The Domaine du Windeck park is located in the town of Ottrott, 15 km south-west of Molshein, in the Bas-Rhin.
This property, seat of a former seigniory, dates from 1770. The estate was sold in 1834 to Colonel Laurent Atthalin, director of the fortifications of Strasbourg, and his son-in-law Armand Théodore de Dartein inherited it a year later. It was he who undertook to develop the park, dotted with ponds and overlooking the village and Mont Sainte-Odile.
New owners remodeled the chateau and continued planting during the second half of the 19th century: this is how American and Asian species appeared. A ruin is also included in the park which gives it a romantic aspect. In 1964, the castle and the park were acquired by the association "Le Foyer de Charité d'Alsace".
Nowadays, the park has retained all its charm, vast of 10 hectares, including the ruins of a medieval castle and a cave. The stepped basins and the trees contribute to the beauty of the place. In addition, sloping meadows supply water to the basins and irrigate the plant beds that evoke the countries of the New World (Americas, Orient), as was said in the 19th century when this astonishing and exotic space was designed.
The site is labeled "Remarkable Garden".
Open all year. Free tour. Information on +33 3 88 48 14 00.
