Blaesheim: Baroque Church and Ried Landscape

Blaesheim brings together several distinct points of interest for a stay: a Baroque church with later works of art, medieval church heritage, a Napoleonic memorial site, and southern Ried landscapes. The Route de la Choucroute is another feature. If you are choosing a destination based on your interests, Blaesheim offers a comparison of cultural history, nature and regional food culture.

Church history from different periods

Blaesheim’s parish church was built in 1762 in the Baroque style. Two centuries later, further works were added: an organ by organ builder Franz Kriess was installed in 1923, along with two stained-glass windows by glass artist Joseph Ehrismann. The construction date and later installations belong to different historical periods. The organ evokes church music, while the windows represent stained-glass art; together, they give the parish church cultural points of interest beyond its Baroque origins. Those interested in sacred art can therefore explore both the church’s construction period and works dating from 1923.

Medieval traces and a memorial site

An older point of interest is the Tour du Gloeckelsberg on the Gloeckelsberg. It is the last surviving remnant of the former church dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. A 13th-century gravestone is also kept in the tower. The medieval structure and the later-dated gravestone represent different periods. Compared with the parish church built in 1762, the tower points to a much earlier phase in Blaesheim’s church history.

The Place du Couronnement offers a different historical perspective. It was created in 1804 to commemorate the coronation of Emperor Napoleon I. The square consists of a sandstone column surrounded by a ring of lime trees. The occasion and the design are connected, but tell different stories: the coronation explains the dedication, while the column and lime trees shape the square. The historical points of interest therefore range from a medieval church remnant to a memorial site from the early 19th century.

Protected areas and Ried landscape

Nature is another theme, encompassing a range of different areas. A hamster protection zone covering 299 hectares is located on the hill of Blaesheim. If the precise area is important, you should verify this figure. South of the village, the floodplain covers about 400 hectares; 90 hectares of it are natural meadows classified as a Natura 2000 site. The area figures therefore refer to different places: the protection zone on the hill and the larger southern floodplain with its Natura 2000 meadows.

A spawning site and two amphibian ponds have been created in the same southern floodplain. Such nature conservation facilities can change over time. Also south of Blaesheim is the Bruch de l’Ehn et de l’Andlau, a Ried landscape with extensive meadows, ditches and hedgerows. The protected areas and landscape features offer different points of interest for travellers interested in nature and landscapes.

Regional food culture

Blaesheim lies on the Route de la Choucroute, which connects villages between Geispolsheim and Obernai. This gives food culture a distinct regional connection. Restaurants along the route serve traditional choucroute, sometimes also in contemporary variations. If you would like to take regional cuisine into account when choosing a place to stay, this culinary theme complements Blaesheim’s historical and landscape-related attractions.

Discover more destinations: Ohlungen, Eschau, Kutzenhausen, Colroy-La-Roche, Solbach, Sundhouse, Soultz-Les-Bains, Kertzfeld.

For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.