Discover Sainte-Croix-En-Plaine

Explore Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine through its church history, surviving traces of former fortifications, and memorial sites. Regularly held local events, pottery offerings, and leisure activities add to the mix. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, these different themes can provide a starting point for planning your trip: consider whether you’re particularly interested in history, an event date, or an activity.

Saint-Barthélemy Church and Religious Art

The choir of Saint-Barthélemy Church dates from the first half of the 15th century. Another historical feature is the Callinet organ, built in 1840. Its instrument and case are listed as historic monuments: the instrument was classified on February 6, 1975, and the case on December 11, 1980. The two dates therefore refer to different parts of the organ.

Three relics of the Holy Cross, set in the form of a crucifix, are also still kept in the church. The altarpiece in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary comprises ten statues: God the Father, Joseph of Arimathea, John, Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and five cherubs. If you would like to include these religious artifacts in your plans, check local visiting arrangements in advance.

From the Founding of the Abbey to the Fortifications

An early chapter in the history of Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine dates to between 1006 and 1035. During this period, Count Hugues IV d’Eguisheim and his wife Heilwige de Dabo founded a Benedictine convent south of Woffenheim. The foundation is considered the starting point of the town’s history. The fortifications that enclosed the houses and abbey of Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine can be dated to between 1230 and 1250.

A former castle is another historical trace: it stood on a motte and disappeared at the end of the 18th century. Part of it remains in the former “Le Château” primary school. Visible remains of the former town wall and moat have also survived. If you’d like to see these traces on site, check their visibility and access arrangements locally.

Memorial Sites and Events

At the site of Kosakenloch, two steles commemorate a bloody battle fought there in 1813. At the Fosse des Cosaques memorial site, an information board explains the history of the location and the organization of the forces present there in 1813. The board thus adds historical context about the events and the troops of the time to the memorial site.

Events regularly organized by the municipality include the tarte flambée festival and a flea market. If you’d like to time your trip to coincide with one of these events, check the dates before you arrive. This lets you plan your stay around a specific event date, rather than assuming it takes place on the same date every year.

Leisure and Practical Planning

There is a fitness trail on the Illweg. Check its condition before visiting. Cycling in the forest is also mentioned as a local leisure activity; conditions on the routes can vary. For both activities, it’s worth considering separately which one you actually plan to do.

Cairn Ceramique offers pottery classes and ceramics workshops at 14a Rue du Rhin. Confirm availability before planning a visit. For travel by car, Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine has two direct access points to and exits from the A35 motorway. Check road conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Mittelwihr, Illfurth, Wolschwiller, Winkel, Luttenbach-près-Munster, Kientzheim, Huningue, Wihr-Au-Val.

Go to the regional travel overview: Haut-Rhin.