Scherwiller

Scherwiller
The village viewed from the vineyard The village viewed from the vineyard
Coat of arms of Scherwiller Coat of arms
Scherwiller
Location within Alsace region Scherwiller
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Bas-Rhin
Arrondissement	Sélestat-Erstein
Canton	Sélestat
Intercommunality	Sélestat
Government
• Mayor (since 2014)	Olivier SOHLER
Area1	18.08 km2 (6.98 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	3,000
• Density	170/km2 (430/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	67445 / 67750
Elevation	168–532 m (551–1,745 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Scherwiller (German: Scherweiler) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in northeastern France. Residents are referred to as Scherwillerois in French.

Geography

The town is situated on the wine route at an altitude of 185 meters (607 ft). Scherwiller is located at the mouth of the valleys of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to the east, and Villé at north, 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) west of Sélestat, Center Alsace, and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of Châtenois.

History

The name was mentioned early in the form Sceravillare or Scerwiller, designating a hamlet on the edge of the Scheer, the former name of the Aubach River, which runs through the village. Scherwiller is located at the intersection of two Roman roads: on an east-west axis the salt road from the Villé Valley, and on a north-south axis a Roman road, two milestones of which are still identifiable in the town itself. This explains the presence of Ortenbourg Castle during the 12th century.

Economy

Located in the heart of Alsace, the village is built in the middle of a 300-hectare (740-acre) vineyard, extending along the slopes downwards from Ortenbourg and Ramstein castles.

See also

• Communes of the Bas-Rhin department

References

• INSEE commune file