Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
verted her son to Christianity and, according to Church lore, brought pieces of the True
Cross to Rome from Jerusalem.
Before stepping into the church, take a moment to enjoy the vernacular architecture
surrounding this square. The church dates from the 13th and 14th centuries (free, daily
9:00-18:00). I know, Gothic was in high gear elsewhere, but back then Alsace was about
a hundred years behind the artistic curve. Look at the tympanum (carved relief over the
door)and notice how crude and naive it is. The carved red sandstone figures remind me of
Archaic Greek statues.
Stepinside.ThenaveisRomanesquebutthesideaisles,datingfromthe15thcentury
when the church was expanded, are more Gothic. The medieval stained glass was des-
troyed in 1944; what you see is modern. The impressive statue of a crucified Christ is
carved out of linden wood and painted. Notice the attempt to manage the perspective by
making Jesus' legs shorter than they would have actually been.
Walk up close to the altarpiece (from 1518) and study the finely carved Passion of
Christ.ThesescenesshowtheeventsofJesus'lastweek—fromenteringJerusalem(onthe
left) to the Resurrection (on the right). The carvings—which are high relief in the center
butlowreliefinthewingssoitwillallfitwhenclosed—wereinspiredby15th-centuryen-
gravings by Martin Schongauer. You can push the button on the right of the altar for light.
On the right side of the nave (as you leave), check out the statue of the Deposition,
showing Christ after his death by crucifixion. A metal hatch on his chest shows where the
communion bread was kept back in the 16th century.
Continue walking along this busy street. At #62, the
Kaysersberg History Museum
has a forgettable exhibit of religious and domestic artifacts filling three rooms—without
a word of English (€2, July-Aug daily 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed off-season,
enter from the courtyard between the twin gables). The
Biscuiterie La Table Alsacienne
,
tempting visitors with all the traditional baked goods at #70, is more interesting.
Follow the main drag to the top of the town. Just before the bridge, check out a huge
house standing at the top of the road—this was an old inn and bathhouse. To its right,
a lane leads past a fountain with drinking water, a charming pottery shop, and on to the
castle.
Maison Herzer,
onthe right at #101,dates from1592.Itsfinely restored ornamenta-
tion includes fun faces (could be the owners) and a gargoyle-supported pulley high above
to lift hay up to the attic. Look around. Notice how some buildings lining the main drag
have settled in the soft ground.
Just before the bridge, walk a few steps up the riverside lane to see where town's
canal starts—an example of the importance of water power in the Middle Ages.
