Bischwiller: Museums, Literary Trails and Nature

Explore Bischwiller through a range of themes: museums showcase art and industrial history, while walking tours and trails highlight the town’s history, literature and landscape. Trail length is also a useful point of comparison when planning: the approximately 3 km urban circuit differs from the longer nature trails in this respect.

Art and the Town’s Textile History

The permanent collections of the Maison des Arts are displayed regularly and include paintings, engravings, drawings, marquetry and sculpture. The museum is housed in a 17th-century Alsatian home that served as a residence and workplace for two generations of local artists. Today, the Maison des Arts preserves and presents the local historical and artistic heritage. The house’s history and its collections thus offer different ways to explore art and the local past.

The Maison des Arts offers guided group visits throughout the year. These are available by prior reservation only, for groups of ten or more. Visitor arrangements may change; confirm the reservation and group size before travelling.

The Musée de la Laub is located in the centre of Bischwiller, in the former 17th-century Maison Commune. Much of its focus is on the town’s industrial textile heritage. It explores the processing of textile fibres, Bischwiller’s major factories and the lives of the workers. The museum therefore focuses not only on textile production, but also on the people and the town’s industrial history.

Discover Town History and Literature on the Trails

The “Redécouvrez Bischwiller” circuit is an approximately 3 km urban walking tour exploring the town’s history, with 24 stops. It passes through an urban setting with green sections and is a walk for all ages. If you are looking for a trail with a clear focus on Bischwiller’s history, the stops provide a practical guide. Check the practical access information for the circuit before travelling.

Literary themes feature on several trails, each offering different points of interest. The Circuit Claude Vigée visits places in Bischwiller that the poet frequented during his childhood and youth, and later in his literary life. The Sentier des Poètes, called “Dìchterwaj” in Alsatian, highlights the regional language, Alsatian literature and Bischwiller’s natural surroundings. It passes through green landscapes; information panels present texts by Alsatian authors connected with Bischwiller’s history and identity. Panel content may be updated.

When a guided tour of the Sentier des Poètes, or Dìchterwaj, is available, it is led by Sylvie Reff-Stern, the author and creator of the trail. The programme includes readings, storytelling and conversations. Availability may be seasonal; check before travelling whether the tour is running on your chosen date.

Ried Plain, Water Features and Forest Edge

The Sentier du Ried passes through the wet Ried plain, where you may spot common cranes, wild geese and deer; sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed. The Sentier de la Gravière passes through a different landscape: this 7.5 km hiking trail starts in Hanhoffen and goes through wooded areas with several bodies of water that serve as large watering places for birds.

The Sentier du Bollachgraben is a 5.5 km walking trail. It leads to an attractively laid-out vegetable-growing area and then continues to the edge of the Gries forest. The trail also includes a small animal park. If this is important to you, check the condition of the animal park before your visit. It is advisable to check practical access information for the trails before travelling.

In terms of distance, the approximately 3 km “Redécouvrez Bischwiller” circuit can be compared with the 5.5 km Bollachgraben and the 7.5 km Gravière. The themes range from an urban history walk and literary trails to the Ried, bodies of water and the forest edge. This lets you tailor your stay to the topics that interest you in Bischwiller.

Discover more destinations: Eckwersheim, Kurtzenhouse, Belmont, Valff, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Villé, Bischheim, Eichhoffen.

For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.