Alsace is one of the few regions in Europe that still possesses a rich architectural heritage and the know-how to keep it alive. Due to its history, torn between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire, Alsace has benefited from many different influences, traces of which can still be seen in its architecture: Romanesque buildings in pink sandstone, such as the abbeys of Murbach and Marmoutier, Gothic architecture so delicate that Strasbourg Cathedral looks as if it were covered in fine stone lace, Renaissance and Baroque Germanic influences, a return to the rigour of French Classicism with Louis XIV and German Neoclassicism at the end of the 19th century…

How did this region, which suffered the full destructive power of three wars in the space of barely a century (the Franco-Prussian War, the First and Second World Wars), emerge virtually unscathed from these storms? Well, it did not emerge unscathed – Alsace, along with Normandy, is the region that suffered the most destruction during the Second World War. But thanks to the strength of local craftsmanship and the Alsatian identity fiercely defended by the population against the incursions of globalised architecture, Alsace has remained faithful to its traditions and has patiently rebuilt the heritage that the war had deprived it of.

In fact, Alsace is now home to many of Europe's most beautiful villages and towns; a region that is not only beautiful but also vibrant thanks to the many carpenters, masons, stonecarvers, lime burners, tile makers and traditional builders who continue to work there and keep the heritage alive. During this journey through Alsatian architecture, we will invite you to discover the local history and architecture and to meet the men and women who practise the craft of traditional construction.