Suisse – the small French village overshadowed by its Alpine neighbour

Visitors from Switzerland. A couple from St. Gallen (left) and Jean-Luc Klein, mayor of the French village of Suisse (right), pose in front of the sign at the entrance of the French village of Suisse. RTS / Raphaël Grand

Suisse is a small French village situated in the Moselle region in northeastern France. Its name often gets confused with that of its larger neighbour to the south, much to the consternation of the local authorities.

Jean-Luc Klein, the mayor of Suisse, admits that having a neighbouring country with an identical name makes life complicated.

“Several times a month we receive letters concerning birth certificates intended for Switzerland and not for the village. We therefore send them a standard response,” he recently told Swiss public television, RTS.

Locals have numerous similar anecdotes. One of the most common problems occurs with the GPS navigation system in their vehicles.

At 93, Marguerite Noirot is the oldest resident of Suisse. Her son recalls how one driver’s GPS system led him to Suisse in the Moselle region, between Luxembourg and Germany, instead of the country 200km to the south.

The elderly resident remembers back to how Suisse – the village of only 93 people – fell into the hands of the German army during the Second World War. “The German soldiers used to come to get milk… I have always lived in Suisse and I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” she adds.

Unknown origin

The origin of the village name remains a mystery. The first traces go back to the beginning of the 18th century and reference to Sulza, the old Germanic name of the village. But it could also come from Swiss workers who lived in the region at the time.

Not misled by a GPS, but a deliberate visit: the passing couple from St. Gallen in Switzerland in their VW bus. Next to them, the mayor of the village of Suisse, Jean-Luc Klein. RTS / Raphaël Grand

Meanwhile, Swiss visitors often pass by the village, like this tourist from canton St Gallen.

“It’s the first time I’ve been to this village. My friend said to me: ‘Look on the map, there’s a village called Suisse’. It wasn’t exactly on our route, but we thought let’s take a look,” he laughs.

Time for a quick stop for a photo in front of the famous village sign – which has been stolen in the past, the mayor tells us.