Kolbsheim Castle Park and Gardens

Perched above the Alsace plain, Kolbsheim Castle forms an exceptional ensemble with its French terraced gardens (1.5 hectares) and its vast English-style park (10 hectares) extending to the Bruche River. The current castle, recognizable by its double-pitched roof and "imperial" side pavilions, consists of two wings, the oldest being the west wing dating from 1703. It belonged to several noble and bourgeois families before being acquired in 1874 by the Grunelius family, who still own it today.

In the early 20th century, Alexandre Grunelius undertook the restoration of the gardens, largely destroyed during World War I. He entrusted this project to an English landscaper, Breggins, who preserved the terraced structure while modernizing their style. The upper French-style part is distinguished by conifer topiaries, boxwood trimmed into shaded galleries, statues, and basins. The terraces gradually descend towards the river, blending harmoniously into the English park, where woods, meadows, and centuries-old trees of various species alternate. From the top of the terraces, the view over the Bruche valley is striking.

Since the 1930s, the castle has been a place for artistic meetings and spiritual reflection. The philosopher Jacques Maritain lived there for part of his life, hosted by the Grunelius family. Many intellectuals and artists stayed there, giving rise to the Jacques and Raïssa Maritain Study Circle, which preserves their archives and publishes their works. The gardens still bear traces of this history, with the family chapel designed by Victor Hammer and the Stations of the Cross sculpted by Philippe Kaeppelin. The Maritains are buried in the village cemetery.

Kolbsheim Castle is listed as a Historic Monument, and its gardens have received the Remarkable Garden label.