Alsace has through its history changed hands between Germany and France on several occasions. The local culture is distinct, and the region offers historic cities and castles, and interesting countryside. A popular itinerary is the Alsatian Vineyard Route - fabulous for walking from town to town trying a whole bunch of local wines.
Alsace also has some of the most beautiful cathedrals and churches in Western Europe. The stunning Strasbourg Cathedral is a unique example of a mix of roman and gothic architecture and has the peculiarity of having one tower only and of being built with pink Vosges gres.
Due to their tumultuous past history, Alsatians are extremely proud to be French and take great offence in being mistaken for Germans when they go overseas or inland France. You will not see more French flags on the streets of any other inland French cities. Alsatians have a very deep attachment to France even if the French Government has not always reciprocated. During WWII, all Alsatians men were sent by the Germans to the Russian front. Some boys managed to escape before being sent there and went to Paris to enrol in the French army. This act of courage however came at a dire price as the family of those "malgré nous" would often be killed or sent to concentration camps.
Regions
The Bas-Rhin is the northern département of Alsace; Haut-Rhin refers to the département south of Selestat.
Alsace is divided East by the Rhine river (also forming the natural border between France and Germany) and West by the Vosges mountain range.
Cities
The capital of Alsace is Strasbourg. 40km to the South of Strasbourg is Colmar, a renowned tourist destination. Other towns include:
Alsace has an extensive rail network due to its shared borders with Germany and Switzerland, with rail links to both of these countries passing through the region. The French SNCF and TGV networks pass through Alsace. Rail links to Freiburg and Basel are found at Mulhouse, and Strasbourg has direct connections to Germany, Paris and other cities in France.
Getting there
The Haut-Rhin département is served by Euroairport, the airport that serves Mulhouse, Basel and Freiburg, with excellent links by road and train to these cities. Budget airline Easyjet offers links to London and Liverpool.
A smaller airport also exists at Entzheim, near Strasbourg. But the easiest way to get in is by road. The Bas-Rhin département is linked to Paris and the rest of France by the A4 highway and the N4 road, when the Haut-Rhin is linked to west by the N59 road (via the tunnel of Ste-Marie-aux-Mines) and to the south (Belfort) by the A36 highway. Other small roads link Lorraine to Alsace, but they're all really winding since they go through the Vosges.
The main access to Switzerland is the A35 highway (between Mulhouse, France and Basel, Switzerland).
If you arrive from Germany, you can cross the Rhine easily at one of several bridges.
Traveling around
It is best to have a car so you can explore all the little villages, stop for wine tastings and see the ruins of castles.
See
River cruise on Strasbourg's "Ill" canal
Ecomuseum of Ungersheim - were traditional houses from all over the region have been transferred into one place
Riquewihr Traditional Winemaking village
Cité de l'automobile - National Motor Museum - Collection Schlumpf - Mulhouse
Discover the fantastic Fritz Schlumpf collection: Bugatti, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Hispano Suiza. They're all there, in an area covering 17,000 m², 400 exceptional cars from amongst the most famous. There are giant screens, simulators, reconstructions truer than real life, games.
Cité du Train
Visit the Cité du Train or French Railway Museum in Mulhouse. Through the 15,000 m² of the largest train museum in France, discover the history of French railway.
Things to do
A drive or bike where the Vosges mountains meet the Rhine valley is a highlight of a visit to Alsace.
Drive on the Wine Road (Route du Vin) and visit all the small villes fleuries and wine towns.
Eat
Alsatian cuisine is very distinctive; heavily German-influenced with a Gallic flavour. According to Alsatians, sauerkraut (French: choucroute) was invented here. In addition, a traveller can expect to find tarte flambée (an onion, bacon, and creme fraiche 'pizza' - Flammkuchen in German), Baeckehoffe and all sort of Charturie in abundance in Alsatian restaurants, nestling alongside escargots, "cuisses de grenouilles" and crème brûlée. Alsace is the smallest region in France, but it possesses the largest number of five-star chefs per inhabitant.
