century, following the growth of the textile industry in nearby Val de Lièpvre, hand weaving developed in the village, which had only depended on mountain resources – wood, coal and livestock – until then. In 1924, Thannenkirch became a touristic resort, offering fresh air and rest. On the slopes rising to the Taennchel, a mountain massif that is a listed area of tranquillity and silence, Thannenkirch nestles in a lush blanket of green forests. The village offers a superb panorama of the alsatian plain and the Black Forest mountains. This mountain town is a holiday destination that is appreciated by those who are looking for peace and quiet and closeness to nature.