Village Center and Old Houses

Nestled between the Jura hills and the wooded Altenbach valley, Wentzwiller stretches just a few miles from Switzerland and Germany. This small Alsatian village holds a history as charming as it is picturesque: an old dispute once opposed Wentzwiller and Buschwiller over a boundary tree.

To settle the conflict, it was agreed to cut down the tree and assign it to the commune on whose side it fell. The trunk tipped toward Buschwiller... but a branch, sheltering an owl's nest, fell to Wentzwiller. Since that day, the village inhabitants have been nicknamed the "heila," or "owls" in Alsatian, in reference to this legendary event.

The heart of the village can be explored through its typical farms, built between 1840 and 1850. These buildings, witnesses to the artisanal craftsmanship of the past, form a preserved architectural ensemble that tells the rural history of the region.