Winners of the 2026 illustration competition

The ‘Draw Me a Creature from the earth!’ competition is an illustration competition being held for the fourth consecutive year on the theme of a fantastical creature from the Rhine region, linked to the Festival Châteaux et Légendes. 

The aim of the competition is to help the public engage with the tangible heritage of the Upper Rhine’s castles and its intangible heritage linked to legends. Participants are required to draw a silhouette of a castle (bonus points if it is from the Rhine region) and the fantastical creature. 
 

In 2026, the focus was on creatures of the earth, namely the Nibelungen, the Berggeist, the stone giant and others. Nearly 120 entries from across Europe were submitted. Only 22 winners were selected across the following categories:

• ‘Novice’ category: 6–10 years old
  1st SAUVAGE Olivia
  2nd GARCIA Cézanne
  3rd ILIC Sofija
  4th JAILLET Sébastien
  5th MURALI MOHAN Jeeva

• ‘Apprentice’ category: 11–15 years old
  1st BURGER-CERIANI Noély
  2nd JANIQUE Albane
  3rd BRAILLON ADAMY Angélique
  4th BUSCHBACHER Alice
  5th (joint) PONSAT Hélène
  5th (joint) TORLAK Liubov

• ‘Masters’ category: aged 16 and over
  1st ZEGREAN Sergiu
  2nd (joint) ROBERT Maëlle
  2nd (joint) MULLER Pierre-Paul
  3rd VAN MALDER Alice
  4th SANTANGELO Eugène
  5th (joint) NAMYSL Julie
  5th (joint) GEORG Julie

• ‘Guilds’ category: groups
  BIHL Nolan Dambach-la-Ville, Secondary school 
  CARTON Hortense Dambach-la-Ville, Secondary school 
  CASIER Ethan Dambach-la-Ville, Secondary school 
  SOLHER Madoline Dambach-la-Ville, Secondary school 
  WOERLY Sophie, Dambach-la-Ville, Secondary school 

• ‘Weavers of Humanity’ category  
  1st OUAHAB Youcef 
  2nd STOFFEL Jonathan 
  3rd (group) Fanny Thann Day Therapy Centre
  3rd (group) Sophie Thann Day Therapy Centre
  3rd (group) Corinne Thann Day Therapy Centre
  3rd (group) Maria Thann Day Therapy Centre
  3rd (group) Katia Thann Day Therapy Centre
  3rd (group) Vincente Thann Day Therapy Centre
  3rd (group) Monique Thann Day Therapy Centre

The competition reached its climax with the awards ceremony this summer at Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle. Congratulations to all the winners!

Organised by the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace, the selection process was carried out with the assistance of representatives from cross-border cultural organisations: the Ortenaukreis in Baden-Württemberg and the Canton of Jura in Switzerland, all under the artistic direction of John Howe (Artistic Director of *The Lord of the Rings*).

The evening ended on a poetic note with a live-drawn concert, performed by musicians Kalevi Uibo, Anne Schlick and Sébastien Benoit, accompanied by the artist Jean Linnhoff.