Alsace Voyage Tips and guide

Alsace is a region in the Grand Est region of France that has close historical links with Germany. The local culture is distinct, and the region offers historic cities and castles, and interesting countryside. Alsace 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.

48°15′43″N 7°26′6″E

Map of Alsace

• 48.587.751 Strasbourg — the capital of the Grand Est region, home of many European institutions, and a beautiful UNESCO-listed city centre and miles of cycle paths and canal walks to explore
• 48.08177.35562 Colmar — small Alsatian city with many fine timber buildings and extensive pedestrianisation.
• 48.04367.30673 Eguisheim — a circular fortified village near Colmar
• 48.03567.28174 Husseren-les-Châteaux — a tiny village in the foothills of the Vosges, on the Alsatian wine trail
• 48.147.265 Kaysersberg — home to a medieval fortress and the Albert Schweitzer Museum
• 47.757.346 Mulhouse — industrial city with an impressive array of museums, notably the Cité de l'Automobile and Cité du Train
• 48.0180567.5283337 Neuf-Brisach — fortified town built in 1697. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• 48.27.328 Ribeauvillé — pretty mediaeval town overlooked by the ruins of three castles, on the Alsatian wine trail
• 48.16727.29789 Riquewihr — typically Alsatian town dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, surrounded by vineyards and home to rustic local cooking
• 47.5852787.56510 Saint-Louis — a suburb of the Swiss city of Basel that is rich in cultural resources and fun activities
• 48.2466677.18388911 Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines — mining town famous for its annual mineral and fossil fair
• 48.2594447.45416712 Sélestat — a couple of imposing sandstone churches and a humanist library make this yet another interesting Alsatian town to visit

• Alsatian Vineyard Route
• 48.4557.25461 Natzweiler-Struthof. The only Nazi concentration camp in France, set up in the region of Alsace, considered by the Nazis to be part of Germany itself liberated from France, and not occupied territory. The camp had an extremely high death toll for a camp that was not intended as a death camp, due to high altitude, particularly vicious ill-treatment of inmates, and intensive pseudo-scientific human experimentation. The most notorious examples of this were the execution of over eighty Jewish prisoners, transferred from Auschwitz specifically for the purpose, to create a "historical" collection of Jewish skeletons, and experimentation with poison gases to "improve" the extermination process. (updated Oct 2018)

Alsace has through its history changed hands between Germany and France on several occasions.

A popular itinerary is the Alsatian Vineyard Route - fabulous for walking from town to town trying a whole bunch of local wines.

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 World War I, 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.

The Bas-Rhin is the northern departement of Alsace; Haut-Rhin refers to the departement 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.

Alsace was an administrative region of France until 2016 when it was merged with Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne to form the Grand Est region.

Alsace experiences very contrasting seasons: winter can be very harsh while summer is often very hot and dry; in spring and autumn the temperatures can be very mild, hence the presence of many vineyards in the Alsace plain. In addition, the proximity of the Vosges allows some towns in Alsace to experience a microclimate. Colmar, for example, is one of the driest towns in France with only 95 days of rain per year.

During autumn (September 21 to December 21), the temperatures are very pleasant (around 14 °C ). This allows you to explore Alsace and enjoy nature. The spectacle of the grape harvest is worth the detour, as are the walks in the plains and humid valleys. The fog appears and gives off a fascinating atmosphere.

Winter (December 21 to March 21) is cold (around 0 °C) and snowfall is abundant near the Vosges mountains, providing opportunities for skiing. If you are more tempted by long walks, choose the Alsace plain: the snow is less present and the winter atmosphere just as captivating.

Spring (March 21 to June 21) is generally very pleasant, although sometimes some showers and cold winds continue to persist in March. In May the weather is good for sightseeing and walking: the weather is clear, the plains are green and the evenings very mild (14 °C).

In summer (from June 21st) it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach 30 or 35 °C, the sunshine at this time is comparable to the cities of the south of France. Fortunately, the heights of the Vosges allow you to benefit from a most appreciable freshness and air.

French is the official language and spoken by everyone, young and old. German is still widely spoken by the older generation and in the more rural areas. The English language can be still limited to the younger generation. In some areas, the population may still use the native German 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 children 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. 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. Today, Alsacien is enjoying a small resurgence with many communities,(including Strasbourg), posting bi-lingual street signs in both standard French and the Alsacien dialect as the stigma associated with German culture is no longer an issue.

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 route 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.

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 Strasbourg train station (Gare de Strasbourg) is served by the French TGV and German ICE high-speed rail networks. The Paris-Strasbourg line provides travel times of just below two hours, making this by far the fastest and most comfortable way to get into the region from Paris.

Rail links to Freiburg and Basel are found at Mulhouse, and Strasbourg has direct connections to Germany, Paris and other cities in France.

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. The area is well served by train.

Strasbourg Cathedral, which was the tallest building in the world for 227 years, attracts around 4 million visitors each year to admire it, its pillar of angels, and its astronomical clock.

The Mont Sainte-Odile Convent is a convent whose origins date back to the Middle Ages (8th century). The site, located in the mountains not far from Obernai, offers impressive views of the Alsace plain and enjoys a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Take a hike along the Pagan Wall, in the magnificent undergrowth.

