The Alsatian town of Kaysersberg was given the title “City of the Empire” in 1293, according to a mural I discovered when checking out a courtyard off one of the main streets. There I found this mural commissioned to mark the 700th anniversary of the event.

The title was given by Adolf, who was King of Germany at the time. I must admit, I had never heard of him before.

Kaysersberg is a quaint town, a tourist magnet with the city core closed to vehicles, or tourist vehicles anyway. Parking is inexpensive though, and the lots are close to downtown, so that isn’t a hardship. It has become one of those places we take visitors who are wanting to see a traditional village.

Despite its German-sounding name, Kaysersberg is in France. The Alsace region has been part of both countries over the centuries, depending on who won the  most recent war. The place names all seem more German than French to me, though I haven’t heard any German spoken on the street.

The mural is colorful, and was quite unexpected – I hadn’t done any research at all into what I might find in Kaysersberg, which made the whole village a pleasant surprise.