The gardens of the castle of Kolbsheim are located in the eponymous town, in the Bas-Rhin, 15 km west of Strasbourg.
Vast 25 hectares, they surround a building dominating the Alsace plain and composed of two wings: the oldest in the west was built in 1703 on the foundations of a mansion. After having known different owners, in 1874, the estate was acquired by the Grunelius family.
The exteriors having been badly damaged during the First World War, they were redesigned by Alexandre Grunelius in the 1920s. Two distinct parts now make up the park: terraces and the upper part of the whole are covered by gardens à la française and the second part, which goes down to the edges of the Cours de la Bruche, is part of the English garden, with centuries-old trees in particular... One of the specific features of the site is to reflect friendship and complicity spirituality of the couple with the Christian philosophers Jacques and Raïssa Mairitain. Thus, in the park, a family chapel was designed by the Austrian Austrian artist Victor Hammer and a Stations of the Cross created by the sculptor Philippe Kaeppelin, which contribute to the charm of the whole.
The current owners are the descendants of the park designers.
The estate is protected as a Historic Monument and the exteriors have obtained the "Remarkable Garden" label. Open to visitors from April to September on Fridays and Saturdays. Price: 5 euros. Information on +33 3 88 96 13 86.
