Audioguides delve into the turbulent 900-year history of the castle, which makes a very medieval impression despite having been reconstructed, with German imperial pomposity, by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1908. This is a great way to see the city from another perspective whether you’re traveling solo or with a group, the boats can hold 5, 7 or 11 people. Most dishes are based on pork and veal; specialties include baeckeoffe (meat stew), jambonneau braisé (braised knuckle of ham), (minced meat rolls) and choucroute garnie (sauerkraut garnished with meat). Dishes feature the freshest local ingredients, with a French knack for presentation and a German liking for extra large portions. Completed in all its Gothic grandeur in 1439, Cathédrale Notre-Dame is the unchallenged Strasbourg icon in the heart of the city.
However, local antisemitism also increased and Napoleon turned hostile in 1806, imposing a one-year moratorium on all debts owed to Jews. They maintained their own customs, Yiddish language, and historic traditions within the tightly knit ghettos; they adhered to Jewish law. By 1790, the Jewish population of Alsace was approximately 22,500, about 3% of the provincial population.
- At the same time, some Alsatians were in opposition to the Jacobins and sympathetic to the restoration of the monarchy pursued by the invading forces of Austria and Prussia who sought to crush the nascent revolutionary republic.
- However, if you want the flexibility to visit multiple wineries and explore the smaller, off-the-beaten-path villages along the wine route, renting a car may be more convenient.
- In some parts of the city, as well as in Strasbourg, road signs are written in French, with Alsatian German underneath.
- A stop on the Paris-Vienna-Orient trade route, as well as a port on the Rhine route linking southern Germany and Switzerland to the Netherlands, England and Scandinavia, it became the political and economic center of the region.
- The Vosges Mountains provide opportunities for hiking, skiing, and enjoying the natural beauty of the region.
- Welcome to the official destination website #VisitAlsace
- This is certainly not your typical Alsatian destination, but the area around Ensisheim, north of Mulhouse, will appeal to travelers after something different.
Notable people
The Alsace vineyards extend across the hills of the Vosges at between 200 and 400 metres high, over some 14,000 hectares of grapevines which produce an average of 150 million bottles of wine. From there, you can easily journey through the Route des Crêtes of the Vosges and the Wine Route. The capital, Strasbourg, is home to one of France’s most beautiful Gothic cathedrals, a pedestrian old town centre, and the country’s premier Christmas Market.
Find top-quality museums and eye-catching buildings in Colmar’s Old Town
- The traditional language of the région is Alsatian, an Alemannic dialect of Upper German spoken on both sides of the Rhine and closely related to Swiss German.
- From there, you can easily journey through the Route des Crêtes of the Vosges and the Wine Route.
- Pocket Guides are compact guides for short trips that offer the best local experiences.
- This is a great way to see the city from another perspective whether you’re traveling solo or with a group, the boats can hold 5, 7 or 11 people.
- This tragic wartime episode gave them the name “les Malgré-Nous” (“in spite of our will”).
- Alsace had changed hands four times within 75 years between France and Germany.
- Cultural life was, in part, suppressed by linguistic pressure from French authorities confronted by regional culture.
The suppression of local culture led to the Francization of Alsace (and Colmar along with it). During World War II, Hitler reclaimed Alsace (which had been annexed by France after Germany’s defeat in World War I), and it is quite shocking to see photographs from that time with Nazi flags hanging in the streets. Alsace has changed nationality several times throughout history, shifting between France and Germany. From charming medieval towns and vineyard-covered hills to historic landmarks and a unique blend of French and German influences, Alsace has something to offer every type of traveler.
The wines of Alsace (except for sparkling wine) are still sold in gracefully-shaped bottles, which are named “Alsace flûtes”. In Alsace, the wines are mostly named after the variety of the grapes and not after the land on which they are produced. The local microclimate is favourable for the slow and prolonged ripening of grapes and the formation of grapes of great finesse. Munster is still being made on either side of the Vosges mountains in Alsace and in Lorraine. In the Vosges mountains, many farmhouses (fermes-auberges) serve an authentic traditional farm meal called “marcaire”, which features pie as a first course and roïgabrageldi (potatoes with smoked pork shoulder) as a main.
But by the 2010s, Alsace had entered a new period of slow demographic growth, though the Strasbourg area had become one of France's fastest growing regions. High population growth during the post-WW2 economic boom of the Trente Glorieuses ended after the 1973 oil crisis. It doesn't rain much in the area because of the protection offered by the Vosges mountains. It includes the départements of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin (known previously as Sundgau and Nordgau). French government institutions employ a variety of means to prevent the German-speaking Alsatians from publishing media in their native language.
Since the 1st January 2016, the administrative region of Alsace has been part of the new Grand Est region along with Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne. In the postwar years, however, French hegemony reclaimed Alsace, though some cultural ties to Germany remained. During the interwar years, German influence remained strong in the two recovered régions, and in the early 1940s Alsace was once again annexed by Germany, for the duration of World War II. This influence grew during the Thirty Years’ War, when the Alsatian cities, caught between the opposing Catholic and Protestant sides and feeling their liberties threatened, appealed to France for help. That city’s Protestant influence was countered, however, by the resolute Roman Catholicism of the Habsburgs, who tried to glitzbets casino registration eradicate heresy in upper Alsace.
Walk the treetop footbridge at Chemin des Cimes
Small in size but big in its diversity, Alsace is an endless source of surprises and variety, promising a truly exceptional time! As the seasons change, so do the festivities.Welcome to the official destination website #VisitAlsace Castles of Alsace, a unique heritage in EuropeWelcome to the official #VisitAlsace destination website Welcome to the official destination website #VisitAlsace All the towpaths of the canals in Alsace (canal des houillères de la Sarre, canal de la Marne au Rhin, canal de la Bruche, canal du Rhône au Rhin) are tarred.
Places to visit in Alsace
French is the most commonly spoken language in Alsace nowadays. It is common to see new official bilingual street signs in Alsatian cities and villages. Alsatian does not have official status in France and can only be offered as an optional language at school. Locally known as Elsässisch, it is an Alemannic dialect, part of the High German language. The Alsatian dialect is estimated to be spoken by a population of 400,000 to 700,000.
Wine Route (Route des Vins d’Alsace)
Pocket Guides are compact guides for short trips that offer the best local experiences. Epic Guides provide inspiration and first-person stories for a lifetime of unforgettable travel experiences. Language Guides help to let no barriers – language or culture – get in your way. For travelers looking to immerse themselves in local culture and language essentials. Take your time discovering its varied landscapes by bike or on foot, from the Rhine plain to the Vosges mountains, and join in the joyful celebrations that punctuate the year, from carnivals and Easter to the grape harvest and the magical Advent season. A tourist hotspot, the little city houses some of the most beautiful half-timbered houses of the Renaissance in Alsace in its entirely pedestrian centre.
Alsace experiences a semi-continental climate characterized by distinct seasons, with cold winters and warm summers. Apart from Strasbourg, other towns in Alsace, like Colmar and Mulhouse, host enchanting Christmas markets during the holiday season. Explore historic towns like Obernai, Mulhouse, and Sélestat, each with its unique character and heritage. The region’s diverse landscapes include forests, lakes, and rolling hills.
Leave a reply