alsace region and strasbourg

This France eastern region is a very typical part of the France. The Alsace region is well known for its charming houses with timber studs and flowery balconies is also a country of great wine makers and vineyards. So, a famous walking path is the wine road, a track of almost 200 kilometres passing through vineyards and wines caves, but also forest and beautiful villages.

Strasbourg

This city, the seventh one of the France, prefecture of the Low Rhine, is the intellectual and economic capital of Alsace. Its privileged geographical situation as a centre of international communications and its position of Latin sentinel by the Rhine, as well as its rich history, ensure its exceptional importance. It was therefore natural that Strasbourg was chosen as the home of European Institutions.

Some examples of tourist sites:

Notre Dame Cathedral
The Kammerzell House
The Little France Quarter
The Alsatian Museum
The Chocolate Secrets Museum
The Strasbourg History Museum
The Museum of Seismology and Earth magnetism
The Citadelle Park

Notre Dame Cathedral

Strasbourg cathedral is an outstanding masterpiece of Gothic art. The first stone was laid in 1015 and the spire was completed in 1439. Described as “a skilful combination of monumental size and delicateness” by the famous writer Victor Hugo, its façade offers a fantastic wealth of ornamental features.

The Kammerzell House

Genuine “jewel in the town” of Strasbourg’s architecture, this house once provided income for several generations of merchants. During the XVth century, people swould sell their goods under the carved half-timbered frames decorating the upper floors date from 1589.

The Little France Quarter

This is the most picturesque district of old Strasbourg. Fishermen, millers and tanners once lived and worked in this part of town where the streets have been built level with the waterway.

The Alsatian Museum

The museum presents a fascinating snapshot of traditional Alsatian life including painted furniture, costume, local ceramics, toys, and religious and non religious images. A number a rooms feature reconstructions of the interiors of buildings typical of the various regions of Alsace or the craftsmen’s workshops (such as the forge and the carpentry shop).

Colmar

Colmar, a village? NO! It’s the capital of Alsatian wine. Cheery, good-natured, lively, and breathtakingly beautiful. Discover one of the widest European pedestrian precincts with countless treasures from middle ages to XXth century.

Some examples of tourist sites:

The Dominican Church
The Koïfhus
The “House of Heads”
The Pfister House
Voltaire’s Residence
The Tanner’s District
The Fishermongers district
The “Little Venice” district
The Unterlinden Museum
The Toy Museum

The Koïfus

Also kown as the Costumes House, it is the town’s oldest building. At the time, it played a central role in Colmar’s economy. It was used for the storage and transit of all goods imported into Colmar.

The Pfister House

One of the Symbols of Old Comar, The Pfister House bears the name of a XIXth century owner of the house. Decorated in the Renaissance style, the house is made of stone and wood and its mediaeval design includes a long wooden gallery.

Mulhouse

Main city of southern Alsace and located close to the wine road, Mulhouse invites you to enjoy its many cultural treasures. Discover the pedestrian historic centre, the place de la Réunion with mediaeval houses and colourful façades, the Rhenish Renaissance style Town Hall, the protestant Saint Etienne Temple. Taste the famous Alsatian cuisine in the city’s numerous restaurants, not forgetting Alsace wines which offer a very rich palette of flavours.

Some examples of tourist sites:

The Alsatian Museum
The French Railway Museum
The Museum of Printing Fabrics
The Market
The Wallpaper Museum

Orschwiller

The destiny of the village has always been linked to the Haut Koenigsbourg Castle. Built in the XIIth century, you must visit it. However, it is not the only attraction of the city: discover the typical Alsatian architecture of the town and its beautiful religious patrimony. Note that the city is a stage of the famous Alsatian Wine Route.

Some examples of tourist sites: