Turckheim, and the "Colmar Pocket"

Dwight Peck's personal website

More Colmar street scenes (2016)

The medieval town where point-and-shoot photographers can't go wrong

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

Turckheim, and the "Colmar Pocket"

Turckheim is a walled village of about 4,000 souls, located in the foothills of the Vosges mountains about 2km west of Colmar. It's famous for its walls, of course, and its many surviving late-medieval and Renaissance half-timbered buildings, but also for its famous wines -- the scenic Alsatian Route des Vins, France's oldest tourist route for wine fanciers, passes through here.

The main gate, the Gate of France, of the three gates into the centre village

The main square, the Place Turenne, named for the famous 17th century military commander under Kings Louis XIII and XIV

In the Place Turenne

The Auberge of the Watchman. Turckheim has a popular tourist tradition, from May to October, wherein a Night Watchman in period costume patrols the town at 10 p.m., singing Alsatian folk songs, frequently followed by throngs of tourists trying to sing along.

The main gate from inside the village

The Office de Tourisme

The long Grand'rue leading to the Munster Porte southward out of town

The city hall, on the Rue du Conseil leading from the Place Turenne

The Hostellerie des Deux Clefs

Behind the city hall, leading to the mayor's office

The presumably functional church

Presumably fit for purpose

The Place Turenne from the Hôtel de Ville

A walk along the beautiful Grand'rue, on a rainy afternoon

George and Kristin discussing artistic subjects

Street scenes

The Wild Man

The Grand'rue

The Caveau des Vignerons

An invitation to follow the Sentier Viticole walk up into the wine country above the town (bring your bonnes chaussures). The sign explains that since the 9th century Turckheim had been a dependent of the Abbaye de Munster in the hills to the south. An Imperial City since 1312, Turckheim undertook to build its walls and defensive towers in order to protect its stocks of wine and its valuables.

After a rewarding snack, we're ready to pack it in and go back to Colmar . . .

. . . for dinner at the Restaurant Au Chasseur

Charming; very good

Unfinished business: Back to Turckheim

It's the next day, 8 June 2016, raining off and on, and we're back in Turckheim to visit the Museum of the Battle for the Colmar Pocket.

The husband of a close family friend fought here, so the Colmar Pocket has a bit of a special meaning. By November 1944, the US 6th Army had pushed the Germans out of northern and southern Alsace and Lorraine, but were unable to take the central "pocket". From January 1945, the First French Army, supported by the US 3rd and 28th Infantry Divisions, in a long and complicated battle, liberated Colmar in early February and soon afterward pushed the German army eastward across the Rhine.

It's a small museum, in the basement of a building here, but pretty well stocked with various kinds of memorabilia and displays, and souvenirs.

Americans, apparently, waiting for the call

Weapons used in the battle

Nasty looking things, they are, too

Weapons fans would be fascinated here.

The Germans are represented, too, of course.

Whew. That's about enough of that for today.

Now for a rainy drive up into the foothills of the Vosges.

And here we are in beautiful downtown Niedermorschwihr.

And somewhere near Lapoutroie

Home to dry out.

The back door to the Maison Martin Jund. Time for dinner.

We have a target in mind.

Here we are.

We're the first ones here.

George and Kristin and a friend

The walk home, and storks on the roof of the cathedral

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