Discover Jungholtz: Hotels and Jewish Heritage

Jungholtz can be explored through several clearly distinct themes: Jewish history, sacred architecture, landscape, and an educational trail with a specified length and approximate duration. There is also a modern chapel, a giant sequoia that forms part of the local arboreal heritage, and a restaurant with its own distinctive décor and cooking concept. If you are planning a stay, these highlights can help you organise your interests: are you mainly interested in historical sites, different architectural styles, a walk, or a place to eat?

Jewish heritage in Jungholtz

The Jewish cemetery of Jungholtz was established at the beginning of the 17th century in the moat of the former Château de Schauenbourg and is listed as a historic monument. It contains hundreds of graves. Its connection to the former castle grounds and its protected status point to two different historical reference points: the site where it was established and its classification as a historic monument. Jungholtz’s Jewish heritage also includes the yeshiva building. It is the only surviving remnant of the village’s former synagogue and Talmudic school.

Basilica and landscape

The present-day Basilique Notre-Dame de Thierenbach is a church in the Austrian Baroque style, built by Peter Thumb in 1723. Its year of construction and style provide a clear point of reference when comparing the basilica with the village’s other sacred sites. The landscape also shapes the experience: the basilica offers panoramic views over the Alsace plain. It lies between the “Promenade au pied de Sainte Anne” walking trail and the starting point of the Stations of the Cross.

An educational trail exploring culture and nature

The Sentier pédagogique du Vallon de Thierenbach is a very easy 2.6-kilometre walk that takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Along the trail, information boards explain the history of the basilica and the valley, as well as the local fauna and flora. Views take in the basilica and the meadows surrounding it. The walk thus combines the cultural history of the Vallon with natural history themes and a specified time frame; unlike viewing a single building, its focus is on the route and the themes covered by the information boards.

Chapel, tree and dining

The modern concrete Chapel of Saint Joseph stands in the centre of Jungholtz, at the foot of a shady vineyard slope. It was built from May 1957 to December 1958. Its precise construction dates and concrete design distinguish it from the basilica, which dates from 1723; the two sacred buildings can be viewed as markedly different architectural and historical reference points. Jungholtz also features a giant sequoia as part of its natural and cultural tree heritage. Alongside the history of the cemetery and buildings, this adds a natural theme that broadens the range of subjects associated with the village. For dining, there is La Ferme des Moines, a traditional restaurant in Jungholtz with décor inspired by the 18th century and a volcanic-stone cooking concept. You can consider the restaurant’s décor and cooking method separately: the furnishings are inspired by the 18th century, while the concept involves cooking on volcanic stone.

Discover more destinations: Chavannes-Sur-L’étang, Westhalten, Katzenthal, Geishouse, Heimsbrunn, Neuwiller, Freland, Wittelsheim

For the broader travel overview: Haut-Rhin.