A wrought-iron fish on the church tower and potential nesting sites on the Ill’s gravel banks point to two distinct aspects of Illhaeusern: its history as a fishing village and its waterside habitat. The village developed at the confluence of the Ill and Fecht rivers. Its history can be explored through fishing, navigation, and the river landscape. For travel planning, these themes go together, but call for different considerations: historical references tell the story of how the water was used, while the nesting season calls for care in the natural environment.
Fishing Village and Boating Tradition
In the 15th century, fishermen settled at the confluence of the Ill and Fecht rivers; their settlement developed into Illhaeusern, a fishing village. The boatmen of the past transported goods such as wine and grain to Strasbourg. The village’s history thus tells not only of life through fishing but also of trade on the water. This connection gives the wrought-iron fish on the church tower a specific link to the village’s founding: it commemorates the fishermen and boatmen who founded the village.
Boat trips help keep the memory of fishing and navigation alive. If you would like to plan a trip, check the dates in advance. The Fête de la friture is also part of Illhaeusern’s local festival calendar: it was scheduled for August 3 and 4, 2024, and August 2 and 3, 2025. These dates refer to planned editions in the past; for a future trip, check separately for possible dates.
Church and Reconstruction
The Église paroissiale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul was rebuilt in 1958 after its predecessor was destroyed during the bombings in January 1945. The two dates mark distinct chapters in the village’s history: wartime destruction and subsequent reconstruction. The tower of the Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul bears a wrought-iron fish that commemorates the fishermen and boatmen who founded Illhaeusern.
The stained-glass windows also define the church: their non-representational ensemble creates an exceptional play of light. Together with the fish on the tower, they offer two different points of connection to the village. The fish refers to its founding by fishermen and boatmen; the history of the church’s construction spans the setback of 1945 and the new building of 1958. This makes it possible to distinguish the history of the village from that of the building without losing their connection to village history.
The Ill, Nature Conservation, and Seasonal Care
The stretch of the Ill between Maison Rouge and Illhaeusern lies within the Natura 2000 site “Ried de Colmar à Sélestat.” Along this stretch, which is used by water sports enthusiasts, the gravel banks and islands contain potential nesting sites for the protected little ringed plover. This is a river environment where nature observation and waterside activities meet sensitive habitats.
From March to July, visitors should avoid sensitive nesting areas and limit noise and activities in this natural environment. Anyone planning to spend time by the river during this period should take these seasonal guidelines into account. The canoe route leads to Illhaeusern and into the city of Sélestat’s voluntary nature reserve in the Illwald. This gives the river landscape another connection to nature: as well as the Natura 2000 stretch, the canoe route’s entry into the Illwald reserve is another of the themes associated with Illhaeusern.
To choose your focus, it helps to make a distinction: the founding of the fishing village, its boatmen, and the church reveal the village’s history; the Ill, its protected areas, and the nesting season draw attention to how the natural environment is treated. Those interested in both can see them as different perspectives on the water, while keeping seasonal care in mind.
Discover more destinations: Mittlach, Herrlisheim-près-Colmar, Wittersdorf, Baldersheim, Wuenheim, Wegscheid, Kappelen, Cernay.
Go to the main travel overview: Haut-Rhin.
