As an administrative entity, it encompassed the départements of Haut-Rhin (“Upper Rhine”) and Bas-Rhin (“Lower Rhine”) and was bounded by the régions of Lorraine to the west and Franche-Comté to the southwest. A string of picturesque villages, well-known wine-producing towns and exceptional landscapes await you, for a delicious getaway. The line plans to link up the interchange of Hœrdt to the north of Strasbourg, with Innenheim in the southwest. At present, plans are being considered for building a new dual carriageway west of Strasbourg, which would reduce the buildup of traffic in that area by picking up north and southbound vehicles and getting rid of the buildup outside Strasbourg. The A4 toll road (towards Paris) begins 20 km (12 mi) slotrize casino no deposit bonus northwest of Strasbourg and the A36 toll road towards Lyon, begins 10 km (6.2 mi) west from Mulhouse.

Top 3 des meilleurs photographes en Alsace

Long a center of the German-speaking world, after the end of the Thirty Years' War, southern Alsace was annexed by France in 1648, with most of the remainder conquered later in the century. For more than 300 years, from the Thirty Years' War to World War II, the political status of Alsace was heavily contested between France and various German states in wars and diplomatic conferences. On 1 January 2021, the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin merged into the new European Collectivity of Alsace but remained part of the region Grand Est. Territorial reform passed by the French Parliament in 2014 resulted in the merger of the Alsace administrative region with Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine to form Grand Est. Until 1871, Alsace included the area now known as the Territoire de Belfort, which formed its southernmost part.
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. A gastronomic symbol of the région is the Choucroute, a local variety of Sauerkraut. 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. In recent times, villagers started to paint the rendering white in accordance with Beaux-Arts movements. 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.
Deep restructuring has affected main activities such as car manufacturing (Peugeot is the region’s first employer with an important site in Mulhouse). The alsatian industry has been facing diversification, particularly since 2004 when many potassium mines (Mines de potasse d’Alsace or MDPA) were closed for good. However, because of its concentration in wine-growing, tobacco, hop, hemp and sauerkraut cabbage production, agriculture in Alsace is reputed to be high-value-added.
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. Textile manufacturing, based in and around Mulhouse, is one of the region’s oldest industries, though now it has little importance. Parts of the alluvial plain of Alsace (e.g., west of Strasbourg) are devoted to cereals, but industrial crops are also widely cultivated and include sugar beets, hops, and tobacco.

Timeline

• By the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Strasbourg was a prosperous community, and its inhabitants accepted Protestantism in 1523.
• As elsewhere in Alsace you will also find a lot of very pretty villages to explore including Hunspach and Mittelbergheim among the most popular with visitors.
• 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.
• From that time, the Alsace region was ruled by France and remained under its national colours until 1871.
• From the time of Augustus to the early fifth century AD, the area of Alsace was incorporated into the Roman province of Germania Superior.
• To the south, the Jura mountains mark the border with Switzerland from Basle to the vicinity of Porrentruy.

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.

Alsace, a unique journey… just like you!

• Textile manufacturing, based in and around Mulhouse, is one of the region’s oldest industries, though now it has little importance.
• 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.
• This had grave effects on trade and the economy of the region since former overland trade routes were switched to newly opened Mediterranean and Atlantic seaports.
• Today, the territory is in certain areas subject to some laws that are significantly different from the rest of France, which is known as the local law.
• In more recent years, the Alsatian language is again being promoted by local, national and European authorities as an element of the region’s identity.
• 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.
• The Alemanni were agricultural people, and their Germanic language formed the basis of modern-day dialects spoken along the Upper Rhine (Alsatian, Alemannian, Swabian, Swiss).

Alsacea is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. ① Ideas & inspiration ② Maps of France ③ Explore by region ④ Route planner ⑤ Places (by dept.) See details of the Alsace Wine Route that visits many of the most popular vineyards and villages Hunspach is one of our favourite Alsace villages, in part because of the many well maintained gardensSee Hunspach Just one of many beautiful villages in Alsace, Eguisheim has numerous traditional half-timbered housesSee Eguisheim As well as its fabulous wine Alsace has some hearty food specialities.

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Alsace is a prosperous region, ranking third in France after Ile-de-France and Rhône-Alpes. Alsace is the first export region of France based on the export value per inhabitant. Taking the shape of a crescent, this “blue banana” is a continuous corridor of urbanisation with a population of 110 million, which adds up to three-quarters of the EU’s purchasing power. The Upper Rhine region, of which Alsace is part, is located at the heart of the European Megalopolis, which stretches from Liverpool to Geneva. Until the 1st January 2016, when it was integrated into the Grand-Est region, Alsace was the smallest region of metropolitan France. White storks are one of the region’s most beloved symbols, and for many centuries, they return every year from Africa to announce the coming of spring in France.

Pamper yourself in one of Alsace’s 7 outstanding spas

The touristic itinerary Route Romane d’Alsace (Romanesque Road of Alsace) links the region’s best examples of Romanesque architecture in Alsace. Like the rest of France, only the spire of the parish church signals the presence of colourful and elegant villages between two hills. At each mountainside, the road travels along bucolic countrysides, opening up views of mountain passes, rounded mountains, lakes, rocks, pastures and forests of majestic pines.

The white stork

According to a 2022 study, 46% of the population of Alsace still describe themselves as dialect-speakers. While 39% of the adult population of Alsace speak the dialect, only one in four children speak it, and only one in ten children uses it regularly. However, visitors to Alsace can see indications of renewed political and cultural interest in the language – in Alsatian signs appearing on hoardings and in car windows, as well as in new official bilingual street signs in Strasbourg and Mulhouse.