5. Obenheim to Marckolsheim

In general, Alsatian towns have had two churches since the 19th century, a Catholic and a Protestant church.
During the Revolution, the Protestant cult was officially recognised, unlike the Catholic cult, which was suppressed for a few years. Protestant church goods are exempted from the sale of national goods. From 1790 to 1792, the Protestants largely adhered to the Revolution. Pastors took the civic oath and many were members of revolutionary societies. But in 1793 the Terror also fell on the Protestants, whose churches were also closed and several pastors imprisoned. Worship was re-established in 1795.

The discovery of a statuette of the Virgin Mary is at the origin of the pilgrimage. Legend has it that it was found by a shepherd and taken nine times, but always returned to its original location.
In the 7th century Neunkirch was the mother church of the villages of Friesenheim and Witternheim. The present chapel was built in 1455. From 1560 to 1765 the Jesuits built the present presbytery and participated in the considerable development of the sanctuary.
More information : Tourism Alsace

St. Ulrich's Church is first mentioned in 1371 in Bindernheim. The present building was rebuilt and extended in 1702. In 1803, a fire destroyed the village as well as the church.
During the First World War, the building suffered extensive damage and was rebuilt a few years later. In 1945, numerous bombings again damaged the church. Restoration work began in 1945 and lasted until 1975.
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Others, however, were built to allow trade (wood, coal, sand and then petroleum products) between the Rhine and Rhone basins (Rhone-Rhine canal) or between the Rhine and Seine basins (Marne-Rhine canal).

The current canal that you follow with the via Columbani is no longer in use. The canal has been diverted to the south of Alsace to join the Rhine, a wide-gauge canal.

At present, 175 kilometres of canals in Alsace are open to navigation. They are, of course, still used for the transport of goods, but they also play an increasingly important role in river tourism.
More information on the canals: Digital database of Alsace's heritage

The first evidence of a church in Marckolsheim dates back to 1215 and it has been dedicated to St. George since 1445. A new church was built in 1837 but was bombed in 1940 and blown up by the Nazis the following year. The present church was built from 1961 onwards by the architects Albert Horn and Auguste Sigrist. It was consecrated on 7 June 1965. Inside, the building still preserves ancient treasures, such as the 12th century sandstone baptismal font and a 16th century painting of the Suffering Christ.
Further information: Grand Ried