Leimbach combines religious architectural heritage with winemaking and two trails with different themes. When planning a trip, you can choose between an annual event celebrating Saint Blaise, historic religious buildings and views of the wine-growing landscape.
Churches, Chapels and Their History
The Saint-Blaise Church in Leimbach was built between 1925 and 1927. The parish celebrates its patron saint, Blaise, every year on the first Sunday in February. The annual celebration includes the faithful drinking wine blessed with the patron saint’s relic. If you would like to include the Saint Blaise tradition in your travel plans, this Sunday provides a fixed date on the calendar.
Another historical landmark is the ruins of the former Saint-Blaise Church. They lie at the edge of Leimbach on the road toward Rammersmatt, in the Gottesthal valley; the former church is first mentioned in 1181. The ruins include a Romanesque portal porch dating from the early construction phase. This brings together a specific historical reference and an architectural detail of the surviving complex.
The Notre-Dame de la Heiden Chapel dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and was formerly a pilgrimage chapel. It was enlarged in 1840. Visitors can venerate a statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel. Its former use as a pilgrimage chapel, its 19th-century enlargement and the religious significance of the statue of the Virgin Mary each add a distinct aspect to its architectural history.
Wine-Growing Landscapes and Trails
The Sentier viticole du Gottestal is a very easy, approximately one-hour hike covering 3.5 kilometres. The route offers 360-degree views of the Grand Cru du Rangen, neighbouring vineyards and the Alsatian plain. Its distance, approximate duration and panoramic views make it easy to assess whether this trail suits your interests.
The Balade les 3 chĂŞnes et l'oratoire de la Vierge has a different focus: it leads from the cemetery of the church ruins in Leimbach to a forest oratory. While the Sentier viticole centres on the wine-growing landscape and panoramic views, the starting point and destination of this walk are specific landmarks. You can therefore choose between a hike with views of vineyards and the plain, and a trail to an oratory in the forest.
Wine production also has specific local connections. At the Obere-Heiden site, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown on around six hectares for making Crémant. The grapes from the Kalkgruben site in Leimbach’s vineyards are used for the Pinot Gris “Clos Gottestal”. Leimbach’s vineyards are accessible year-round.
Two different options can help you plan when to visit: the celebration on the first Sunday in February and the year-round accessibility of the vineyards. You can decide whether to plan your stay around a specific religious event or make wine the focus regardless of the date.
Discover more destinations: Hartmannswiller, Eschbach-Au-Val, Walbach, Brunstatt, VĹ“gtlinshoffen, Illzach, Sierentz, Balschwiller.
View the regional travel guide: Haut-Rhin.
