PREHISTORIC ERA

Celt tribes ocupied the mount and its surroundings . Witnesses : the pagan wall built about 1000 BC ; enormous sacrifise stones , grottos, megalithic fences unique in Europe .

ROMAN PERIOD

On the mountain they called Altitona, the Romans pitched a camp, to which lead two paved roads . The entrance gateway is today through the " Roman Gate " .

MEROVINGIAN PERIOD - SAINTE ODILE

In the 7th century Etichon, a merovingian duke, resided in Obernai . His wife Bereswinde, niece of Saint Léger, bishop of Autun and King’s councellor, gave birth to a daughter who was blind . Odile was brought up in Balma Burgundy ( Baume-les -Dames) recovers the sight on the day of her baptism .

She came to Alsace and founded Altitona ( or Hohenbourg) a monastery which became very
Prosperous . She died there in 720 .

THE MIDDLE-AGES - THE " HORTUS DELICIARUM "

On several time the monastery of Hohenbourg was destroyed and rebuilt . The abbess Herrade de Landsberg (1195) composed the " Hortus Deliciarum ", a sort of christian encyclopaedic, one of the most beautiful manuscript of Europe, whose original became the prey of fire in 1870 .

FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE REVOLUTION - THE " PREMONTRES " PRIESTS

Plundering of the convent during the peasant war ( 1521) . After a frightful which burned down the buildings in 1546 , the Nuns left Hohenbourg , never to return . Some " Prémontrés " priests took care of Sainte Odile’s tomb . Thanks to their efforts , the " Mount Sainte Odile " became a very famous place of pilgrimage . People went there to beseech Sainte Odile , especially for the blind . The revolution in 1789 forced the " Prémontrés " priests to leave . Then the monastery was desecrated, sold and almost abandoned for 60 years .

FROM 1853 TO THE PRESENT DAYS - NEW RESTORATIONS .

The Mount was bought in 1853 and became the Bishop of Strasbourg’s property . Under Mgr Ruch , new and important restorations were made by R. Danis ( 1926-1940) which enabled the pilgrimage to expend rapidly . the Perpetual Adoration was created in 1931 .
The new roads giving access to the ancient monastery enabled the growth and development of the hotel . Some priests of the diocese and a religious community run the establishment .