Wengelsbach
Wengelsbach is a hamlet in the North of Alsace, in the Regional Park des Vosges du Nord. It is the last Alsacian village before the german border, 1 km away. Only few inhabitants are remaining in Wengelsbach. Nowadays most houses in Wengelsbach are secondary residences or holiday residences.
Learn more about the history of Wengelsbach :
The Restaurant au Wasigenstein
The restaurant au Wasigenstein is also run by the Family Schertz. You can enjoy a traditional french cuisine at the restaurant for lunch and dinner. Small dishes are available all day long.
The Chapel Saint Joseph
The chapel was built in 1870 and its bell has been blessed two years later, in 1872. In 1908, after important renovations of the chapel, it has been blessed and dedicated to Saint Joseph, patron for families and workers.
In 2010 the chapel received a new, modern decoration. Small paintings of contemporary style are now ornating its walls.
The wash house
The washhouse is located in the center of the village. The whashing ladies went there to rince their laundry. Indeed, the rincing, contrary to the actual washing, requires big amounts of water. The wash house, supplied by a natural water source thus was the place to be used for this duty.
Walks and Hikes
Wengelsbach is located in the heart of the Natural park des Vosges du Nord. The hamlet is enclosed by forests and hills which hide many rock formations and castles. It is a really nice place for walks, hikes and exploration.
There are many paths and trails passing by Wengelsbach. Those are often marked and maintained. The ruins, castles and rock formations offer good hiking destinations for smaller 45 minutes walks to full fledged hiking itineraries.
Below are some of the castles and rocks you can visit in Wengelsbach.
The Wasigenstein
The Wasigenstein is a castle composed of two parts, the Petit Wasigenstein ("small Wasigenstein") and the Grand Wasigenstein ("big Wasigenstein"). This castle is alledgedly where the final battle of the Waltharlied took place. Walther d'Aquitaine is on the run with his fiancee Hildegund de Bourgogne and seeks shelter in the Wasigenstein. Their pursuers, the King Gunther de Worms and Hagen de Tronje catch up with them at the castle Wasigenstein for the final battle.
The Blumenstein
The Blumenstein is a small castle dated from the 13th century. It has been buil on top of a sandstone formation. There is still a room that is visible, which has been carved inside the stone and held a pulley to cary goods to the top.
The Gypsy Rock
(Zigeunerfels)
This rock received its name in the 13th century, when a gang of gypsies took it as their lair. The legend tells that they plundered the farmers in the region. When the farmers learned about the place where the gypsies where hiding, they cut down all the trees around the rock and assembled them into an enormous stake and set fire to it. The plundering gypsies, traped by the fire all perished that day.
It is possible to go on top of the rock using a staircase.
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