Haute Cristallerie in Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche, France
Cristallerie Saint Louis, the oldest glass manufacturer in France
The Twist 1586 collection is enriched with a range dedicated to the bar.
Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche /Redaction Barcelona, February 24, 2025
A decade ago, Saint-Louis glassworks launched the Twist 1586 collection—designed for individual wine styles it included glassware for all manner of wines and champagnes. but until now it didn’t include glasses for spirits and fortified wines for enjoing the aromatics of tequila, vintage port or eau-de-vie.
The Twist 1586 collection is enriched with a range dedicated to the bar. Three glass models and one bottle make up this collection, created in collaboration with master distiller Nicolas Julhès. This new range ushers in a new era of refinement in the art of tasting.
Collection Twist 1586
Twist 1586, is an audacious collection of tasting glasses pairing esthetics with technical expertise. Adorned with Venitian-style stripes, the parison reveals all the nuances of wine through a subtle play of light. With Twist 1586, it is the universal language of intuition that guides our connoisseur inclinations.
The manufacture
Saint-Louis since 1586
The Spirit of the Forest
Long before the name Saint-Louis became established in the very select circle of haute cristallerie, glass already held sway in the Bitche region, the northen part of Vosges.
Born in 1586
The Compagnie des Cristalleries de Saint Louis is a corporation, founded in 1586 in Münzthal (Saint-Louis-lès-Bitche in French) in Lorraine. It is the oldest glass manufacturer in France with roots dating back to 1586 and the first crystal glass manufacturer in continental Europe (1781).
The roi Louis XV will designate it “Verrerie Royale” then “Saint-Louis”. Subsequently, in 1781, the discovery of the crystal manufacturing process will be a major step in its history since it will immediately become “ Royal Crystal Glassworks of Saint-Louis ” and first factory producing French crystal..
It then knew how to evolve over time by pursuing a constant quest for perfection and by developing innovative techniques passed down from generation to generation, which led it to specialize in the production of high end crystal and contributed to its renown. Today, the Saint-Louis crystal represents the French art of living in the whole world.
Visit La Grande Place, the Saint-Louis museum
The museum is located in the Vosges du Nord national park, the birthplace of the Saint-Louis crystal manufacture, the oldest in France and continental Europe.
At the heart of the manufacture, historical displays unfold around a brilliantly lit atrium, including a unique chandelier of 120-light chandelier. The stunning architecture showcases 2,000 exceptional works encapsulating the history of Saint-Louis, in perpetual dialogue with the living skills that have been practiced here for centuries.
A window offers a bird’s-eye view of the timeless choreography of artisans at work. Known as ‘La Grande Place’, the skilled team creates prestige objects in Saint-Louis crystal on the manufacture floor. The museum is named in their honour.
At the end of the route, you will be able to access a temporary exhibition space for contemporary art proposed by Hermès Corporate Foundation.
Learn more?
>>https://www.saint-louis.com/
A close-up visit to glass blowers and crystal cutters
After discovering the museum’s impressive collection, put on your headphones and follow the guide to the meeting of the best workers in France.
As soon as you enter the room, a dull noise and strong heat are felt; you are now in the heart of the factory, In the heat workshop, where 1.450 degrees are necessary to transform matter into crystal. On a footbridge overlooking the workshop, you observe the precise gestures of the glass pickers and blowers, under the comments of your guide.
The visit continues in the cold workshop. First of all, that of clipboard allows you to contemplate these artists who wield the blowtorch and hundreds of crystal wands to give life to impressive relief decorations. All tools needed to make crystal are then presented to you as well as the contemporary collections et what’s new in Saint-Louis.
To end the visit, you then have the opportunity to get up close tailors, engravers and decorators. A unique opportunity to learn more about the techniques of this work of art, and observe the talent and precision necessary to create such refined pieces.