Dreaming Of France: Mont Sainte-Odile Abbey
History, spirituality, wine, and spectacular views.
During our visit to Strasbourg, we took a day trip south to visit some of the surrounding towns. The highlight for me was Mont Sainte-Odile Abbey, one of Alsace’s most breathtaking and historically rich sites.
Nestled high in the Vosges Mountains, this ancient abbey is perched on a rocky outcrop. At 764 meters above sea level, the monastery offers sweeping views of the Alsace plain, stretching to the Black Forest in Germany on a clear day. The site has drawn pilgrims, monks, and curious travelers for centuries.
Mont Sainte-Odile is named after Saint Odile, the patron saint of Alsace. Born in the 7th century to the Duke of Alsace, she was blind from birth. Her father, who had desperately wanted a male heir, was so ashamed of her that he ordered her to be put to death. Odile’s mother defied him and had her sent away to a convent. There, a bishop miraculously restored her sight during her baptism.
Her brother invited her to come home, but Dad was none too happy, so he killed the brother. Feeling bad, though, he offered to let Odile still come home if she married an ally of her father. Odile said no thank you very much and decided to run away, but tripped and was going to be caught except a rock opened to let her hide inside. Her father was convinced this was a miracle and so he gave Odile his castle to turn into a monastery. (What a guy!)
Ah, but there is no evidence of that dramatic origin story today. Walking through the monastery’s serene entrance, we toured the buildings, made of reddish Vosges sandstone. Despite centuries of renovations and reconstructions, the monastery still retains a sense of timelessness. Some parts date back to the early Middle Ages, while others have been modified over the years.
The buildings were closed when we visited, so we hiked along the path that led us into the surrounding woods and past a high stone wall decorated with ceramic stations of the cross.
Further down, we found the Pagan Wall that encircles parts of the site. This ancient stone wall, stretching nearly 10 kilometers, predates the monastery by centuries. No one knows exactly who built it or why. But I guess when you don’t have Netflix, you find other ways to fill the time.
Mittelbergheim
Following our visit to Mont-Odile, we continued down Alsace’s wine country stopping in a few villages along the way. Mittelbergheim retains its cobbled streets and half-timbered houses draped in vines, and panoramic views of rolling vineyards.
We stopped at Domaine Gilg for the obligatory wine tasting and left with two bottles of Pinot Noir to warm us up later. Clearly, a longer visit to the Alsace Wine Route is in our future.
Chris O’Brien
Paris, France