Ribeauvillé

This article is about the town in Alsace. For the commune in Aisne, see Ribeauville.
Colmar-Ribeauvillé

Ribeauvillé and its castle

Coat of arms
Colmar-Ribeauvillé

Coordinates: 48°12′N 7°19′E / 48.20°N 7.32°E / 48.20; 7.32Coordinates: 48°12′N 7°19′E / 48.20°N 7.32°E / 48.20; 7.32
Country France
Region Grand Est
Department Haut-Rhin
Arrondissement Colmar-Ribeauvillé
Canton Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines
Intercommunality Ribeauvillé et environs
Government
  Mayor (20142020) Jean-Louis Christ
Area1 32.21 km2 (12.44 sq mi)
Population (2006)2 5,161
  Density 160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 68269 / 68150
Elevation 188–989 m (617–3,245 ft)
(avg. 240 m or 790 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Ribeauvillé (French pronunciation: [ʁibovije]; Alsatian: Rappschwihr; German: Rappoltsweiler) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.

Its inhabitants are called Ribeauvillois.

Geography

The picturesque town is located around 10 miles (16 km) north of Colmar and 75 kilometres (47 mi)south of Strasbourg. It lies at the foot of the Vosges Mountains.

History

Known in the 8th century as Rathaldovilare, the town passed from the Bishops of Basel to the Lords of Rappoltstein, who were among the most famous nobles in Alsace. The Lord of Rappoltstein was the King or Protector of the wandering minstrels of the land, who purchased his protection by paying him a tax.

When the family became extinct in 1673, this office of "King of the Pipers" (Pfeiferkönig) passed to the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. The minstrels had a pilgrimage chapel near Rappoltsweiler, dedicated to their patron saint, Maria von Dusenbach, and here they held an annual feast on 8 September. Ribeauvillé was commonly known as Rappoltsweiler until the 19th century.

Sights

Ribeauvillé is in part surrounded by ancient walls, and has many picturesque medieval houses, and two old churches, of St Gregory and St Augustine, both fine Gothic buildings. The town hall contains a valuable collection of antiquities. The Carolabad, a saline spring with a temperature of 64 F. (which held a great reputation in the Middle Ages), was re-discovered in 1888, and made Rappoltsweiler a watering-place.

Near the town are the ruins of three famous castles, Saint-Ulrich, Girsberg and Haut-Ribeaupierre, which formerly belonged to the lords of Ribeaupierre (or Rappoltstein).

Economy

The economy of Ribeauvillé is mainly based on:

Notable people

See also

References

  1. Cooperative website alsace.vins-ribeauville.com
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