Luttenbach near Munster

Founded as early as 1120 by the Benedictine Abbey of Munster, the peaceful village of Luttenbach, surrounded by nature, developed from several hamlets. Its name, derived from the local dialect, refers either to a noisy stream or a small watercourse. Incorporated into the community of the City and Valley of Munster until the Revolution, the village is notable for personalities such as Voltaire, who stayed there for two weeks in 1753 at the royal paper mill founded by Jean-Frédéric Schoepflin. Converted into a textile factory in 1894, then into a campsite today, this property was also owned by Gustave Rothan, ambassador under Napoleon III, and his son-in-law, Pierre de Freddy, Baron de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games. The latter spent his holidays there from 1896 to 1914 before the estate was destroyed during World War I. The current campsite, "Les Amis de la Nature," occupies part of the former estate's park, where 18th-century remnants remain, such as a gate that Voltaire likely passed through and a Dolphin fountain. The village also maintains traditional craftsmanship with a clog maker on site and organizes a local artisan market every Tuesday evening in summer in its courtyard. A century-old oak, the "Voltaire Oak," recalls the legend that the writer hid there in 1753 to escape his pursuers.