If I only had one day to explore the Sundgau, I would start with Ferrette, a small town of character where children and adults alike love to trek, especially to reach its castle. It's worth noting that Ferrette is unique because the town has taken root at the foot of the now-ruined castle. The latter is, of course, worth the detour if only for the panorama it offers visitors who reach its humble summit at an altitude of 612m.
Visiting the castle of Ferrette is not visiting one castle, but two castles since it was composed of two separate fortifications. In addition to the castle, the town located at its feet is worth a visit, particularly with the listed town hall which has recently housed a small museum and the church dedicated to Saint Bernard de Menthon, patron saint of mountain dwellers because yes, Ferrette is the capital of the Alsatian Jura, the only small mountain range in the Sundgau and a curiosity in the Alsatian landscape.
If the view of the castle has not completely delighted you then I invite you to make a jump to the Rossberg tower proudly enthroned at the top of the eponymous mountain, a stone's throw away. This old tower, 20m high, all in metal, offers the courageous who have braved the vertigo to enjoy a beautiful 360 ° panorama.
Ferrette cannot be left without having seen the cave of the dwarves where a famous legend is told that I tell and retell endlessly to my daughter not without a certain pleasure. Beyond the small crevice serving as a natural theater for our story, the site is visited more for its natural cliffs almost incongruous in this place. They are also accessible in complete safety and there again a very beautiful viewpoint awaits the visitor.
You are visiting Ferrette on a Saturday, so don't leave the county town without having tasted a beer or two at Radwulf, the local brewer who designs countless beers according to the seasons in a very pleasant setting. Of course, you can leave with a few beers in your bag!
If it's time to eat, I would go to either the Cheval Blanc in Ferrette or the Hotel Restaurant chez Collin. These are both family restaurants, the food is good, with simple and authentic cuisine. References to Ferrette. If the weather is good and you'd rather have a picnic, then I would advise you to stop by the most famous cheesemaker in the area, Maitre Antony, who will take you on a journey all over France with his expert selection of cheeses accompanied by good country bread and of course a good bottle of red wine. His chemist will offer you this very French triptych!
After Ferrette, I would take the road towards Oltingue which houses a very mysterious church lost in a rural and bucolic setting. Within it, you will discover Merovingian tombs exhumed during excavations carried out at the end of the 1980s. What makes this church original is that the said tombs have remained intact, open, the skeletons still visible!
At its heart, besides beautiful 13th-century frescoes, a rope escapes from the roof... ask the children to pull on it! They will be frightened when the tension sounds the death knell!
Depending on the season and the day, a quick trip to the Peasant Museum in the center of Oltingue is a must! For three francs six sous (actually €2,5), you'll discover the peasant life of yesteryear, so characteristic of our beloved Sundgau.
After Oltingue, I would go to the Landskron castle, above the Leimental valley. It is the best preserved of the three buildings in the Alsatian Jura. Here again, you will have to climb a few steps to access a breathtaking view of the Alsatian Jura and the city of Basel.
