Sainte-Barbe Chapel and Schwefelsee

The Sainte-Barbe Chapel, a pilgrimage site and venue for firefighters' festivities, combines architectural elements from different eras. Its tower dates back to the 13th century, while its nave was built around 1700, following a series of interventions spanning the 13th, late 17th, 18th, and 20th centuries. The chapel's choir features a Romanesque arch at the entrance, typical of the building's origins. The nave, on the other hand, adopts a Renaissance style, reflecting the stylistic evolutions of the period.

According to local legend, Saint Barbara was beheaded at the altar site, and a spring burst forth there, giving rise to a lake. This lake, known since Roman times when its water was channeled to Strasbourg, is actually a small natural reservoir fed by the Souffel spring. Its underground flow reaches 17 liters per second, and its constant temperature, between 12 and 13 °C, prevents the water from freezing. The sulfurous properties of this water, called Schwefelsee, have been exploited since Antiquity until the 1950s for their therapeutic virtues, notably in treating skin diseases. The lake also served as a horse wash, with animals gradually descending a sloped ramp to bathe in it.