Dossenheim-Sur-Zinsel: Fortified Heritage and Routes

In Dossenheim-Sur-Zinsel, different aspects of local heritage sit side by side: the history of the fortified refuge, a museum devoted to local history and medieval church architecture. There are also routes associated with the river and pastureland, a discovery trail around a wildlife care centre, and a mountain biking route. This gives you a choice of historical themes and different kinds of routes when planning your visit.

Fortified Refuge and Museum

The exhibition interpreting the fortified refuge explains the purpose, history and development of the site and highlights its archaeological remains. Games for children and adults round out the experience. Visitor arrangements may vary; check the latest information before your visit.

The “DOSSME, MINI HEIMET” museum is housed in a building attached to the wall of the fortified refuge. It displays a reconstructed interior that might have existed at the beginning of the 20th century. The exhibition includes a reconstructed kitchen and a traditional living room. Tools and equipment represent agriculture, crafts, forestry and stoneworking. The museum thus brings together domestic spaces and various areas of work.

Church and Architectural History

The Church of Saint-Léonard, dedicated to Saint Leonard, stands in a former fortified cemetery. The choir and sacristy date from the 14th century. The choir has a flat-ended apse and is built entirely of sandstone; its rib vault has a keystone carved with a rosette. The surviving cells of the protective shelters also make the cemetery a distinctive historic site: it is the only fortified cemetery in Alsace where the cells of these shelters have survived.

Château de Hunebourg lies on a forest road in Dossenheim-Sur-Zinsel. It is a reconstruction in the Neo-Romanesque style by Karl Erich Loebell; a first castle is documented as early as 1125. Different periods are therefore relevant to its historical context: the first castle, the building history of the choir and sacristy of Saint-Léonard, and the early-20th-century interior reconstructed in the museum.

Routes and Landscape

The Circuit du Warthenberg runs alongside the Zinsel du Sud river and pastures grazed by Highland cattle. The Hunebourg Forest Circuit includes a discovery trail at GORNA around a wildlife care centre. Each route has a different focus: the Warthenberg Circuit features the river and pastureland, while the Hunebourg Forest Circuit follows the trail by the care centre.

For cycling, the “De Dossenheim à Saverne” mountain biking route is a 24.9-kilometre crossing. It starts at the Dossenheim-sur-Zinsel campsite and ends in Saverne. Unlike the two circuits, it is described as a ride between named starting and ending points. Landscape and access conditions on the Circuit du Warthenberg, as well as visiting arrangements for the discovery trail, may change; the route specifications for the mountain biking route may also change. Check the latest conditions before planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Salmbach, Witternheim, Mittelbergheim, Neugartheim-Ittlenheim, Marlenheim, Kleingœft, Bernardvillé, Vœllerdingen.

Back to the regional travel overview: Bas-Rhin.