Anyone interested in the history of spa towns and sacred architecture will find both in Soultzbach-Les-Bains. The history of bathing probably dates back to a bathing establishment called Badehus in the 15th century. Later building phases and works of art can be placed within a timeline using specific dates. The town thus offers several historical perspectives, without its history being limited to a single attraction.
From Bathing Establishment to Thermal Hotel
Soultzbach-les-Bains probably had a bathing establishment called Badehus as early as the 15th century. The thermal building was converted into a thermal hotel in 1847. In 1854, the baths received 180 to 200 patients. Together, these milestones show the development from a possible early bathing operation to a 19th-century thermal hotel; the early date remains explicitly uncertain.
The former thermal baths and the bottling plant for Source Gonzenbach are now used as a residential building. This current use distinguishes the buildings from an excursion destination that is readily accessible to visitors. Check access before visiting. As you explore the history of bathing, you can distinguish between the buildings’ former function and their current use.
Chapel, Parish Church, and Building Phases
The Sainte-Catherine Chapel has a rectangular floor plan and a three-sided apse; it may date from the 15th century. The floor plan and apse describe the building’s form, while its date remains uncertain. This makes the chapel a historical point of interest in its own right, alongside the thermal history. An apse is the usually semicircular or polygonal end of a building; at Sainte-Catherine, this end is three-sided.
The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste stands outside the former fortified town. Its choir is dated to 1514. The church also contains a wall tabernacle from the late 15th century: it is supported by Saint Christopher and surrounded by angels. The nave was rebuilt and extended in 1738; the church was renovated in 1832. The work of art, choir, and nave thus point to different periods rather than a single building phase. The tabernacle is older than the 1514 choir; the nave was rebuilt and extended later, in the 18th century.
The site of the town castle is also part of the local heritage: it was added to the supplementary inventory of historic monuments in 2010.
History Along a Walking Route
A historical walking route with 16 panels starts at the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste and follows the banks of the Krebsbach. This links a possible starting point at the church with a stretch along the river. Before setting out, check whether the route is currently accessible. This lets you include the historical route in your plans without assuming that it is currently accessible.
Discover more destinations: Holtzwihr, Katzenthal, Bergholtz, Dolleren, Lièpvre, Lutterbach, Sigolsheim, Hochstatt.
For the regional travel overview: Haut-Rhin.
