Buhl brings together church art, a castle ruin, historic quarries and hiking. Its location in the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park adds a connection to nature to these cultural attractions. When planning your visit, you can decide whether you are most interested in historic buildings, the history of stone quarrying or a hike.

Hugstein and Church Art

Hugstein Castle is located within the territories of the municipalities of Buhl and Guebwiller. Hugstein has been classified as a historic monument since 1898. The ruins are accessible only to hikers and walkers; take this condition into account when planning. Access is therefore a key factor from the outset when deciding whether to include Hugstein in your outings.

Several layers of architecture and art can be distinguished at the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The present-day church was built between 1868 and 1878, while the Retable de Buhl dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. It is the parish church’s most important furnishing and has been classified as a historic monument since March 1, 1967. A fortified entrance tower from the former church has also been preserved at the site. The present-day church, the older altarpiece and the tower of the predecessor building thus stand out as distinct historical layers.

These dates are not interchangeable: 1868 to 1878 is the construction period of the present-day church, while March 1, 1967 is the date the altarpiece was classified as a historic monument; it was created in the late 15th or early 16th century. For Hugstein, meanwhile, 1898 is the year it was classified as a historic monument. Distinguishing between construction, creation and protected status keeps these historical layers clear.

Quarries, Landscape and Hiking

The quarries bring together history and local place names. The Schwarzenbach quarry opened in the 13th century; the quarry that is still visible is on the Saint-Gangolf path in Buhl. Also dating from the 13th century is the still-visible millstone pit on the Steinbruchweg in Buhl. It lies in the Schimberg forest; its stone was used to make millstones. Both sites date from the same period, but the millstone pit also connects them with the history of millstone production.

The Lauch flows through Buhl, and forests and a former wine-growing area surround the village. The river and landscape thus add their own natural and historical connections to the historic buildings and quarries: the forests shape the surroundings, while wine-growing belongs to the past.

One hiking option is the 12 km Sentier des châteaux forts n°2, which starts at the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. This starting point gives the hike a specific connection to church art, while the stated length clearly indicates the distance. When planning the route, you can distinguish it from the two quarry sites, each of which lies on a separately named path.

Discover more destinations: Vogelgrun, Rimbachzell, Rombach-Le-Franc, Gundolsheim, Ammerschwihr, Wasserbourg, Vœgtlinshoffen, Walbach

For the regional travel overview: Haut-Rhin.