Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Maps of Alsace
I guess this one explains the Germanness of Elsaß.
Relief of the department of Lower Rhine.
Things to do
OK, I am trying to create an itinerary for the things that K and I want to do while in Alsace. One thing is a must: we will meet our friend Uli in Wissembourg, an old Frankish town on the border with Germany. (I think it once served as a residence for the exiled king Stanislaw.) Wissembourg is an old looking town with its ramparts still intact, so we may hike around them.
The other place that I am anxious to see is the humanist library in Selestat. The small town houses one of the oldest libraries in France (thanks to the donation by Beatus Rhenanus). I believe that Jacob Wimpheling made good use of this collection.
Finally, I am overdue for a visit to Basel. It's the last of the great medieval Rhenish bishoprics (after Cologne, Trier and Strasbourg) that I have not yet seen. This might be a day trip on the weekend: the hotels are expensive, but the trains between Strasbourg and Basel are frequent and quick. I might want to check out the Architecture Museum, but the Münster is a must.
Everything else we will figure out when we get there. I know Strasbourg quite well, but K still has experienced little of it. I also must take her to Colmar so that she can see the Issenheim Altar. Other possibilities are a boat tour of Strasbourg from the Îll River, the vineyards around Mulhouse, Thann, Obernai (virtual tour), and Hagenau. Lots of photos can be seen here.
The other place that I am anxious to see is the humanist library in Selestat. The small town houses one of the oldest libraries in France (thanks to the donation by Beatus Rhenanus). I believe that Jacob Wimpheling made good use of this collection.
Finally, I am overdue for a visit to Basel. It's the last of the great medieval Rhenish bishoprics (after Cologne, Trier and Strasbourg) that I have not yet seen. This might be a day trip on the weekend: the hotels are expensive, but the trains between Strasbourg and Basel are frequent and quick. I might want to check out the Architecture Museum, but the Münster is a must.
Everything else we will figure out when we get there. I know Strasbourg quite well, but K still has experienced little of it. I also must take her to Colmar so that she can see the Issenheim Altar. Other possibilities are a boat tour of Strasbourg from the Îll River, the vineyards around Mulhouse, Thann, Obernai (virtual tour), and Hagenau. Lots of photos can be seen here.
