Aubure is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region, 12 km west of Ribeauvillé (by road).
Its territory of nearly 12 km² falls within the middle mountains, within the Vosges massif, and ranges from 727 to 1144 meters above sea level. Aubure prides itself on being "the highest village in Alsace".
The locality extends over a basin-shaped plateau which dominates the plain of Alsace to the east. It has retained a green character, covered with forests (65% of its area) and agricultural areas (27%).
The village is first mentioned in the 13th century as belonging to the seigneury of Riquewihr. It then passed to the Counts of Horbourg and then Württemberg, but in the 15th century, it was a bailiff who collected the taxes there for the Lord of Riquewihr.
Acquired during the Reformation, decimated by the plague then destroyed during the Thirty Years' War (17th century), Aubure essentially lived off agriculture and home weaving workshops until the 19th century when the town also became a cure center renowned for its "good air".
This is still true today. The large rest establishments (sanatoriums) have closed, but green tourism has developed. Visitors and vacationers appreciate the heritage of the village (about 370 inhabitants) but also its rich potential in terms of hiking and even cross-country skiing in winter.
The village has retained a heritage that is both rich and picturesque. A free visit in the form of discovery must thus include the church of Saint Jacques-le-Majeur, built around 1720. The choir and the sacristy date from this period, the nave and the bell tower being from 1813, a reworking of the whole having was then carried out. The building houses a beautifully crafted altar from the abbey of Orbey (18th century) whose sculpted decoration, a Pietà, is inspired by a work by Michelangelo. Also worth seeing is the temple erected in 1828 which allowed the Protestant community to find a place of worship (even if religion as such had retained many faithful since the revocation of the Edict of Nantes)... The building evokes a Vosges farm to which a bell tower has been added. Note that the temple is attached to a dwelling house...
Also noteworthy, a statue of the Virgin on a nearby height, installed in 1938 during the 250th anniversary of the founding of the church: during renovation works restoration in 1999, a document inside a bottle immured in the base was unearthed. There are the signatures of the parishioners who contributed with their donations to the construction of the monument. This document is exhibited inside the church.
The remains of the "bilstein" or medieval castle built in the 12th century can also be observed, on the Schlossberg rock, near the RD 416. Already besieged in 1547, it was destroyed by the imperial troops in 1636... still the bases of the old keep, elements of the enclosure and a tower.
A discovery trail has also been designed (about a two-hour journey) which lists and details the history of the first establishments dedicated to spa guests (19th century), inns or sanatoriums, traditional farms, the cross where the first temple in 1556, a house from 1600 that has preserved Renaissance elements…
Outside the small town, the trail includes a former silver fox farm, a belvedere on the Fréland pass with a view of the Vosges ridges, fitted out by German soldiers quartered in the village at the start of the First World War, and other former health centres.
A leaflet with a map and instructions for following the trail is available from the town hall (contact +33 3 89 73 90 16) or from the Riquewihr tourist office (contact +33 3 89 73 23 23). Also note that guided tours are offered in summer.
Then concerning the rich potential offered in terms of hiking or mountain biking, with loops crossing fir forests and meadows, punctuated by remarkable panoramas, the trails designed and maintained by the Club Vosgien include mountain farms and natural sites protected. Part of the paths, in winter, can be covered on cross-country skis or snowshoes. Maps and information from the local section of the Club vosgien on +33 6 84 37 78 98 or from the tourist office on +33 3 89 73 23 23.
In summer, these bucolic mountain landscapes can be explored on an outing on horseback: information from the Oudin Equitation center on +33 6 22 23 15 01.
During a ride, a break is possible at the Brézouard farm which practices pastoralism and which specializes in dairy products (cheeses, yoghurts). Contact on +33 6 71 78 26 49.
It is useful to get information from the Regional Natural Park of Ballons des Vosges which regularly schedules themed hikes, workshops, exhibitions... Join 03 89 7790 20.
