Illwald

Alsace


On the southeastern fringes of Sélestat, this nature reserve is a mix of deciduous forest and wetlands. It attracts plenty of wildlife, including kingfishers, beavers and France’s largest population of wild deer (some 400 pairs at last count). Interwoven with footpaths, it’s a quiet place for a stroll. It’s a five-minute drive from town via the D159 and D424.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Alsace attractions

1. Vieux Sélestat

2.19 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. Église St-Georges

2.35 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…

3. Bibliothèque Humaniste

2.41 MILES

Founded in 1452, this library’s stellar collection features a 7th-century book of Merovingian liturgy, a copy of Cosmographiae Introductio (printed in…

4. Montagne des Singes

5.48 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…

5. Medieval Centre

6.05 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;…

6. Sundial

6.11 MILES

This wall-mounted sundial dates from 1711.

7. Porte Haute

6.17 MILES

Imposing, turreted Porte Haute is Bergheim’s last remaining town gate.

8. Château du Haut Kœnigsbourg

6.66 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…