At the border of Alsace and Lorraine, the art of glassblowing has been known since the Middle Ages. In Lalique, Saint-Louis, and Meisenthal, this tradition of craftsmanship is still cultivated today.
Not far from Luxembourg, in the French Grand Est region, which merged Alsace, Lorraine, and Champagne-Ardenne a few years ago, lies a small piece of land where a centuries-old culture is passionately maintained: glassblowing and grinding. Here, on the edge of Bas-Rhin and Moselle, in the north of the Vosges, along the famous “blue line” stretching through deep forests to the Alsace plain, three remarkable examples of this traditional craftsmanship are tucked away in a manageable area: Lalique, Saint-Louis, and Meisenthal.
The Lalique Museum: Pure Beauty
Our journey begins in Wingen-sur-Moder. In this expansive village in the far west of Alsace, Lalique crystal glass is created. In an 18th-century former glassblowing workshop, the founder of the Lalique house, René Lalique, who had already gained fame for his jewelry and perfume bottles, established his workshop in 1921. Choosing the Vosges as his new home after a successful career in Paris was no coincidence. Here, he could draw on local centuries-old expertise that has existed since the Middle Ages when almost everyone could blow and grind glass. The flourishing of this craft here is also due to the abundant presence of wood and sand. Wood is used to heat the furnaces, while sand is used to make glass. Today, the former glassblowing workshop houses the Lalique Museum, modernized in 2011 by star architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte (who also designed the ArcelorMittal headquarters in Luxembourg City). Visitors can fully immerse themselves in the extraordinary adventure of this brand here. And dream of beauty in its absolute perfection…
Saint-Louis, Glowing Workshop
Vases, flacons, and glass sculptures: The grace and quality of Lalique’s creations, which switched from glass to crystal in 1945, are unparalleled. The current production site is the only one of this brand worldwide, now owned by a Swiss corporation. While the glassworks located at the edge of the town cannot be visited, a film in the museum showcases the art of glassmaking in all its facets and narrates how Lalique became the legend it is today, especially known for its Bacchantes vases and decorative, undyed glasses. If you want to watch glassblowers at work live, you must head to Moselle. In the narrow valley surrounded by forests, Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche is where you’ll quickly find them. Visitors can marvel at the center of the workshop to their heart’s content! In a noisy and unbearably hot workshop, crystal (glass with lead oxide) is processed in three shifts here. The 1,200°C hot red glass paste from the furnace is immediately blown to shape high-quality glasses. In the intermediate storage workshop, goldsmiths work wonders with the crystal balls. The “cooled glass” is polished, cut, and engraved freehand with incredible dexterity by skilled masters. Here, unique vases, chandeliers, and glasses are created.
