We moved into an abandoned railway station in Alsace

Half an hour west of Strasbourg sits the town of Wasselonne, Bas-Rhin, where Alexandra and Patrice Brault, both 48, live in a former railway station with their three children.

The couple, from the west of France, had moved to Alsace for work. Alexandra had often admired the old building while out walking and had fantasised about what it would feel like to live in such a place.

“Then, one morning in 2018, I happened to stumble across an advertisement online,” she said, “and realised that the old station was for sale. I organised a viewing, took Patrice to see it, and we bought it the same day!”

The couple had already talked about running gîtes or a guesthouse one day, and they had been looking for an unusual property. The former station certainly fitted the bill.

“It was obviously an old property,” said Patrice. “It needed renovation, so at first it was difficult to imagine ourselves living there, but we could see the potential.”

Restoring the old station

The station building dates back to 1905 and was built by the Germans using grès des Vosges, a traditional stone with a pink hue.

Gare de Wasselonne sat on the line connecting Strasbourg to Saverne (both Bas-Rhin) but the last trains stopped running here in 1988.

The original building was abandoned for several years before being divided up into apartments.

“When we arrived in 2018, the station hadn’t operated for 30 years,” Alexandra said, “but thankfully many of its original features were intact.

“We bought what used to be the main hall and an apartment on the ground floor from a couple who had lived there for 20 years. That meant we could create a family home and convert the apartment into a gîte for four guests.

“Later, in 2022, we bought another apartment on the first floor, and that became our second holiday let.”

At a certain point, the authorities had to make a choice: either to list all the stations in the region from the same period as historic monuments, or to list none at all.

They decided against it, which for Alexandra and Patrice meant there were few restrictions on the work they could carry out.

“It was more a matter of common sense and respecting the heritage,” said Alexandra.

“Our aim was to renovate without distorting the building – preserving or highlighting the original features where possible.”

The couple spent approximately €380,000, including the initial purchase and renovation costs, which included replacing all the windows and adding a conservatory between the family’s living space and the former platform.

A home full of railway history

For many people, a project of this size might have felt like an overwhelming prospect, but the Braults now have a beautiful family home with a rich history and their own business running holiday lets.

Inside, there are several period features that recall the former role of this 210m² property, such as the entrance with its classic blue-and-white enamel sign, wooden wainscoting and even original ceramic tiles. Meanwhile, the main hall has been transformed into a living space complete with the wooden parquet flooring in a warm honey colour.

The architecture still feels unmistakably that of a period railway station, especially the series of tall arched windows in what was once the station’s waiting room, letting in plenty of light. Perhaps the most charming elements are the wooden window sills, which still bear the traces of words, initials and even hearts etched by bored passengers waiting for their trains to arrive decades ago.

Outside, where there was once a platform, there is now a stone-laid patio and lawn, and although the tracks have long since disappeared, a closer look reveals the original platform edging, also made of Vosges sandstone.

‘We are the custodians of this heritage’

Looking back, Alexandra and Patrice are happy they made the spontaneous decision to buy the property. Their hard work has given them a unique home as well as a business they can run together.

The two holiday lets have proved popular and they say that guests appreciate the experience of staying in a railway station without the noise of trains disturbing their sleep.

“Ultimately, we are the custodians of this heritage," said Alexandra. “We bought the place partly to maintain and enhance it – our aim has always been to preserve the building’s heritage in all the renovations that we undertake.

“This is not just a business for us – we fell in love with the property, we live here, and we are very aware of how lucky we are.”