Eichhoffen – Vineyards, Grand Cru and Historic Churches

Eichhoffen reveals itself through its wine-growing landscape and a history connected with its churches and the humanist Mathias Ringmann. Vineyards cover most of the municipality. At the same time, the village lies at the foot of the Grand Cru Moenchberg slope and on the edge of the Vosges massif. This gives you several starting points for planning your trip: you can focus your stay on cultural heritage sites, explore the wine-growing landscape, or combine the two.

Wine-growing landscape around the Moenchberg

The Grand Cru Moenchberg lies on a south- to southeast-facing slope above Eichhoffen. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 230 to 260 metres. This location describes a specific part of the landscape: the slope above the village, not the entire municipal area. The Moenchberg belongs to Andlau and Eichhoffen and covers 11.83 hectares.

Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer are grown on the Grand Cru. The Moenchberg’s wine profile is considered to be marked by pronounced, enveloping acidity and a salty finish; fruit aromas mentioned include grapefruit and mango. For wine enthusiasts, these offer several distinct characteristics by which to understand the grape varieties and the described character of the growing area. The details about area, location and grape varieties relate to the Grand Cru, while vineyards more broadly shape a significant part of the municipality.

The wine-growing landscape is also a useful reference point for finding your way around: the Moenchberg lies above Eichhoffen, and vineyards define the village area. Excursions through the villages and along vineyard trails can be reached from Eichhoffen railway station. If you include these outings in your plans, you can treat the wine-growing landscape as a focus in its own right, alongside the historic buildings.

Churches and history

The Church of Saint-André was built in 1865 to plans by the Strasbourg architect Jehu dating from 1863. The church contains three figurative stained-glass windows, created in 1866. They depict Saint Andrew, Saint Florentius and Saint Odile of Alsace. The dates of construction and creation give you a timeframe for the church and its stained-glass windows. The church is open daily; check current visiting arrangements before your visit.

The Chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste offers a much older historical perspective. It was initially a private chapel of the abbot of Altorf Abbey in the 11th century and was extensively renovated in 1569. The chapel was also among the former possessions of Altorf Abbey in Eichhoffen. Its history thus links the village with Altorf Abbey and spans several centuries. The chapel is open by request, so arrange your visit in advance.

Another historical connection is Mathias Ringmann: the humanist was born in Eichhoffen in 1482 and gave the American continent its name. This local connection complements the architectural and ecclesiastical history with a person associated with a name that reaches far beyond the region.

Planning your stay

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Eichhoffen, you can start by considering which of these themes you want your visit to focus on. For a cultural and historical focus, the architectural history of Saint-André and the chapel’s earlier history offer useful points of reference. Those more interested in the landscape and wine will find specific details about the Moenchberg’s location, elevation, area and grape varieties. Excursions through villages and along vineyard trails offer another way to include the surrounding area in your plans; access from Eichhoffen railway station is described. This lets you choose your destination according to your interests without conflating the different places, historical dates and wine characteristics.

Discover more destinations: Birkenwald, Belmont, Dettwiller, Cosswiller, Furdenheim, Eschbourg, Marlenheim, Gerstheim

For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.