□ Greeters of Munster Valley □

"A vital need to act, to share ..." Communication is second nature to this 66-year-old retired man, jovial and unfussy.

Philippe Heck came to settle with his wife four years ago on the road to Stosswihr in the "blue house leaning against the hill" as Maxime Leforestier sings with talent.
"I did a bit of everything as a profession but I started out with a Rhine boatman's CAP" laughs Philippe, who continues, "but with my wife we ​​ran a restaurant in Wolfgantzen near the Rhine for 25 years. And five years in Colmar. It was a bit of luck that brought me here ". “Why become a greeter in the valley”? "

I love nature, I love people and contact. This is why I also have two guest rooms which I offer, depending on the case, walks in the surroundings or even for bikers trips in the massif with my 1250 cc Suzuki Bandit! I bought myself the booklet n ° 2 of the trails of the Club Vosgien which will be my vademecum from now on ”. As soon as he arrived in Stosswihr, he registered with the town hall and in the process joined the village festival committee, where he became a member of the executive! He's like that Philippe Heck. A vital need to act and share with one's contemporaries. So, strongly that tourists call on him!

You must see the pride of Michel Miclo, 66, manager of the ski resort of Schnepfenried when he takes you through the "holy of holies" of the resort, the garage for groomers and other snowmobiles. Voluble, he is the guardian of the temple who by dint of courage, will, and stubbornness has succeeded in holding out to give back "pep" to "Schnepf" where climatic hazards were a constant concern in the past. . Thanks to the help of the Department, the Joint Union for the Development of Mountain Stations in the Valley of Munster, massive investments - snow cannons and modern equipment - now allow us to count with at least correct winter seasons no matter what. . A farmer in his early days, he knows a lot about the nature of the Vosges. Driver of heavy goods vehicles and coaches then, he has been able to combine his passion for mechanics with that of the 13 ski slopes and five lifts in winter which are now enjoying enviable attendance. He is the manager of the resort, assisted by his wife and daughter Sandrine, the three “pillars” in summer, the numbers of which climb to around thirty in winter! But no rhetoric: he is happy when he can dissect his station for you with… passion! (www.leschnepf.com)

Language: French- German

In her thebaid on the heights of Munster, Anne Thiebold has a front row seat to savor the calm of the nearby forest where her three “Parson-Russels” Dakah, Fargo and Fiesta frolic in complete freedom and are the kings! The proverb that “he who loves animals loves people” applies perfectly to Anne, restaurateur at Wasen in Munster, who is well versed in hospitality. She is already looking forward to showing future visitors the valley. Anne Thiebold takes an hour or two every day to "clear her head" in the company of her three unruly but obedient companions and knows a lot about dogs, taking her own regularly to agility competitions! If it is necessary to speak of passion, it is indeed the case but Anne Thiebold, in the role of a greeters will be invaluable: she knows so many paths, paths, sites in the whole valley that she will know how to guide whoever he is. will want, depending on his availability of course.

Language: French - German

Since 1998, he has taken over from his father in the management of the “Route verte” campsite in Wihr-au-Val, a few kilometers from Munster. A “human-sized” campsite with 55 places where tourists feel at home. For its guests, it organizes guided tours of the village every summer, on Sunday evenings in July and August, and is second to none when it comes to telling about the progress and development of the school. In addition, with Pierre, the Alsatian regional language, will no longer hold any secrets for you! Supported by vestiges of this period scattered throughout Wihr-au-Val. Pierre Meyer has got into the game and does not hesitate to do even more in-depth research to flesh out his words. President of the Foyer Saint Sébastien in the village, he is also up to date with contemporary history, which allows him to delight his listeners with anecdotes.

A full-blown Munster, Gabrielle had long ago expatriated to Australia, to be precise in Paddington near Sydney where she exercises her talents as a journalist at the microphone of the station "Eastradio".
Elle for many years promoted Alsace among others and is still sorry today to note that the generic name of Munster refers to many cities on the planet except that of Munster in Alsace. She says it bluntly: Munster in Alsace is not known to English speakers. Returning to Munster every six months, alternating with his sister Yolande, this is his guaranteed fresh air. Gabrielle Haumesser is already delighted to be able to meet tourists in order to make them discover, in addition to the intrinsic charms of the valley, the gastronomy, the museums, the arts which abound everywhere in the near region. She underlines in passing that tourists only meet service providers (hoteliers, restaurateurs, etc.) but rarely locals. She therefore does not hesitate to welcome the initiative of the Munster Valley Tourist Office to create a chain of greeters to which she enthusiastically adheres!

Language: French - English - German

There is something contagious about Jeannette Schickel's smile! As a child, she gave a hand to her parents who operated the inn-bistro in Eschbach-au-Val. Hospitality is second nature to her. Already professionally, from an accountant she transferred to a nursery nurse before taking care of her two children and all those in the neighborhood. Besides being part of all the associations in the village, his great work, his passion, is the transmission of the Alsatian dialect. This is why she has been teaching Alsatian lessons to children for twelve years and for nine years to adults! With success should it be emphasized?
His pretty "home" allows him to seize the nearby mountain. Jeannette, whom everyone familiarly calls "Jeannala" takes care of a nearby gîte whose residents have a singular chance: they become friends to whom she makes discover, how could it be otherwise, the countless charms of the valley and from Alsace. With an attentive and hieratic observer, the cat of the house!

