Discover Grentzingen

Grentzingen can be explored through its architectural history and range of activities. The present-day Saint-Martin Church and the village’s appearance provide a historical focus, while cycling, walks and fishing offer different conditions. This can help you weigh up which themes suit your travel plans when considering Grentzingen as a destination for a hotel stay.

Saint-Martin: church and architectural history

The present-day parish church of Saint-Martin was built from 1782 and completed in 1784. It should be distinguished from an earlier Saint-Martin Church, which stood near the Ill and was the mother church of Grentzingen, Henflingen, Oberdorf and Waldighoffen. The historical connection therefore extends beyond Grentzingen, while the present-day church offers a tangible point of reference for the village’s history.

The present-day church has a four-bay nave and a rounded choir with a polygonal apse. A side tower stands on the north side of the choir, and the sacristy is on its south side. The nave, choir, tower and sacristy are clearly distinct parts of the church; the tower and sacristy are on the north and south sides of the choir, respectively. This can help you better understand the church’s spatial layout as you explore it.

The organ has a history of its own: François Antoine Berger rebuilt it in 1863. In autumn 1931, Georges Schwenkedel completely rebuilt its instrumental section. Together with the church’s construction, these dates represent different stages in its architectural and craft history.

Village scenery and rural architecture

The road through Grentzingen runs parallel to the Ill and reveals a striking group of buildings, most of which date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The village’s character is shaped not just by a single building: the ensemble along the route through the village also contributes to its architectural character.

The region’s timber-framed buildings are also part of its rural architectural history. Between 1798 and 1804, at least five carpenters worked in Grentzingen and neighboring Ruederbach. Their buildings followed the rural architectural style of the 18th century, with a separate structural framework for each residential floor and symmetrically arranged timber. These features offer a tangible insight into building practices at the time: alongside the division of the floors, the arrangement of the timber also played a role.

Cycling, walks and fishing

The Véloroute de l’Ill runs from Altkirch to Hippoltskirch in the Alsatian Jura and includes a section between Grentzingen and Henflingen. The route is 30 kilometers long. The elevation gain is listed as 140 meters in the Hippoltskirch–Altkirch direction and 320 meters in the opposite direction. Comparing the directions reveals a practical difference for planning your ride: the return direction involves an additional 180 meters of elevation gain. Since route information may be updated and surface conditions can change, check the latest details before setting out.

A walking description published on August 24, 2018, leads through the area around Illtal to the forests of Grentzingen and into the Riesbach valley. Check local conditions before relying on this route description. Walkers are also offered a panoramic view of the Ill valley from the edge of the forest; conditions there may change.

In the APP d’Illtal fishing area between Grentzingen and Oberdorf, fishing along the Ill is permitted on the municipal land of Grentzingen and Oberdorf. An annual permit is the only permit required. Even so, check the local fishing rules again before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Gunsbach, Lutter, Ingersheim, Blotzheim, Illfurth, Bitschwiller-Lès-Thann, Sentheim, Osenbach

For the broader travel overview: Haut-Rhin.