Founded in 1452, this library’s stellar collection features a 7th-century book of Merovingian liturgy, a copy of Cosmographiae Introductio (printed in 1507), in which the New World is referred to as ‘America’ for the first time, and the first written mention of the Christmas tree (1521). Following extensive restoration, the library reopened in all its glory in summer 2018.
Bibliothèque Humaniste
Alsace
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.07 MILES
Nothing prepares you for your first glimpse of Strasbourg's Cathédrale Notre-Dame, completed in all its Gothic grandeur in 1439. The lace-fine facade…
25.95 MILES
With its lacy spires, cheeky gargoyles and intricate entrance portal, Freiburg’s 11th-century minster cuts an impressive figure above the central market…
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26.03 MILES
Hailed as a ‘Versailles in miniature’, this opulent 18th-century residence is loaded with treasures. The basement Musée Archéologique takes you from the…
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25.95 MILES
History seeps through the twisting lanes and cafe-rimmed plazas of Grande Île, Strasbourg's Unesco World Heritage–listed island bordered by the River Ill…
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13.3 MILES
Gathered around a Gothic-style Dominican cloister, this revamped museum hides a prized medieval stone statue collection, late-15th-century prints by…
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7.57 MILES
France’s oldest winegrowers’ cooperative, which brings together 40 vintners, was founded in 1895. The huge, contemporary building contains a viniculture…
25.74 MILES
Criss-crossed by narrow lanes, canals and locks, Petite France is where artisans plied their trades in the Middle Ages. The half-timbered houses,…
13.62 MILES
If you see just one thing in Colmar, make it the Little Venice quarter. Canal connection aside, it doesn’t resemble Venice in the slightest, but it's…
Nearby Alsace attractions
0.08 MILES
One of Alsace’s most striking churches, this Gothic giant, built from weighty red sandstone and sporting a colourful mosaic-tile roof, is illuminated by…
0.22 MILES
Church spires rise gracefully above the red rooftops of the old town, which hugs the left bank of the River Ill. Some of the finest examples of half…
2.41 MILES
On the southeastern fringes of Sélestat, this nature reserve is a mix of deciduous forest and wetlands. It attracts plenty of wildlife, including…
3.68 MILES
Kids love to feed popcorn (special monkey popcorn, of course) to the free-roaming Barbary macaques and their cheeky infants at this 2.4-hectare woodland…
4.42 MILES
A gentle stroll takes in the 14th-century, pink-granite ramparts, originally pierced by four gates, three still holding aloft watchtowers and bearing…
4.89 MILES
The hillside Chapelle St-Sébastien is known for its Romanesque tower and Gothic choir.
7. Château du Haut Kœnigsbourg
5.17 MILES
On its fairy-tale perch above vineyards and hills, the turreted red-sandstone Château du Haut Kœnigsbourg is worth a detour for the wraparound panorama…
5.73 MILES
A stroll through the cobbled streets of the well-preserved medieval centre takes in the early Gothic church; the wall-mounted sundial, dating from 1711;…