Responsible for several departments in the East of a maintenance company, Eric Babilon knows what it is to "hit the miles". So, to air his brains and bronchial tubes, as soon as he gets back to Munster, he goes up the ridges to go see "his" chamois! Most often at the approach, with his camera, he tries to capture these ungulates in their slightest expression. Seeing the large-format prints of these endearing animals that he wants to share with as many people as possible at upcoming exhibitions, the result is not lacking. But also of course "in vivo" by taking tourists with him. But shhh, especially quiet! Another passion, that of History with a great H. Originally from Niederbronn-les-Bains in the Bas-Rhin, he had plenty of time to cultivate his historical classics with of course Froeschwiller where the battle of Reichshoffen took place or the forts. of the Maginot line nearby. The great great great grandson of a soldier in the Napoleonic wars, Eric Babilon also knows like the back of his hand the sites of Le Linge and the Reichackerkopf, which he can introduce to passing tourists at any time. For this reason, when he discovered that the Munster Valley Tourist Office had created a team of Greeters, he enthusiastically decided to get involved in a spirit of sharing and meeting with interested and interesting people.

Want to get to know Munster up close? Pierre Dischinger is ideal for this! Think about it, he has been on the municipal council since 1998 and in 2008 he took his place in the mayor's chair. One could qualify him as a “quiet force” according to the famous slogan as it is true that there is something restful about his calm! Holder of a master's degree in butchery and delicatessen, he operates his trade in local products a few meters from his job as mayor. This does not prevent him from reserving quiet beaches to unhitch after or before busy days. Adept at how much of the environment, he has succeeded in transforming the city's landscaping services, which no longer use herbicides or pesticides. And when he takes time off, it's backpack travel style with his wife Heidi. He knows the city of Munster inside out and can explain to everyone how he and his team intend to make Munster the nugget in the valley and make people want to discover it. There is still work to be done but it is progressing, he says with a smile and even promises to show the town hall “from the cellar to the attic” for those interested!

Language: French - German

The former gendarme he was had by his profession traveled to New Caledonia and Polynesia on various assignments to end his career as a brigade commander in Munster. A return to his roots for Albert Heinrich, passionate about the Munster valley whom he describes as "the most beautiful valley in the world" while assuming his chauvinism. But the one who looks like Ho Chi Minh - for the moment - became in 2005 president of the section of the Munster valley of the Club Vosgien, at the head of more than 500 members and 365 km of marked and maintained trails! Touched on all talk, Albert Heinrich took in 2007 a Munster-Compostela, 2300 km on foot, followed in 2011 by a Malaga-Hendaye 1500 km. For over a year, he has also served as a guide at the Albert Schweitzer Museum, of which he is an admirer. Also, becoming greeters is obvious since he is the one who says it: "I love people". It is true that, vaccinated by the public service, he always feels at the service of the public through his various commitments and is happy to point out that in Tahiti, his customary name is "tuakoifenua" which means "l 'man who comes from afar'. And in Munster, it is very close!

Passionate about cars, Nicolas Guhring even offered himself the luxury of writing a thesis on the Bugatti world, which he knows by heart. This pure Munsterian has many other strings to its bow. History is also his domain, especially that of the 1st World War in the valley. This is why he will be able to help interested parties discover the sites which during the period 1914-1918 deeply marked the valley and the ridges of the Vosges through the bitter fighting of Linge, Schratzmaennele and other Sattelkopffs. For the “disciples” of Doctor Schweitzer, Nicolas Guhring is a specialist. He was even an archivist-guide for two years in the house of Dr. Schweitzer in Gunsbach, that is to say! But he also has a deep knowledge of the agricultural world, in particular that of the marcaires who emigrate to the stubble with their herd of cows in the famous farm inns. Finally, the history of textiles in the valley, closely linked to the Hartmann dynasty, is familiar to him and will, if necessary, enlighten everyone.

Language: French-German

Another pure juice from Munster! Lili Hourtoulle knows the history of the Hartmann family and its factories inside and out. And for good reason. She worked there from the age of 14 and this for 27 years.
Touche à tout - it is she who says it -, Lili was part of the first dismissal cart which, in the end, allowed her to become administrative manager of the ELAG company based in Munster (Swiss company of specific packaging) until his retirement in 2007. Why become a greeter?
Lili who loves to travel found one day in Venice a charming old man who gave her showed with undisguised pleasure the nooks and crannies of the city while in a group she would only have seen the imposed tourist sites. This is what made her decide to take the plunge in Munster to be part of the greeters team! She, who grew up in the Elm district, also loves to show Munster off the beaten track and, as she is secretary of the amicale of the Munster fire brigade, she does not exclude serving as a guide at the Center. local aid to firefighters from elsewhere.

Language: French- German