Bordering Germany and Switzerland, Alsace, in France’s Grand Est region, is a melting pot of features. In terms of food, the pizza-like Alsatian tarte flambée is symbolic of the junction of nations, with toppings of sausage, cheese and onion. The small region, encompassing a very small percentage of France’s size, has lakes and rivers with a sizable fish population. Visit southern Alsace to travel the Fried Carp Route, where the specialty takes advantage of the species’ abundance.
Pair delicious dishes with the region’s riesling and gewürztraminer wines, which are produced particularly well in the mountainous Vosges territory.
Go from village to storybook village, such as Riquewihr and Colmar. Eguisheim has three concentric circles of half-timbered houses built around a castle in a medieval-style location.
With so much natural beauty and quaintness in the area, consider renting a bicycle or electric bike and tour well-marked trails. Stay overnight at a farmhouse inn on the 48-mile (77-kilometer) Crest Road that connects Cernay with Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.
Interspersed on the Vosges plains are lofty peaks with castles, nunneries and chapels on their pinnacles. Mont Sainte-Odile Abbey in Obernai is a mountain worth visiting, with an added attraction of the 7-mile (11-kilometer) Pagan Wall. No one is quite sure who built it. Visit the impressive 12th-century castle Château du Haut-Koenigsburg in Orschwiller with its lofty views. Inside are medieval displays and tapestries.
Glass designer René Lalique came from Alsace. He developed his glassworks in Wingen-sur-Moder, now the site of the Musée Lalique.
In Mulhouse, the Museum of Printed Textiles showcases regional and global designs through its archive of 6 million patterns.
Plan on visiting Cité du Train, one of the world’s largest locomotive museums, with dozens of exhibits of trains and paraphernalia.
In Alsace’s lively yet peaceful capital city, Strasbourg, is the massive 11th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, equipped with a detailed astronomical clock.
Travel to Alsace for a multi-faceted vacation in its countryside, towns and cities.
