We had planned to go to Strasbourg this weekend, but the weather forecast was for rain. So, we opted for shorter trips, closer to home, and ended up in Wissembourg, France. Oh, my, the weather did not cooperate for this trip either (Sat., 21 May). It was rainy and cold (40 degrees), but we made the best of it (all part of the adventure). The trip to Wissembourg took us about 90", with one change of trains. We chuckled when we crossed into France, as crossing the border became immediately obvious when the tracks switched from the smooth German rails to the rougher ride caused by lack of welding of the railroad track (reminded me of riding the NJ transit system to NYC). For us, Wissembourg is the quintessential French town: small, charming, lots of half-timbered houses, a spectacular church, a river running through the town, great patisseries and restaurants, open-air markets. And...the best flammkuchen we have had so far.
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| Wissembourg has a population of ~8,000 and was founded somewhere around the 7th century. Here is the river Lauter, which runs through town and is fed by several other canals (visible in other pictures below). |
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| The town was fortified in the 13th century. Here is one of the gates to the town center. |
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| These walls surround the town and were refortified in the 17th century. I expect you can walk along the embankment for some distance. We did not, due to the weather. :( |
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| Typical houses in town. |
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| Wissembourg had no industry worth bombing during WW2, so most the the 15th and 16th century building are intact. |
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| The abbey church, Saint-Pierre et Paul, was erected in the 13th century. The only other church in this region that is larger is the cathedral of Strasbourg. I don't think we will ever get bored of looking at these magnificent buildings and enjoying their splendor and history. |
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| This photo does not do justice to the ambiance of these houses along the river. I was captivated. |
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| Just around the corner from this plaza, we had our lunch. For starters, we had foie gras, which is duck liver pate. Out. of. this world. The last time I had foie gras was with my sister, when we hiked southern France for a week on our tour of the vineyards there. Louise, I toasted you and our trip with a glass of fabulous bordeaux at lunch today. And then, we had a traditional flammkuchen, the best we have ever had. I think I could live in France! We bought brie and some French pastries home with us. No dieting on this adventure. |
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| No idea how old this house is; just loved the roof! |
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| Another cluster of houses along the Lauter River. |
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| The second floor of this building is for rent. Any takers out there? |
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| There is no way to capture the charm of this little French village. But, here is another attempt. :) |
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