Alsace has a strong tradition of pottery making, and nowhere is that clearer than in the villages of Betschdorf and Soufflenheim, about 49km (31 miles) north of Strasbourg. If you’re seeking a unique experience, consider spending a few hours at Chemin des Cimes, which offers an immersion in a remote spot of the Vosges forests, near Drachenbronn- Birlenbach. An hour’s drive northwest of Strasbourg takes you to the Parc Naturel Régional des Vosges du Nord.
Alsatian culture and know-how
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. Part of the province of Germania Superior in the Roman Empire, the area went on to become a diffuse border region between the French and the German cultures and languages. Regarding the Alsace Wine Route, it’s quite feasible to explore it using public transportation, especially if you’re staying in one of the larger towns like Strasbourg or Colmar.
History of the Alsace region
This enchanting land is renowned for its glitzbets casino registration picturesque villages with half-timbered houses, rolling vineyards producing world-class wines, and a rich cultural heritage that spans centuries. At the southernmost tip of Alsace, about an hour’s drive south of Colmar, towards the Swiss border, this little morsel of paradise feels light years away from the rest of the region. One of Alsace’s best-kept secrets, the Sundgau offers a wonderful bucolic atmosphere, rolling pasturelands interspersed with ponds and time-forgotten villages. Unlike villages on the Route des Vins, you won’t find any colorful façades here, for the natural white of lime was cheaper.
Alsace, located in northeastern France, is a picturesque and culturally rich region that offers a wide range of attractions for tourists. Whether you’re drawn to its Christmas markets, outdoor adventures, or gastronomic delights, Alsace promises an unforgettable journey through one of France’s most distinctive and alluring destinations. Visitors to Alsace can immerse themselves in a unique fusion of cultures, evident in the region’s architecture, cuisine, and traditions. From the stunning Vosges Mountains to the meandering Rhine River, Alsace offers a diverse landscape that beckons travelers to explore its natural beauty and charming towns.
In 58 BC, Julius Caesar’s troops conquered the region and brought with them the Roman culture, built roads and imported vines. The Alsace region’s touristic appeal is closely linked to its rich history. The Alsace region is also known for the richness of its gastronomy.
- If you see just one thing in Colmar, make it the Petite Venise (Little Venice) quarter, at the southern edge of the old city.
- One of Alsace’s best-kept secrets, the Sundgau offers a wonderful bucolic atmosphere, rolling pasturelands interspersed with ponds and time-forgotten villages.
- It is estimated that 28,000 jobs are generated by tourism in Alsace, which represents 3.5% of the regional workforce in summer.
- 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.
- Cities such as Colmar and Hagenau also began to grow in economic importance and gained a kind of autonomy within the «Décapole» (or «Zehnstädtebund»), a federation of ten free towns.
- The traditional habitat of the Alsatian lowland, like in other regions of Germany and Northern Europe, consists of houses constructed with walls in timber framing and cob and roofing in flat tiles.
French lost ground to such an extent that it has been estimated that only 2% of the population spoke French fluently, and only 8% had some knowledge of it (Maugue, 1970). Between 1870 and 1918, Alsace was annexed by the German Empire in the form of an imperial province or Reichsland, and the mandatory official language, especially in schools, became High German. The French language never really managed, however, to win over the masses, the vast majority of whom continued to speak their German dialects and write in German (which we would now call "standard German").citation needed From the annexation of Alsace by France in the 17th century and the language policy of the French Revolution up to 1870, knowledge of French in Alsace increased considerably. Although German dialects were spoken in Alsace for most of its history, the dominant language in Alsace today is French.
There is now a population of about 900 chamois in the Vosges, particularly in the high ridges of the valley of Munster above 800 metres. Today, the mountain range provides a habitat for about 30 lynxes. With an annual recorded rainfall of 530mm, Colmar and its region take advantage of one of France’s driest climates, making it ideal for vines to grow on the southern slopes. From Colmar, next to the foothills and at the base of the Vosges mountains, clouds arriving from the West are forced to rise and fall as precipitation over the high summits, hence protecting the lower area from rain. The topography of Alsace, the Vosges and the Black Forest in Germany all play a major role in the local climate. In the South-West, the Gate of Burgundy opens Alsace to Franche-Comté, while the crest of the Vosges mountains serves as a natural border with Lorraine.