Drink
The Alsatian Vineyard Route is a veritable rite-of-passage for the discerning wine buff. Visit the Vins Alsace website for further information.
Alsace is also home to some of the best and most renowned beers in the world, like Kronenbourg, Kanterbrau or Fischer.
Talk
French is the official language. German dialect is widely spoken by the older generation and in the more rural areas. The English language can be limited to the younger generation. In some areas, the population may use the native dialect of Alsacien, an Allemanic German dialect similar to that spoken across the German border in western Baden-Württemberg or in northwestern Switzerland, but you will always find someone who can speak French fluently. Knowledge of standard German has again become important for economic reasons, but certainly English is more likely to play this role.
The Alsacien dialect was widely spoken in the big cities before WWII. After the war, people were discouraged from speaking anything else but French and childen were even punished if heard speaking Alsacien on the playground.
In the last 30 years, the Alsacien dialect has rapidly declined and therefore the French Government has put in place some measures to try and save it. Children at school can take in optional "Regional Language and Culture" lessons and can even choose this subject as an optional one in their final high school examination.
To an unexercised ear, Alsacien might sound very similar to standard German, when it is in fact very different and are totally mutually unintelligible. As there is no written grammar, Alsacien is pretty much a free agent and whenever new words come into the everyday vocabulary, people will normally choose the French word over the German ones.
Safety
Alsace is a predominantly rural region with a low crime rate. Visitors to Strasbourg should heed the same advice for any major city; do not flash cash, be sympathetic but not gullible with beggars; don't wander down dark alleys alone.
Get out
Lorraine
Vosges
Basel
Freiburg
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Alsace is a region in the northeast of France.
Understand
Alsace has through its history changed hands between Germany and France on several occasions. The local culture is distinct, and the region offers historic cities and castles, and interesting countryside. A popular itinerary is the Alsatian Vineyard Route - fabulous for walking from town to town trying a whole bunch of local wines.
Alsace also has some of the most beautiful cathedrals and churches in Western Europe. The stunning Strasbourg Cathedral is a unique example of a mix of roman and gothic architecture and has the peculiarity of having one tower only and of being built with pink Vosges gres.
Due to their tumultuous past history, Alsatians are extremely proud to be French and take great offence in being mistaken for Germans when they go overseas or inland France. You will not see more French flags on the streets of any other inland French cities. Alsatians have a very deep attachment to France even if the French Government has not always reciprocated. During WWII, all Alsatians men were sent by the Germans to the Russian front. Some boys managed to escape before being sent there and went to Paris to enrol in the French army. This act of courage however came at a dire price as the family of those "malgré nous" would often be killed or sent to concentration camps.
Regions
The Bas-Rhin is the northern département of Alsace; Haut-Rhin refers to the département south of Selestat.
Alsace is divided East by the Rhine river (also forming the natural border between France and Germany) and West by the Vosges mountain range.
Cities
The capital of Alsace is Strasbourg. 40km to the South of Strasbourg is Colmar, a renowned tourist destination. Other towns include:
Haguenau
Kaysersberg
Mulhouse
Obernai
Ribeauvillé
Riquewihr
Rixheim
Saverne
Selestat
Other destinations
Alsace has an extensive rail network due to its shared borders with Germany and Switzerland, with rail links to both of these countries passing through the region. The French SNCF and TGV networks pass through Alsace. Rail links to Freiburg and Basel are found at Mulhouse, and Strasbourg has direct connections to Germany, Paris and other cities in France.
Getting there
The Haut-Rhin département is served by Euroairport, the airport that serves Mulhouse, Basel and Freiburg, with excellent links by road and train to these cities. Budget airline Easyjet offers links to London and Liverpool. A smaller airport also exists at Entzheim, near Strasbourg. But the easiest way to get in is by road. The Bas-Rhin département is linked to Paris and the rest of France by the A4 highway and the N4 road, when the Haut-Rhin is linked to west by the N59 road (via the tunnel of Ste-Marie-aux-Mines) and to the south (Belfort) by the A36 highway. Other small roads link Lorraine to Alsace, but they're all really winding since they go through the Vosges. The main access to Switzerland is the A35 highway (between Mulhouse, France and Basel, Switzerland). If you arrive from Germany, you can cross the Rhine easily at one of several bridges.
