Houssen: Beach and Local History

Houssen offers two distinct starting points for planning your trip: the Base Nautique de Colmar-Houssen and a local history that goes back to a mention dating from 1176. The bathing facility brings together a beach, a supervised swimming area, an aquapark and an orienteering course. Saint-Maurice Church and the historical records offer a different perspective on the town.

Bathing facility with beach and aquapark

The Base Nautique de Colmar-Houssen is located within the municipal boundaries of Colmar and Houssen, on the east side of a gravel pit formerly operated by HOLCIM Granulat. A sandy beach was created on the site. The beach is 380 metres long, of which 250 metres are part of a supervised swimming area. These measurements therefore refer to the entire beach and the designated swimming area within it.

The Base also offers a 1,000-square-metre aquapark with diving platforms, trampolines, climbing walls and slides. This facility offers a different focus from the beach, with a range of activities and play options on the water. A permanent orienteering course is available to users of the Base free of charge; use is subject to the Base’s opening conditions.

The seasonal operation of the facilities may change. Check the latest information on the season and opening arrangements before your visit. This will help you include the beach, swimming area, aquapark and orienteering course in your plans without assuming that all activities are available at all times.

Historical traces and Saint-Maurice Church

In the archives of Colmar, Houssen is mentioned under the name “Manus Husen” in a register of the property of Pairis Abbey dated 1176. Houssen was originally a fief of the Holy Roman Empire belonging to Pflixbourg Castle. From 1350 until the French Revolution, the Ribeaupierre family held the town as a pledge. The early mention of the name and the later references to the fief and pledged ownership reflect different periods in the town’s history.

The history of the church also spans several eras. St. Maurice has been the patron saint of the church in Houssen since the Middle Ages. The present-day church was built between 1862 and 1868. After suffering damage during the Second World War, it was completely restored in 1997. Houssen itself was more than 60 percent destroyed during the Second World War; the town was at the centre of the fighting around the Colmar Pocket.

These dates help distinguish the construction history of the present-day church from its older religious tradition. The war damage and restoration also show that the town’s history does not end with its medieval mentions.

A dated glimpse of local festivities

For 2024, the festival was scheduled to be held for its 45th edition. At the 2024 Fête Paysanne, meals were served in the courtyards of local farming families.

Plan your journey

Houssen is served by bus line B of the TRACE network. If you plan to travel by bus, check the latest route and timetable information in advance, as service and route names may change. Alongside your interest in the Base Nautique or the church, this gives you another practical point to consider when planning your stay.

Discover more destinations: Wihr-Au-Val, Niederhergheim, Urbès, Herrlisheim-près-Colmar, Levoncourt, Vœgtlinshoffen, Markirch, Rodern.

See the main travel overview: Haut-Rhin.