Reipertswiller: Hiking Trails and Cultural History

In Reipertswiller, hiking trails and cultural history offer two different starting points for your trip. When planning a hotel stay, it is worth distinguishing between the scope of the routes: the Sentier de Reipertswiller is listed as 20 kilometres and five hours; the GR®532 variant is a six-day crossing covering 112.9 kilometres. Other highlights include the Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur, used by multiple denominations, the theatre work of the Compagnie Lucamoros and the history of the thermal water.

Hiking: two routes of different lengths

The Sentier de Reipertswiller is listed as 20 kilometres long, with a duration of five hours. This gives you a specific time frame for this hiking trail if hiking is to be a focus of your stay. The GR®532 variant covers a different distance: it passes through Reipertswiller and forms part of a six-day crossing covering 112.9 kilometres. The six-day duration and total distance apply to the crossing, not to the section in the municipality.

The entire GR®532 variant is marked with a yellow rectangle. The two route descriptions therefore answer different planning questions: for the Sentier, the stated duration of the trail is the main point; for the GR®532, it is the scope of a multi-day crossing. When comparing the figures, keep this difference in mind rather than treating the five hours and six days as equivalent time estimates.

Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur: building history and burial chapel

The Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur, used by multiple denominations, is one of Reipertswiller’s attractions. The term “simultaneous church” refers to a church shared by several denominations. Different periods can be distinguished in its construction: the tower and nave date from the 12th century. The Romanesque choir was replaced in the 15th century by a Gothic choir, which has been preserved to this day. Older surviving parts of the building therefore stand alongside the later choir.

A specific historical decision is also associated with the choir. In 1478, Jacques, known as “the Bearded”, Count of Lichtenberg, decided to establish his burial chapel there. This date adds a person and a planned use of the choir to the building’s history. The architectural development and the decision to establish the burial chapel are two distinct aspects of the church’s history, both of which can be dated to the 15th century.

Theatre and other aspects of cultural history

Another cultural point of interest is the Compagnie Lucamoros, which has been based in Reipertswiller since 1981. It creates theatre that brings together visual art, music and texts. Alongside the church’s architectural history, this is theatre work that combines several artistic forms of expression. If you would like to include a performance in your trip, check the current dates separately.

The history of Reipertswiller also includes its thermal water. It was marketed from 1880 and exported, among other places, to England and the United States. Its use ended during the First World War. The named export destinations give a concrete sense of the marketing beyond the local area; the period spans from its beginnings in the 19th century to the end of its use during the war. Theatre and the history of the thermal water thus complement the architectural history with two other, clearly distinct topics to consider when planning your trip.

For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.