Traveling around
It is best to have a car so you can explore all the little villages, stop for wine tastings and see the ruins of castles.
See
River cruise on Strasbourg's "Ill" canal
Ecomuseum of Ungersheim - were traditional houses from all over the region have been transferred into one place
Riquewihr Traditional Winemaking village
Cité de l'automobile - National Motor Museum - Collection Schlumpf - Mulhouse Discover the fantastic Fritz Schlumpf collection: Bugatti, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Hispano Suiza. They're all there, in an area covering 17,000 m², 400 exceptional cars from amongst the most famous. There are giant screens, simulators, reconstructions truer than real life, games.
Cité du Train Visit the Cité du Train or French Railway Museum in Mulhouse. Through the 15,000 m² of the largest train museum in France, discover the history of French railway.
Things to do
A drive or bike where the Vosges mountains meet the Rhine valley is a highlight of a visit to Alsace.
Drive on the Wine Road (Route du Vin) and visit all the small villes fleuries and wine towns.
Eat
Alsatian cuisine is very distinctive; heavily German-influenced with a Gallic flavour. According to Alsatians, sauerkraut (French: choucroute) was invented here. In addition, a traveller can expect to find tarte flambée (an onion, bacon, and creme fraiche 'pizza' - Flammkuchen in German), Baeckehoffe and all sort of Charturie in abundance in Alsatian restaurants, nestling alongside escargots, "cuisses de grenouilles" and crème brûlée. Alsace is the smallest region in France, but it possesses the largest number of five-star chefs per inhabitant.
Drink
The Alsatian Vineyard Route is a veritable rite-of-passage for the discerning wine buff. Visit the Vins Alsace website for further information.
Alsace is also home to some of the best and most renowned beers in the world, like Kronenbourg, Kanterbrau or Fischer.
Talk
French is the official language. German dialect is widely spoken by the older generation and in the more rural areas. The English language can be limited to the younger generation. In some areas, the population may use the native dialect of Alsacien, an Allemanic German dialect similar to that spoken across the German border in western Baden-Württemberg or in northwestern Switzerland, but you will always find someone who can speak French fluently. Knowledge of standard German has again become important for economic reasons, but certainly English is more likely to play this role.
The Alsacien dialect was widely spoken in the big cities before WWII. After the war, people were discouraged from speaking anything else but French and childen were even punished if heard speaking Alsacien on the playground.
In the last 30 years, the Alsacien dialect has rapidly declined and therefore the French Government has put in place some measures to try and save it. Children at school can take in optional "Regional Language and Culture" lessons and can even choose this subject as an optional one in their final high school examination. To an unexercised ear, Alsacien might sound very similar to standard German, when it is in fact very different and are totally mutually unintelligible. As there is no written grammar, Alsacien is pretty much a free agent and whenever new words come into the everyday vocabulary, people will normally choose the French word over the German ones.
Safety
Alsace is a predominantly rural region with a low crime rate. Visitors to Strasbourg should heed the same advice for any major city; do not flash cash, be sympathetic but not gullible with beggars; don't wander down dark alleys alone.
Get out
Lorraine
Vosges
Basel
Freiburg
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Tambako the Jaguar, Francisco Antunes, Ana, Claudia Castro, Mossaiq, Helmut Goldschmidt, GIPE25, OliBac
Some photos courtesy of:
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Peter Fitzgerald, Jim Nicholson, Laurence Baillie, Ann, Nancy Hampton and Colin Jensen, Tatatabot, Cacahuate, Episteme, InterLangBot and Nzpcmad
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
View full credits