Notre-Dame du Grunenwald

About

The Chapelle Notre-Dame du Grunenwald (German: Unsere liebe Frau von Grünenwald) is a Marian pilgrimage site located on the Ban of Ueberstrass, under the parish of Friesen, in the department of Haut-Rhin. There is a chapel with a 15th century statue and an open-air altar.

Location: Located in the Alsatian region of Sundgau, the site is about 400 m above sea level, on the ridge between the Largue and Suarcine valleys, 1.5 km from the Belfort Territory boundary and about 4 km from the Swiss border. The chapel stands close to the departmental road that connects Ueberstrass with Courtelevant. The Suarcin is the traditional linguistic boundary between German and Romanesque. The ancient Roman road from Besançon (Vesontio) to Kembs (Cambete) passed nearby, to Friesen (Larga station).

History and legend: Perhaps the original sanctuary was built on the remains of a pagan temple. In the 13th century, the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Mulhouse, which owned property in Hindlingen and Ueberstrass, became a collator of the church of Friesen. In the 14th century...