Metzeral

Metzeral, mentioned as early as 817, is the oldest village in the Great Valley. Its name may derive from the Latin "maceriolae," referring to small dry stone walls. Formerly owned by the Abbey of Munster, it joined the community of the Val and the City of Munster in 1287 before gaining municipal autonomy in 1801. Its 19th-century growth was linked to the textile industry, reaching 1,801 inhabitants in 1861. The railway line extended to Metzeral in 1893, making it a tourist center. During World War I, the village was almost completely destroyed in a decisive battle in June 1915, then rebuilt after the armistice. Spared during World War II, it was liberated in February 1945. The commune hosts a mountain spring water bottling plant, "Valon." The town hall-school, built in 1926, and two churches—one Catholic dedicated to the dead of 1914-1918 and the other Protestant rebuilt in 1929—bear witness to its history. The Chêne Millet military cemetery, where 2,632 soldiers rest, recalls the battles of the Great War. Located at the confluence of two rivers and at the foot of the Hohneck massif, Metzeral is an ideal starting point for hikes to iconic sites such as the Wormsa Valley, the Fischboedle lakes, and the Spitzkoepfe ridges.