The Towns of Alsace

OK so Alsace is just so picturesque, so pristine and the buildings are sooo colorful, what’s the scoop?

The Romans invented stucco, so no surprise that it features so heavily in Alsace, although in 1824 a Brit developed “Portland Cement,” a stucco based on fired lime and clay that is much more durable than the stucco of old. But was it sooo colorful back in the day?

No. As seen in the first 8 pics, Alsace has upped the ante and infused its buildings with strongly colored pigments that would not have been seen or used back in the day. It makes for a very cheerful townscape. Starting with pic 8, our Relais and Chateau Hotel, and historic landmark in Colmar, “Maison des Tetes, the actual colors were more earthy and muted, beautiful in their own way. This did not mean there weren’t colors, must more toned down.

Trivia. In the last pic, you can see a table of colors traditionally used iby trades (who could afford to use pigment) in Alsace (although more muted than shown). Each trade had its own color denomination. Very clever advertising.Read more