Discover Hessenheim

When choosing a hotel in Hessenheim, local attractions can help guide your decision: the architectural history of Saint-Laurent Church, its organ, the chapel and the cycling path along the Rhône–Rhine Canal. The Boîte à Lire adds the option of reading or taking a book with you. This brings local history, cycling and reading together as different focal points. Which of these matters to you can shape the character of your stay.

Saint-Laurent Church: construction phases and organ history

The present-day Saint-Laurent Church dates from 1877; the inscription on the portal gable gives this year. According to oral information, its construction had already begun in 1857 under the direction of district architect Antoine Ringeisen. The start of construction and the date of the present-day church mark different points in its building history. The choir tower is the only surviving part of the earlier church building. The surviving tower and the inscription above the portal thus represent two different reference points: the predecessor building and the present-day church.

The organ tells an older, separate story. Jean-André Silbermann built it in 1760 for Saint-Etienne Church in Rosheim; in 1860, Joseph Stiehr moved it to Hessenheim. Both its original purpose in Rosheim and its subsequent move to Hessenheim are part of the instrument's history. The scope of the protected status also matters: the organ case was placed under protection on 11 January 1977, and the entire organ on 14 June 2010. The later date expressly applies to the complete instrument, while the earlier one refers only to the case.

Two further details add to the information about Saint-Laurent: the church clock has only one hand, and an angel rather than a rooster stands atop the tower. These features make it possible to describe the church not only through its dates, but also through individual architectural details.

The Hessenheim Chapel

The chapel has its own timeline. It was built in 1910 and handed over to the parish on 4 October 1917. The year of construction and the handover date mark different events: the later date refers not to its construction, but to its handover to the parish. The chapel is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Lourdes. Its date of construction, handover and dual dedication can therefore be distinguished. Compared with Saint-Laurent, the year of construction and handover are the main focus here; the church also has an earlier construction phase, the transfer of the organ and different protection dates.

Cycling path and reading option

A cycling path runs along the Rhône–Rhine Canal near Hessenheim. If you plan to use it, check the current route status before setting off. At the Boîte à Lire, you can take a book with you or read on site. If you plan to make use of this option, check the latest details beforehand.

Discover more destinations: Lembach, Seltz, Eschau, Duttlenheim, Wasselonne, Duntzenheim, Hœrdt, Valff

For the main travel overview: Bas-Rhin.