A 24-stop urban walking tour and a five-kilometre interpretation trail offer two different ways to explore on foot. The walking tour takes about two hours, while “L’Ill aux trésors” is listed as taking about two hours and 15 minutes. There is also a large regional nature reserve, a 60-metre-high Gothic bell tower and workshops about the art of baking. The options range from urban stops and a landscape with an extensive network of waterways to hands-on shaping of a baked product.

Explore Sélestat on foot

The urban walking tour “Dans les pas du lion et du géant Sletto” takes in 24 stops around Sélestat and lasts about two hours. Its title refers to the lion and the giant Sletto, giving the tour a distinctive theme. For the interpretation trail “L’Ill aux trésors”, the planning details are different: it is accessible from the town centre, is five kilometres long and takes about two hours and 15 minutes.

The time estimates are similar, with about 15 minutes more allocated to the interpretation trail. However, the routes are described differently: the urban walking tour is defined by its stops, while the interpretation trail also has a stated distance and duration. When choosing between the two, you can take both the type of route and the approximate time required into account.

Ill*Wald: landscape and wildlife

The Ill*Wald, Réserve Naturelle Régionale du Ried de Sélestat, was established in 1995 to protect the wetland heart of central Alsace. At almost 2,000 hectares, it is the largest regional nature reserve in the Grand Est and also ranks among the five largest in France. The area figure describes the size of the reserve; the length of its waterway network highlights another aspect of this landscape.

The dense, diverse network includes more than 130 kilometres of waterways. These include the Ill and its branches, as well as groundwater streams and ditches. The Ill*Wald is also home to 250 fallow deer and has one of the largest wild herds in France. Wildlife populations can change over time. The reserve’s area, waterways and wildlife offer different insights into the place established to protect the wetlands of central Alsace.

Architecture and the art of baking

The Gothic bell tower of the Église Saint-Georges in Sélestat is 60 metres high. This measurement gives a tangible sense of the building’s scale and makes it a specific architectural landmark to discover in the town.

Another theme leads to the Maison du Pain d’Alsace. It offers “Main à la Pâte” workshops, where visitors shape a product such as a pretzel or a Mannala. This makes the art of baking something to experience hands-on, rather than simply a topic to learn about. As workshop dates may change, check the current programme before visiting.

The Maison du Pain d’Alsace also has a connection to the bakers’ guild: in 1522, the “Poêle”, the seat of the Sélestat bakers’ guild, stood on this site. Today’s workshop programme and a place with a specific history of baking thus come together.

Discover more destinations: Lalaye, Hoenheim, Rangen, Gottesheim, Mertzwiller, Eichhoffen, Schleithal, Dieffenbach-Au-Val

Return to the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.