Hœrdt combines a strong asparagus-growing tradition with religious heritage and a landscape of protected wet meadows. When planning a trip, you can choose from several highlights: the asparagus festival is a regular fixture in the annual calendar, while the Musée de l’asperge, the Protestant temple and the nature trail each explore different themes. If you are planning a stay, you can first decide whether a seasonal festival, local history or nature will be the deciding factor.
Asparagus Festival and Local Cuisine
The asparagus festival is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in May and is one of Hœrdt’s recurring traditions. At the festival, visitors can visit farms and sample traditional asparagus dishes. This offers a way to discover the local asparagus culture not only through its history, but also through farming and cuisine. Check the date for the relevant year before travelling: the festival is held on the second Sunday in May each year, though the exact calendar date can vary.
Museum, Temple and Organ
The Musée de l’asperge preserves Hœrdt’s cultural and agricultural heritage. Visitors can learn about asparagus culture and its distinctive features, as well as craft techniques associated with the vegetable. Hœrdt’s vegetable growing is also among the topics covered. Exhibits, photographs, films and other offerings present these subjects in different ways.
The Protestant temple was inaugurated on 2 April 1848. Symbolic stained-glass windows adorn the building, which was enhanced by artist Annie Greiner in 1998. Another aspect of the cultural heritage is the “Stiehr-Mockers” organ, dating from 1847. Its instrumental section has been classified as a historic monument since 27 February 1980. The oak case was added to the supplementary inventory earlier, on 29 September 1976. The two dates refer to different parts and classifications.
Nature Trail: Walks and Marsh Meadows
The nature trail offers several family walks, each lasting about an hour. Two trailheads with information boards and parking are located at the cultural centre, 1 rue de la République, and at the wash house by the agricultural cooperative car park on rue de La Wantzenau. The trail is also described as a circular route of about twelve kilometres along the edge of the municipality. The several family walks each take about an hour; in addition, the trail forms a circular route of about twelve kilometres along the edge of the municipality.
The nature trail passes through ecologically valuable wet meadows in the north-east of the municipal area. Roe deer and Eurasian curlews have found a habitat there. At the end of summer, magnificent pinks come into bloom, protected under a prefectural order for the protection of biotopes. Since 24 October 2007, a total of 172 hectares of Hœrdt’s marsh meadows have been covered by a biotope protection order, at the initiative of the municipality. Ploughing, removing hedges and camping are strictly prohibited there. Check local access rules before planning a visit.
More Trails and Tracks
The “Ludisme et équilibre vital” fitness trail is located in the Hœrdt-Geudertheim forest. Its three routes range from 1,500 to 3,750 metres in length and are accessible to pedestrians, people with reduced mobility, pushchairs and cyclists. The trail also includes 14 exercise stations and 24 information boards for the general public.
The Hippodrome Strasbourg-Hoerdt has four tracks with different surfaces and lengths: a 1,280-metre harness-racing track with a mastic surface, a 1,800-metre grass track for flat racing, a 1,700-metre steeplechase track and a 5,200-metre cross-country track. The measurements clearly distinguish the tracks by length and type of race. As permanent facilities may change, it is worth checking the latest information before planning a specific visit.
Discover more destinations: Saales, Bouxwiller, Niederschaeffolsheim, Gerstheim, Blienschwiller, Gœrsdorf, Wittisheim, Fegersheim.
For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.
