Le Hohwald

Le Hohwald is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.GeographyClimateLe Hohwald is a hill village, with altitude above sea level in the commune ranging from 450 meters to nearly 1100 meters, positioned some fifty kilometres to the west-south-west of Strasbourg and some ten kilometres to the south-west of Mont Sainte-Odile. Its position in the lee of mountains protects it from north winds and from many of the frequent fogs and mists that are a feature of the climate elsewhere in Alsace, and supports claims of an unexpectedly benign climate all the year round.EconomyThe tourist business is important to the local economy with more than 120 km of marked paths for walkers in the surrounding forests, other sport and recreational activities advertised including fishing and skiing, and numerous hotels, pensions and restaurants in and around the village.Visitor attractionsThe arboretum started as an experimental plantation of Douglas Fir established in 1885. Today the range of trees is more remarkable, including a rare sequoia discovered in 1960 and a snake-tailed spruce.Visitors to the village will also encounter an unusual range of art works, including 17 sculptures representing animals and philosophical concepts.At the upper exit to the village a fountain dedicated to the fate of Haïdi Hautval, supported by an inscription in no fewer than eleven languages, recalls a locally famous figure from history.