Obernai earned the honor of being the first Alsatian town I ever visited, and it did not disappoint. This is without a doubt one of the prettiest towns on the wine route, and if you’re looking for things to do in Alsace, I highly recommend not skipping it.
Location
The town sits about 25 kilometers from Strasbourg and lies right at the gateway to the Alsace wine route, a short distance from the cabbage fields where sauerkraut is made and from the vineyards that grow Alsace’s excellent wine. A short drive from Obernai also brings you to Mont Sainte-Odile, named after the patron saint of Alsace, where an active monastery offers views over the surrounding landscape.
History
Obernai is already mentioned in the 7th century as the birthplace of Saint Odile, daughter of one of the dukes of Alsace. In 1240 the village became a town and began to grow quickly. It reached its peak during the 16th century, marked by a visit from Emperor Ferdinand I in 1562. The town was damaged during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) but began to recover, and in 1679 it was annexed, along with the rest of Alsace, to France. Like almost every town in Alsace, Obernai passed back and forth between France and Germany several times between 1870 and 1945, which is still visible in the very Germanic character of the place.
When should you visit?
Obernai is especially charming in spring and fall, though summer brings festivals and local folklore events to the town. The best part: dancers in colorful costumes. The downside, of course, is the crowds and the higher prices for lodging and restaurants that come with them.
Where to stay in Obernai
As you’ll see below, there’s quite a lot to see in this town, and since it’s such a lovely place, I highly recommend making it your base for a trip along the Alsace wine route. If you decide to do that, take a look at my article recommended hotels in Obernai and the surrounding area, where I’ve handpicked a list of wonderful hotels and apartments for you.
Tourist attractions
Church of Saints Peter and Paul
The church looks as though it was built in the Middle Ages, but it was actually built in 1872 in the neo-Gothic style, on the foundations of an earlier 15th-century church. The interior is impressive, and it has an excellent organ, as you can hear in the clip below:
Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville)
The town hall sits in a charming 14th-century building that once housed the town’s commercial court. In 1848 the building was expanded with additions in the neo-Renaissance style. Keep an eye out for the building’s frescoes, which were restored during the 1990s.
The Wheat Market (La Halle aux Blés)
The market occupies a Renaissance building constructed in 1554 that originally served as a slaughterhouse (hence the two cattle-head statues that decorate it).
The Six-Bucket Well (Le Puits à Six Seaux)
A charming Renaissance well built by craftsmen from Strasbourg in 1579. The well, made up of three columns and a small canopy, is decorated with sculptures from the Old Testament.
The Obernai Synagogue
The grand synagogue was built in the 19th century in the neo-Romanesque style that was very popular at the time. A thriving Jewish community once prayed there, but following the Holocaust the Jewish community in the town shrank dramatically, and as a result the synagogue is now open only on special days of prayer.
The “little train”
If you’re short on time and want to see all of Obernai’s main attractions, you can hop on the small train that departs from the town center and stops at all the important sites.
Food
The food in Obernai is classic Alsatian, and you’ll find no shortage of places serving sauerkraut (choucroute), baeckeoffe (a stew of three kinds of meat slow-cooked in a clay pot), and more. We asked around about where to eat, and several people highly recommended the restaurant La Dime. Unfortunately that restaurant was closed, so we went looking for another one and ended up at Les Ramparts. I ordered a fish choucroute made with three kinds of fish along with a few shrimp, all dipped in a cream-based sauce. Even though it was quite heavy and made me want to take a nap right there, the choucroute itself was delicious, in my opinion.
The baeckeoffe my travel companion ordered was disappointing: even though it looked great, it was actually pretty bland. Unfortunately, it was only after she sent the dish back and chose duck liver instead (which was wonderful) that we discovered the restaurant’s excellent mustard, which could have given the stew the flavor it was missing. Since that restaurant, neither of us has dared order baeckeoffe again, so the mystery remains unsolved: was the baeckeoffe at that place simply not good, or is that just the taste of a traditional baeckeoffe? (If you’ve managed to solve this mystery, I’d love it if you left a comment below.)
Summary
Obernai is absolutely a charming town worth a stop during a trip through the wine valley. I like to call towns like this “bite-sized towns,” because unlike bigger cities such as Strasbourg and Colmar, you can take in everything this lovely town has to offer in half a day, eat well, and move on. If you’ve also visited the town and have tips about restaurants, attractions, or shopping, feel free to leave a comment, and I promise to update the post accordingly.
I would like to thank Office de Tourisme d’Obernai for some of the photos, which appear in this post.
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