Kaysersberg (german: Kaisersberg ; Alsatian: ''Kaiserschbarig'') is a historical town and former commune in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

in northeastern France. The name is German for ''Emperor's Mountain''. The high fortress that dominates the town serves as a reminder of both its strategic importance and its warlike past. Kaysersberg lies in the

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, which itself is a subdivision of the Colmar-Ribeauvillé

arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...

. It was a separate commune until 1 January 2016, when it was merged into the new commune of

Kaysersberg Vignoble Kaysersberg Vignoble () is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department of northeastern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 and consists of the former communes of Kaysersberg, Kientzheim a ...

together with nearby

Kientzheim Kientzheim (; ; Alsatian: ''Kientza'') is a former commune in the Haut-Rhin department in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune Kaysersberg Vignoble. Population Education Previously the local elementary ...

and

Sigolsheim Sigolsheim (; Alsatian: ''Sìjelse'') is a former commune in the Haut-Rhin department in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune Kaysersberg Vignoble. Children previously attended school in the École élém ...

, and remains its seat. The town was first mentioned in 1227, when the German emperor Frederic II gave orders to build (or rebuild?) the castle. During the Middle Ages, Kaysersberg, a member of the ''Decapolis'', prospered. In 1648, the city became a part of France, although most inhabitants continued to speak German. From 1871 to 1918 and (again from 1940 to 1944) Kaysersberg belonged to Germany. In 2017 Kaysersberg was voted the ''Village préféré des Français'' (Village favoured by the French). The inhabitants are called ''Kaysersbergeois''.

Geography

Kaysersberg lies about northwest of

Colmar Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...

, on the eastern slopes of the

Vosges mountains The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...

, on the river Weiss. Kaysersberg lies on the

Route des Vins d'Alsace Alsace wine or Alsatian wine (french: Vin d'Alsace; german: Elsässer Wein; gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, d'r Wii vum Elsàss; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, de Win vum Elsàss) is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily whi ...

(Alsace "Wine Route"). Kaysersberg is north of

Ammerschwihr Ammerschwihr (; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Ammerschwihriens''. Geography Ammerschwihr is a small town located on the Wine Road of Alsace. Its main economical res ...

and south of

Riquewihr Riquewihr (; Alsatian: ; german: Reichenweier ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other wine ...

Population

Economy

The area around Kaysersberg is one of the finest wine-growing areas in Alsace. The first vines were brought here in the 16th century from

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, and wine production is still an important aspect of the town's economy today. Wine produced from the

pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

variety is a local specialty.

Culture

Kaysersberg is a historic town, that has preserved many architectural monuments. These include: *

Église Sainte-Croix The Church of the Holy Cross (french: Église Sainte-Croix) is a Roman Catholic church located in Bordeaux, southern France. It was formerly the church of a Benedictine abbey founded in the 7th century, and was built in the late 11th-early 12th ce ...

, the oldest parts of which date form the 13th century *Hôtel de ville (town hall), 16th century, renaissance style *Oberhof chapel, 14th century *Saint-Michel chapel, 16th century *

Château de Kaysersberg The Château de Kaysersberg (also: ''Schlossberg'') is a ruined castle in the ''commune'' of Kaysersberg in the Haut-Rhin ''département'' of France. History The castle was built for Albin Woelflin, imperial bailiff for Frederick II, Holy Roman ...

or ''Schlossberg'', 13th century, partly ruined

Tourism

Besides the fact that

Alsace wine Alsace wine or Alsatian wine (french: Vin d'Alsace; german: Elsässer Wein; gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, d'r Wii vum Elsàss; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, de Win vum Elsàss) is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily whi ...

is produced locally, there is the ruin of Kaysersberg Castle. The ruins of

Château de Wineck The Château de Wineck is a ruined castle in the Wineckerthal quarter of the ''Communes of France, commune'' of Dambach, Bas-Rhin, Dambach in the Bas-Rhin ''Departments of France, département'' of France. It has been listed since 1985 as a ''mon ...

Katzenthal Katzenthal () is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Haut-Rhin département The following is a list of the 366 communes of the French department of Haut-Rhin. ...

, Château de Lupfen-Schwendi and Château de Reichenstein in

are within walking distance.

Notable people

Matthäus Zell Matthäus Zell (also ''Mathias Zell''; anglicized as ''Matthew Zell'') (21 September 1477, in Kaysersberg – 9 January 1548, in Strasbourg) was a Lutheran pastor and an early Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg. He joined the Reformatio ...

(1477–1548), Protestant reformer * Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965), theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician *

Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...

(1956–2018), chef and writer, was found dead in Kaysersberg

Gallery

File:2003 0530Kaysersberg.jpg, On the left, Oberhof chapel File:Kaysersberg 2008.jpg, View of Kaysersberg File:Kaysersberg.JPG, The medieval church File:Kaysersberg Église façade occidentale.JPG, Fountain and facade of Holy Cross Church File:Kaysersberg SteCroix30.JPG, 1518 altar inside the medieval church File:Kaysersberg Hôtel de ville.JPG, Kaysersberg's Renaissance town hall File:Kaysersberg.Casa.A.Schweitzer.JPG, Albert Schweitzer museum File:Chateau Kaysersberg 2.jpg, Kaysersberg is dominated by the ruins of its castle File:Kaysersberg Château.JPG, Kaysersberg Castle File:Kaysersberg Cimetière et vignes 2011.jpg, Cemetery and vineyards File:Kaysersberg Vignoble b 2011.jpg, Bell tower and roofs seen from Schlossberg File:Maison Herzer in Kaysersberg.jpg, Maison Herzer File:00 0389 Gebäude in Kaysersberg - Elsass.jpg, A typical building