Saint-Louis: History, Art and Nature

Saint-Louis lies at the junction of France, Germany and Switzerland, giving it a unique transport network that includes EuroAirport. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Saint-Louis, the city’s varied themes can help guide your travel decision: its history dates back to its founding in the 17th century, while art, crafts, leisure activities and the Au wetlands each add their own distinctive character. You can start by weighing up which aspects are of particular interest for your trip.

History and Sacred Architecture

Saint-Louis was founded in 1684 by Louis XIV and named after him. The railway reached the town in 1840. These two dates mark different stages in the town’s history: 1684 represents its founding, while 1840 marks the arrival of the railway. Together, they provide a brief timeline for the development of Saint-Louis.

The parish church of Saint-Louis can also be understood through its construction history. It was built by Auguste Hummel in 1842. It replaced a chapel built in 1751, which had itself replaced the first chapel, built around 1684. This sequence of the first chapel, a later chapel and the parish church makes several phases of construction easy to trace. If you are interested in historic architecture, this sequence offers a concrete way to explore the town’s history, with its own dates that differ from those relating to the town’s founding and transport links.

Industrial Heritage, Art and Crafts

The Fondation Fernet-Branca is housed in the former Fernet-Branca distillery. The distillery building was constructed between 1907 and 1909, and its monumental façade is listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. On 1,500 m² of exhibition space, the foundation presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, including solo and group exhibitions. The building’s former industrial use, the listing of its façade and a contemporary art exhibition programme thus come together in one place.

The Cité Danzas offers another link to the history of industry. It occupies the last historic building of the former Danzas company, founded in Saint-Louis in 1816 by Louis Danzas. The Cité is home to workshops for arts and crafts and rare craft techniques, where artisans and artists work. It opens to the public for events such as the European Heritage Days, the European Artistic Crafts Days and its pre-Christmas creative market. Check the event dates before your trip if you are planning a visit.

Leisure Activities and Nature

The leisure activities cater to a range of interests. Lambda Escape offers escape-room scenarios for teams of two to six people, who have 60 minutes to solve the puzzles. At Megazone, the 1,000 m² indoor play area, Megakid’s, includes trampolines, mini-karts, a toboggan run and a zip line. There is also an immersive laser game in a maze of more than 650 m², themed entirely as a futuristic spaceship. Le Five Saint-Louis offers small-sided football, padel, squash, badminton and a golf simulator; equipment can be rented on site. The venues therefore differ both in their activities and in the escape room’s time limit. If you are making specific plans, it is worth checking the providers’ latest information.

The Au wetlands add a natural dimension: around a hundred bird species breed there, and just as many migratory species use the area as a stopover. The wetlands are also home to significant aquatic flora typical of the Rhine floodplain marshes, including around 15 orchid species in particular. Alongside its architectural and industrial history, art and leisure activities, Saint-Louis therefore offers birdlife and aquatic flora as distinct themes to consider when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Wintzfelden, Oberhergheim, Huningue, Dannemarie, Oderen, Soultz-Haut-Rhin, Friesen, Hohrod.

For the regional travel overview: Haut-Rhin.