Rœschwoog

"Tarte Flambée - Flammekuche"

Roeschwoog's most famous is the Tarte Flambée or Flammekuche, a kind of thin French Pizza. When I visited Roeschwoog some hundred cars where lining the streets, most of them with Germans  number plate, and I was told that tourists come here in groups by organised bus tours to eat Tarte Flambée in one of the three or four restaurants on the main street.

 

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What to see

Church St. Bartélemy

The parish exists since 1372. In 1543 it was reformed but returned to the Catholicism in 1696.
The church of St. Bartélemy was built between 1765 and 1767 with sandstone from Lembach and bricks. The year 1765 (MDCCLXVII) can be read above the entrance. Nevertheless the oldest parts date back to the 15th century.
During the revolution it was used as a hay barn but it resumed its former course as a church in 1832. During WWII it was damaged by a grenade but beautifully restored in 1966/67.
The chapel that stands in the cemetery dates back supposedly to the 15./16. century. It has a keystone with the coat of arms of the family Fleckenstein-Dagstuhl carved into it.

Enjoy the free-standing church with the cemetery around it. Here you can still feel what it means to have a parish church standing elevated with a view that reaches as far as to a range of mountains at the horizon.

The interior

The church has a simple nave with white plastered walls and ceiling, illuminated by stained glass windows. What catches the eye is a painting on the ceiling. The main altar in the choir and the two side altars are remarkably decorated. An organ that sits above the entrance on a gallery complements the interior.

The choir with the main altar

When you are approaching the choir with the main altar, light is switching on by a movement detector, so don't hesitate and come closer.

The altar is of Baroque exuberance and enthusiasm.

To the left and right of the main altar stained glass windows are set in the wall.

The side altars in the nave

The stained glass windows in the nave

The stained glass windows in the wall on the right side (the south wall) of the church depict:
#1: Pope Leo IX., inscription "PORTAE INFERI NON PRAEVALEBUNT EAM"
#2: inscription "CONSECRATIO 31-X-1943 CHRISTO REGI"
#3: inscription "S JOANNES BOSCO | PROTECTOR JUVENUM"

The stained glass windows in the wall on the right side (the south wall) of the church depict:

#4: the Holy Mother with the child
#5: inscription "SANCTA ODILIA | PATRONA ALSATIAE"
#6: inscription "REQUIEM AETERNAM | DONA EIS DOMINE"

The ceiling painting

In the centre of the ceiling a painting catches the eye.

The organ

The organ that sits on a gallery above the entrance is a great example of Alsatian organ building skills. It was installed by Michel STIEHR (1750-1829) in 1808 by reusing parts of an older and previous organ from the end of the 18th century that was supposedly done by Ferdinand STIEFFEL.
In contrast to other organ builders Michel STIEHR continued his work during the times of the French Revolution. In these turbulent times he tested new ideas in organ design and organs of this period can be seen in Herrlisheim, Hoerdt, Reichsett and Roppenheim.
The Rœschwoog organ from 1808, where he combined many ideas, became such a success that it can be seen as the start of a Rœschwoog "style" of similar organs done by the STIEHR family. Later examples are in Brumath (1810), Eschau (1817), Rountzenheim (1822) and Furdenheim (1823).
Website: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/eisenberg/orgues/roeschwo.htm

Two round stained glass windows reside above the gallery to the left and right of the organ. I never thought about this before, but what is the front side wall from outside when approaching the church becomes the back side wall when standing in the nave or on the gallery. Climbing up the stairs to the gallery behind the organ you can have a closer look of the windows and an elevated view back into the nave.

Address: Rue de Fort Louis, 67480 Rœschwoog

Where to eat

Restaurant Au Cerf

The owner Mateme Mehr runs a pleasant restaurant with typical Alsatian dishes. The house itself is historic, dating back to 1720 as noted on the corner of the front gable.

Favorite Dish: Of course the Tarte Flambée or Flammekuche in the many variations they serve.

Hours of Business: Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Address: 2 rue du Fort Louis, 67480 Rœschwoog
Price Comparison: about average, US$11-20
Phone: +33 (0)3 88 86 26 22
Rating: 3

Note: The page was originally created on May 10, 2008 for Virtualtourist.com. It contributed 10 tips and 34 photos to the Roeschwoog Travel guide, was Top Rated and ranked No.1 of the Top 5 Roeschwoog Writers. The site was closed down on Feb 27, 2017.