Notre Dame de Duzenbach
22 May 2018
From the Grand Rue in Ribeauville you can look to the west and see large castle ruins on the hill overlooking the town. There is a trail just outside town that leads up to the three ancient castles and to a monastery as well. We filled our bottles with fresh water and the rest of the German strawberries for a kick of flavor, put on our hiking shoes, and set off on the trail! There are actually two access points – one not too far from where we park the car, and another further outside of town. We chose to drive out to the one away from town, which would take us first to the monastery then on to the castles. We found a small parking area and began the climb!
The trail from Rue Lutzelbach goes directly up to the castles, is right through a busy part of town (extended from Rue Klee where we park), and is generally an easier trail. Of course – just like our trek up Zeller Horn a couple days before – we seemed to choose the more difficult path. No problem, all in a day’s adventure! We tried a few shortcuts that proved to be longcuts, went the wrong way on a separate trail, and turned ourselves around a bit before finally getting on the right path. Up into the hills we went, deep into the heavy green tree cover. Amazing how the trees can really trap in the humidity as our hike was very warm. We saw a lookout point to the side of the trail and went over to see. The trees opened to an amazing view of the forested mountains, and off to the side the top of the monastery was peeking over the green canopy. Just a short turn around the bend and we were there!
We stepped down from the hill to see the sprawling monastery Notre Dame de Duzenbach before us. There was a courtyard in the middle with the church to the right and we assume was the main living area to the left. As we ascended the stairs to the courtyard, we passed by the signs instructing silence on the grounds. It was so very quiet, maybe these were the monks you always read about that take the vows of silence. Or maybe they just weren’t there today as we didn’t see anyone. We walked through the church first, which was nice and simple, with statues of Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa standing along the walls. It was nothing like the large ornate cathedrals we’ve seen throughout Europe, but really it wasn’t supposed to be. A simple place of worship for a simple life of a monk. We quietly crossed to the other side, where we still saw no one and heard nothing. Every little sound seemed to echo and project through the silence, from a footstep on a tiled floor or the creak of a door hinge. This building was filled with many religious statues and artefacts, a few looking quite old. There was a little chapel there as well, much smaller than the full church but with a different style of décor. A rope passed along the front marking the line that can only be crossed by a monk. It was pretty up there for sure, but that’s a big commitment for a few more pics!
Just found the site? Click HERE to go to the first post and follow from the beginning!