Strasbourg's historic city centre. Petite France is the picturesque district on the "Grande Ile de Strasbourg", which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. A boat trip is ideal for discovering the city's charm from the water.

Fort Mutzig-Feste Kaiser Wilhelm II is the largest German fortress of the First World War. It is in Mutzig, 20 km from Strasbourg, towards Schirmeck. A great 2½-hour walk to discover the  world of modern fortifications and one of the most beautiful views of Alsace.

Take a river cruise on Strasbourg's "Ill" canal.

Visit Riquewihr, where you can sample wine in about 20 wine cellars in the town.

There are many ruins of medieval castles on the Alsatian peaks. The most famous are:

• Haut-Koenigsbourg (near Séléstat) has been magnificently renovated and now offers many fun tours suitable for young and old.
• Fleckenstein (near Niederbronn-les-Bains) is the most visited unrestored castle in Alsace. A former impregnable citadel, it offers a magnificent panorama.
• Hohlandsbourg Castle
• The Three Castles of Haut-Eguisheim
• The three castles of Ribeauvillé
• The Haut-Barr castle on the heights of Savern

You can access these castles on foot or directly by car.

Mulhouse hosts the largest train museum in France, and the Fritz Schlumpf collection of cars, including specimens from Bugatti, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, and Hispano Suiza. North of the city, you can visit the Ecomuseum of Ungersheim, where traditional houses from all over the region have been transferred into one place.

The Lalique Museum, in Wingen-sur-Moder, west of Strasbourg, has a very large collection of works by René Lalique, a renowned French glassmaker and jeweller active from the 1880s to 1945.

• 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.
• Drive on the scenic Route des Crêtes (Route of the Ridges).
• Explore the Route Romane d'Alsace (Romanesque Road of Alsace)
• Christmas markets have become an institution in Alsace. From the end of November until December 24, Christmas markets and events offer visitors a warm and authentic atmosphere.

Bonfires, fires, and throwing flaming discs (Schieweschlawe) are Carnival games that persist in certain communities. In the past, these rituals were completed by reviewing the villagers' failings, and a new social order could emerge. From house to house, people sought Carnival doughnuts. A crude straw figure, materializing the threats of winter, often ended up sacrificed on the pyre. Feasts, dances, and disguises as devils completed this pagan tableau, recalled today by parades and cavalcades.

The carnivals of the Sundgau region are largely inspired by the festivities of southern Germany, German-speaking Switzerland and the Swiss Jura. This is what gives the Sundgau carnivals a special atmosphere.

The Mulhouse carnival is one of the most dynamic in Alsace. Many associations participate. It is an opportunity to watch a parade of floats in the streets of the city. These evoke the major events of local or national life.

In the Bas-Rhin department, the Strasbourg carnival is the centre of attention. The parade, made up of fifteen unusual floats and around forty troupes of 2,000 musicians, witches, and strange creatures, takes over the streets of the city cent for a day.

With over 2,000 km of cycle routes, Alsace offers many picturesque spots to explore. Whether you're looking for endurance or a simple family outing, Alsace has something for everyone: mountain biking in the Vosges mountains and valleys, cycle paths throughout the Alsace plain.

Alsace has several hiking trails, suitable for everyone: whether you're a serious athlete or simply curious, exploring the region on foot will be a real pleasure. The thousands of trails will take you to discover castles, vineyards, and archaeological sites.

For your hiking companions, contact the Club Vosgien, the oldest hiking association in France, which maintains and marks nearly 18,000 km of trails. This will help you find the level of difficulty best suited to your needs.

Winter sports enthusiasts will head for the Vosges mountains: surfing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, dog sledding and 1,000 km of marked cross-country ski trails between the Champ du Feu and Ballon d'Alsace resorts.

Rope bridges, footbridges, Tarzan jumps, zip lines.

• Parc d’arbre en arbre in Kruth
• Natura Parc in Ostwald
• Parc Alsace aventures in Breitenbach

This road runs along the former border between Germany and France. It passes through the Vosges peaks and offers exceptional panoramas of the Vosges valleys, the Alsace plain, and the Alps (in cold and dry weather).

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 crème fraîche 'pizza' - Flammkuchen in German), Baeckeoffe and all sort of Charcuterie 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.

The Alsatian Vineyard Route is a veritable rite-of-passage for the discerning wine buff. The wine route runs along the slopes of the Vosges Mountains and covers the entire region from north to south. Along this route, you'll find numerous wineries where you can enjoy a tasting. You can also follow the wine route on foot or by bike. 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.

Regional products are easily found in tourist areas.

• Alsace wines (mainly white)
• Munster (cheese that is best not transported over long distances)
• Pottery from the towns of Soufflenheim and Betschdorf: kougelhopf molds, sauerkraut or baeckeoffe terrines
• Bredele, which are small Christmas cakes
• Local beer: Alsace produces 6 out of 10 beers sold in France

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.

• Basel
• Freiburg - one of the warmest cities in Germany
• Kehl - the German city right across the Rhine from Strasbourg and accessible via a pedestrian bridge and the Strasbourg tram across the border
• Lorraine
• Vosges