Sundgau
According to a 2022 study, 46% of the population of Alsace still describe themselves as dialect-speakers. Like all regional languages in France, however, the transmission of Alsatian is on the decline. The survey counted 548,000 adult speakers of Alsatian in France, making it the second most-spoken regional language in the country (after Occitan). Although the French government signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 1992, it never ratified the treaty and therefore no legal basis exists for any of the regional languages in France. However, Alsatian, along with other regional languages, are recognized by the French government in the official list of languages of France. However, while French is the major language of the region, the Alsatian dialect of French is heavily influenced by German and other languages such as Yiddish in phonology and vocabulary.
Alsatian folk music is essentially orchestral and is closely linked to German, Swiss and particularly Austrian music, due to the history of the region. This traditional symbol of the Alsace region can often be admired at tourist and cultural events. It can change from one village to another, and some areas have their own characteristic costumes which may differ greatly, in particular in the Vosges mountains, the Sundgau and Alsace Bossue. The Alsatian costume as we know it today developed during the 18th century and is reminiscent of rural Alsace, of the region’s history and religious beliefs. However, attendance at Protestant and Catholic services is reflected by the number of churches still open and which can still be visited throughout the region. Strasbourg and the region of Wissembourg were the main bastions of Protestantism, while the rest of Alsace remained Catholic and loyal to the Habsburgs.
Our favourite place in the Alsace region
By 4000 BC, farming arrived in the form of Linear Pottery culture in the region from the Danube and the Hungarian plain. The city is the seat of several international organizations and bodies. The economic and cultural capital of Alsace, as well as its largest city, is Strasbourg, which sits on the present German international border.
Local artefacts
Strasbourg began to grow to become the most populous and commercially important town in the region. Frederick II designated the Bishop of Strasbourg to administer Alsace, but the authority of the bishop was challenged by Count Rudolf of Habsburg, who received his rights from Frederick II's son Conrad IV. At about this time, the surrounding areas experienced recurring fragmentation and reincorporations among a number of feudal secular and ecclesiastical lordships, a common process in the Holy Roman Empire. Alsace formed part of the Middle Francia, which was ruled by the eldest grandson Lothar I.
- Whether you’re drawn to its Christmas markets, outdoor adventures, or gastronomic delights, Alsace promises an unforgettable journey through one of France’s most distinctive and alluring destinations.
- With the arrival of the French soldiers, many Alsatians and local Prussian/German administrators and bureaucrats cheered the re-establishment of order.
- Alsace has a strong tradition of pottery making, and nowhere is that clearer than in the villages of Betschdorf and Soufflenheim, about 49km (31 miles) north of Strasbourg.
- Derived from the above, «Alsatia» was historically a cant term for the area near Whitefriars, London, which was for a long time a sanctuary.
- In Alsace, the wines are mostly named after the variety of the grapes and not after the land on which they are produced.
The bird practically disappeared around 1970, but re-population efforts are continuing. Alsace is also the main beer-producing region of France, thanks primarily to breweries in and near Strasbourg. Alsace is also well known for its foie gras made in the region since the 17th century. The festivities of the year's end involve the production of a great variety of biscuits and small cakes called bredela as well as pain d'épices (gingerbread cakes) which are baked around Christmas time. Traditional dishes include baeckeoffe, flammekueche, choucroute, and fleischnacka.
These villages are gems of the wine country and often comprise old medieval ramparts, winding alleyways that bloom with magnificent geraniums, winstubs, half-timbered houses and medieval churches. The position of Alsace within the Holy Roman Empire at the time of the Reformation further complicated the fragile political balance in the Upper Rhine region. This is due to the region having belonged to the Holy Roman Empire until the 17th century, and also to the fact that the region has passed between German and French control four times between 1870 and 1945. In addition to the AOC, the notes “Late Harvest” (Récoltes Tardives) and “Selection of Noble Grains” (Sélection des Grains Nobles) designate rare wines, which are most often the most mellow or syrupy. Since 1972, it has been compulsory for wine to be bottled in the region where it is produced.
The administration of the Alsace region
The backstreets are punctuated by impeccably restored half-timbered houses in sugared-almond shades, many ablaze with geraniums in summer. If you see just one thing in Colmar, make it the Petite Venise (Little Venice) quarter, at the southern edge of the old city. Maison Pfister, Maison des Têtes and the Ancienne Douane are all worth stopping for.
The area was conquered by the Roman legions of Julius Caesar in the 1st century bce and had been profoundly Romanized by the time of the invasion of the Alemanni in the 5th century ce. A network of motorways traverses Alsace, and a regional airport is located in Strasbourg. Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, and Pinot Blanc are among the notable white wines produced.