Located between Colmar and Stasbourg, Sélestat is a central point for visiting the region, but its main attraction is its Humanist Library, one of only two existing in Europe. In the form wheat hall, in houses many works, including 154 medieval manuscripts and 1,611 printed works from the 15th and 16th centuries. Amongst these many treasures are the "Merovingian Lectionary" dating from the 7th century, an illuminated manuscript from Italy, the oldest book preserved in Alsace, and "Praise of Folly" by Erasmus. You can also see a presentation of the library that belonged to Beatus Rhenanus, a 16th-century humanist writer, which comprises a remarkable collection of old publications and manuscripts.
Sélestat's old town has some beautiful period houses, including on Rue des Veaux, Rue des Oies and Rue Dorlan, or along the Quai des Tanneurs. On Rue de l'Église you will find the old Ebersmunster residence, which was home to Benedictine abbots, with its beautiful gate and ivy-covered spiral staircase. On Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, the Witches' Tower, where "witches" were detained before being executed, stands next to the Strasbourg gate as well as the last gate in the old city wall built in the time of Louis XIV. The New Tower, where you can admire frescoes, is one of the four gates in the second wall, built in the late 13th century.
There are also religious buildings to discover. The Gothic Church of St. George, with a simple nave illuminated by beautiful stained glass windows, combines Romanesque and Flamboyant Gothic. The 12th-century Church of St. Faith is a beautiful Romanesque building in pink sandstone and granite, adorned with three towers and a richly decorated portal. The Recollect Church, meanwhile, is all remains of the Franciscan convent that was built in the 13th century.
Sélestat is a town in the Bas-Rhin, in central Alsace region, on the border of the Haut-Rhin.
Located in the plain of Alsace, on the course of the Ill, at the foot of the Vosges and Haut-Koenigsbourg and about ten kilometers west of the Rhine, which is the border with Germany.
45 km south of Strasbourg and 25 km north of Colmar, Sélestat developed from the 11th century under the Hohenstaufen dynasty, which gave it the status of a free city. Prosperous, active, commercial, the city is at its peak during the Renaissance, and is considered a home and a European capital of humanism.
The Reformation and the resulting conflicts then the Thirty Years War then provoke its relative decline.
Sélestat which now counts nearly 20,000 inhabitants found in the twentieth century a form of dynamism through the highlighting of its exceptional architectural and cultural heritage.
Very lively, rich in its historic city center and its treasures, like its humanist library, Sélestat has also become a reference in terms of contemporary art. It is a must for anyone visiting Alsace.
The historical heart of Sélestat is a true open-air museum. The religious and civil heritage has been globally spared by conflict and largely pedestrian, it can be the object of a remarkable discovery path.
The Sainte-Foy church, a Romanesque church, was built in the 12th century in red sandstone and granite of the Vosges. This former Benedictine priory has at the level of the nave capitals with the typical floral decoration and it is also noted that the porch is decorated with cornices and historized capitals. Inside, if the furniture dates back to the 19th century, a polychrome wooden pulpit of 1735 was preserved. Finally, one must note its three towers which draw a kind of "line of the sky".
Constructed from the 13th to the 15th century, the church of St. George is Gothic in style but has been revised several times. The elongated narthex which occupies the entire width of the facade and opens onto the Saint-Jacques square by an elegant door is original. Three doors also retained their original leaves. The pulpit in carved and gilded stone dates from the Renaissance. The stained glass windows are remarkable, and the main portal is decorated with a rose window evoking the cathedral of Strasbourg.
The Protestant church in the former Franciscan convent choir (13th century choir and 15th century spire) and the Dominican convent of Sylo (13th century) and its Gothic cloister are also worth visiting.
On the civil plane, whether simple or very stylish, many houses or buildings medieval or dating from the Renaissance mark the center of the city. These are sometimes streets or whole arteries, such as the evocative quai des Tanneurs. Also worth seeing is the Ziegler house (16th century) embellished by an oriel (corbelled window) where one can see the name of its architect Stephan Ziegler or the Billex house whose Renaissance oriel is two storeys high. The city of Strasbourg signed its surrender to Louis XIV in the seventeenth century.
The Sainte-Barbe arsenal and its facade of the 15th century can be included in the discovery, or the Ebersmunster hotel (16th century) where Benedictine monks took refuge in the event of an attack by the abbey of the same name. The building is beautifully decorated with sculpted decoration and surmounted by shells, medallions and capitals. Its portal dates from the Renaissance.
The city was fortified several times. The Tower of the Witches is a vestige of the medieval enclosure (XIIIth century) destroyed under Louis XIV, as the tower of the Clock (XIII), also called the Neuve tower, whose high parts were added by Vauban. The Minister of the Sun King endowed Sélestat with a new enclosure wall forming a star polygon from 1675. They were partly dismantled in the 19th century for the city to develop. Several stretches, however, have been highlighted.
For free or guided tours of the city, documentation and information on +33 3 88 58 87 20.
In addition, Sélestat houses several museums, the most famous of which is its humanist library, which has been installed since the 19th century in the old market hall. His works of the sixth to the sixteenth century are exceptional, and bear witness to the major role of Sélestat during the Renaissance. The most precious of these jewels is the library of the scholar Beatus Rhenanus, registered since 2011 in the UNESCO register. The hall is currently undergoing a renovation signed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti and is temporarily closed to the public. Until its reopening in 2018, the Library presents the facsimiles of its most valuable works at the Ebersmunster Hotel.
Another must is the Maison du Pain, whose object is to make bread known and understood in all its forms. Built in the former site of the corporation of the bakers of 1522, the House of the Pain is at the same time pedagogical and playful. Free or guided tour. Information on +33 3 88 58 45 90.
In terms of contemporary art, the city is a pioneer in the region. Several monumental works are scattered throughout the city. They can be discovered via a route that can also include collections and works acquired during the biennials organized since 1984. Brochure and information at +33 3 88 58 85 00. One should not forget to mention the exhibitions regularly organized by the Regional Art Fund contemporary. Please call +33 3 88 58 87 55.
Sélestat is finally rich with a natural heritage of the first, via the forest of the Ill Wald, which forms a Regional Nature Reserve of 2 000 hectares remarkable by its fauna and its flora. A long interpretive trail of several kilometers marked with explanatory panels allows a discovery in optimal conditions. Information on +33 3 88 58 85 12.
The swimming pool of the ramparts (entry 3 and 5 euros), the Grubfeld leisure area (with soccer fields, skate park, equestrian center, bowling alley, etc.) are also available for sportsmen. For further information, please call +33 3 88 58 85 00.
In March, three weeks before the Palms, funeral fair on the quays of Ill.
In mid-June, the city hosts a Festival of humor and press design.
At the end of July, Summer Vibration, a renowned music festival dedicated to reggae, is organized.
On the second Sunday of August, since 1929, the town organizes a famous Corso in bloom on various themes where dahlias are the most popular flowers. The event attracts a considerable audience. A nocturnal parade has been added in recent years. At the same time, a funfair is scheduled. For further information, please call +33 3 88 58 87 20.
In October, the Rock your Brain festival is scheduled.
In December, the Christmas market typical of Alsace gives pride of place to the fir tree. According to writings of the Middle Ages, the tradition of the Christmas tree would indeed be born in Sélestat.
In addition, before December 25, the X-Mas festival brings together electro music enthusiasts.
In the odd years, the biennale of contemporary art invests several sites in the city and still includes monumental works that are visible several months. For more information, please call +33 3 88 08 69 64.
In addition, to discover Alsatian gourmet richness, visit the market on Tuesday morning (in the city center) and on Saturday morning (local market).
