Unusual things to do in the Grand Est

💡 January: Low season: most seasonal sites are closed, and so is the Humanist Library. Still open are the Hackenberg fort (visits on certain days of the week, booking required), the Wendel Mine and Le Vaisseau.

💡 February: Sélestat’s Humanist Library reopens (afternoons only) and the Hackenberg offers daily visits during the February school holidays. The open-air parks remain closed.

💡 March: The end of winter: Monkey Mountain usually reopens in late March (on 21 March in 2026; check the 2027 date). The other seasonal sites tend to reopen in early April.

💡 April: The month of reopenings: the Saint-Louis-Arzviller boat lift and the Meisenthal glassmaking site from 1 April (in 2026), the Tellure mining park in early April, daily visits at the Hackenberg. Check the reopening date of the eagle aviary.

💡 May: All sites are in principle open and visitor numbers remain moderate outside bank-holiday weekends: a good time for the Schoenenbourg fort and the gardens of Wesserling.

💡 June: The Jardins Métissés festival begins at Wesserling (June to October). The long days let you combine an underground site in the morning with a park in the afternoon.

Also in season: Saint-Louis–Arzviller Boat Lift (Inclined Plane)

💡 July: In the summer heat, underground visits offer genuine respite: Hackenberg (extra departures in July–August), Schoenenbourg, Tellure. At the boat lift, opening hours are extended in summer.

Also in season: La Volerie des Aigles (Eagle Park)La Montagne des Singes (Monkey Mountain)Parc de Wesserling – Gardens

💡 August: The busiest month at the Kintzheim wildlife parks: arrive at opening time. Tellure is open every day.

Also in season: Saint-Louis–Arzviller Boat Lift (Inclined Plane)Parc de Wesserling – Gardens

💡 September: Fewer visitors and all sites still open: the ideal moment for a tour of Moselle taking in Meisenthal, the Saint-Louis crystal works and the boat lift. Some forts reduce their opening days: check before you go.

💡 October: The last month for the boat lift (until 31 October in 2026). During the All Saints’ (Toussaint) school holidays, several parks put on Halloween events, such as “Chouettes Frissons” at the eagle aviary in 2026.

💡 November: Seasonal closures: Meisenthal and Tellure close after 1 November (in 2026), Monkey Mountain around mid-November. Fall back on the Hackenberg (winter hours from mid-November), the Wendel Mine and Le Vaisseau.

💡 December: The Parc de Wesserling holds “Noël au Jardin” (Christmas in the Garden) on several evenings in December (online booking). The Humanist Library is open all day in December; the Wendel Mine closes on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December.