Riquewihr
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Location | |
Administration | |
---|---|
Country | France |
Region | Alsace |
Department | Haut-Rhin |
Arrondissement | Ribeauvillé |
Canton | Kaysersberg |
Intercommunality | Communauté de communes de Ribeauvillé et environs |
Mayor | Jean Buttighoffer (2001-2008) |
Statistics | |
Elevation | 230 m–936 m (avg. 295 m) |
Land area¹ | 17.04 km² |
Population² (1999) |
1,212 |
- Density | 71/km² (1999) |
Miscellaneous | |
INSEE/Postal code | 68277/ 68340 |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Riquewihr (German: Reichenweier) is a village and commune in Alsace. A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, it had a population of 1,212 in 1999.
[edit] History
Originally the property of the Dukes of Württemberg, the town was converted to Protestantism in the 16th century. Historically, Reichenweiher served as a Winzerdorf or "wine village" as a trading hub for Alsatian and German wine.
[edit] Sights
The town is surrounded by its medieval fortifications and is overlooked by a castle from the same period that is today a museum.
It was one of the few towns in the area not to be badly damaged during World War II.
There is a museum about Alsace during World War II and a torture chamber (La salle de torture).
[edit] External links
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