Musée du Pain d'Épices (Gingerbread Museum)

Gingerbread, pain d'épices, is a Christmas tradition in Alsace, and its home is the village of Gertwiller, near Barr in the Bas-Rhin, a short drive north of Ribeauvillé. The gingerbread museum, known as the Palais du Pain d'Épices, stands in Gertwiller rather than in Ribeauvillé, though it is often grouped with the Alsace Wine Route towns of the area because the villages lie close together at the foot of the Vosges. The village is known as the capital of gingerbread, and several family firms have made it here for generations.

The museum is a modern, interactive exhibition covering about 800 square metres, aimed at children and adults, and it presents the history and the culture of gingerbread through settings and games. Pain d'épices is made from honey, flour and spices, a mix that arrived in Europe along the trade routes that brought pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cloves from the East, and which became a speciality of towns along the Rhine in the Middle Ages. In Alsace, it is closely linked to winter celebrations and fairs, and it is moulded into shapes such as hearts, stars, Saint Nicholas and the little men of the Christmas markets. The museum explains how it is made and why honey and spices were so valued.

The visit takes you through rooms with a story. In the attic you learn about the history of the craft, and the Mannele's bedroom shows the Alsatian figure of the little man, a brioche shaped like a person that children receive on Saint Nicholas Day, 6 December. A kitchen shows how traditional recipes are made, and a fairytale garden has sweets and honey themes. Windows look onto the factory floor so you can see the gingerbread being baked and decorated. At the end, a workshop lets visitors decorate their own gingerbread to take home, which is the highlight for many children.

The museum is open every day, with hours that change slightly with the season, and it is worth checking the schedule and any group reservation rules. Prices are modest, with lower rates for children.

The visit suits families with young children, food lovers and those who like Alsace's Christmas traditions at any time of year. A visit takes one to two hours. In the area, the Alsace wine villages, with their half-timbered houses, vineyards and medieval castles, make an easy extension, and Ribeauvillé's old town, the Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre and the Sentier des Vignes are a short drive away.