Kaysersberg, Alsace
Kaysersberg, Alsace was photographed on June 9, 2018 by James Derheim, European Focus Private Tours.
A tragic personal note: Anthony Bourdain, famous chef and beloved host of CNN’s “Parts Unknown” had just died by suicide in the Hotel La Chambard. I heard the news on the TV as I was preparing for the day with my clients across the border in Germany. As the clients planned to spend the entire day in two museums, I decided to drive the 35 kilometers over to Kaysersberg to somehow pay tribute to a man that I had followed for years. I arrived just as a crew from the CNN Paris bureau did, including the bureau chief, Jim Bitterman. All were shocked and saddened. There was this pall hanging over the entire village, even though it’s one of the most beautiful in all of Alsace. For certain, few of the tourists visiting that day were aware of the news, but still, it was palpable. Bourdain’s body had been taken from the hotel just an hour before I arrived. A terribly tragic loss for journalism, history, love of travel and for his family and loved ones.
Kaysersberg is a historical town and former commune in Alsace in northeastern France. The name is German for Emperor’s Mountain. The high fortress that dominates the town serves as a reminder of both its strategic importance and its warlike past.
Kaysersberg lies in the canton of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, which itself is a subdivision of the Colmar-Ribeauvillé arrondissement. It was a separate commune until 1 January 2016, when it was merged into the new commune of Kaysersberg Vignoble together with nearby Kientzheim and Sigolsheim, and remains its seat.[2]
The town was first mentioned in 1227, when Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor purchased the castle and gave orders to refortify it. During the Middle Ages, Kaysersberg, a member of the Décapole, prospered. In 1648, the city became a part of France, although most inhabitants continued to speak German. From 1871 to 1918 and (again from 1940 to 1944) Kaysersberg belonged to Germany.
In 2017 Kaysersberg was voted the Village préféré des Français (Village favoured by the French). The inhabitants are called Kaysersbergeois.
