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"Alsatia", the Latin form of Alsace's name, entered the English language as "a lawless place" or "a place under no jurisdiction" prior to the 17th century as a reflection of the British perception of the region at that time. The local German dialect was rendered a backward regional "Germanic" dialect not being attached to German. It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the Rhine in the east and the Vosges mountains in the west.
Mulhouse (a city in southern Alsace), which had been part of Switzerland since 1466, joined France in 1798. "La Marseillaise" was played for the first time in April of that year in front of the mayor of Strasbourg Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich. France continued to maintain its customs border along the Vosges mountains where it had been, leaving Alsace more economically oriented to neighbouring German-speaking lands. By the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Strasbourg was a prosperous community, and its inhabitants accepted Protestantism in 1523. After the conclusion of the war, France was again free to pursue its desire to reach the Rhine and in 1444 a French army appeared in Lorraine and Alsace. During the next century, France was to be militarily shattered by the Hundred Years' War, which prevented for a time any further tendencies in this direction.
This tragic wartime episode gave them the name “les Malgré-Nous” (“in spite of our will”). From that time, the Alsace region was ruled by France and remained under its national colours until 1871. The region was originally populated by Celtic tribes who founded Argentorate (now Strasbourg) towards the end of the 3rd century BC.
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, and Pinot Blanc are among the notable white wines produced. Natural boundaries in Alsace include the Vosges Mountains to the west and the Rhine River to the east. Switzerland lies to the south of Alsace, and Germany borders it to the east and north. Alsace, historical region and former région of France, incorporated since January 2016 into the région of Grand Est. Share your best experiences in Alsace with #visitalsace

Villes et villages

This quiet region of densely forested hills, small streams and rivers and rocky outcrops is very beautiful and well worth exploring – Neuwiller-les-Saverne is to the south-west of the park and Lembach to the north-east. To the south of the region lies the city of Mulhouse and the rural land of the Sundgau, which reaches the Swiss border in the Jura mountains. The Alsace region is located in north-eastern France and is famous for its wine, its colourful half-timbered houses and its castles, which sit enthroned on the summits of the Vosges mountains. Colmar is the principal centre of the wine-growing region, whose vineyards extend in a narrow strip along the lower slopes of the Vosges west of the city. The massif of the Vosges gradually gives way eastward to the plain of Alsace, while to the south the region of Sundgau in southern Haut-Rhin rises to the Jura Mountains.

Roads

Following the Protestant Reformation, promoted by the local reformer Martin Bucer, the principle of cuius regio, eius religio led to a certain amount of religious diversity in the highlands of northern Alsace. The divergence in policy from the French majority is because the region was part of Imperial Germany when the 1905 law separating the French church and state was instituted (for a more comprehensive history, see Alsace–Lorraine). Alsace is generally seen as the most religious of all the French regions. 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.

• However, because of its small size compared to the average French region, Alsace ranks 20th for the number of tourists who spend at least one night in the region (11.7 million in 2011).
• After World War II, the French government pursued, in line with its traditional language policy, a campaign to suppress the use of German as part of a wider Francization campaign.
• Few young people speak Alsatian today, although there do still exist one or two enclaves in the Sundgau region where some older inhabitants cannot speak French, and where Alsatian is still used as the mother tongue.
• Several cities and villages along the Alsace Wine Route have since become famous and attract a very large crowd of visitors during the summer months and Christmas.
• 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.
• 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.

Unlock the secrets of the cathedral of strasbourg

French Moments is about promoting the French culture and language through its website and social network. These gems of the wine country are often made up of old medieval ramparts, winding alleyways that bloom with magnificent geraniums, winstubs, vaults, half-timbered houses, and medieval churches. Several cities and villages along the Alsace Wine Route have since become famous and attract a very large crowd of visitors during the summer months and Christmas. It was greatly restored between 1901 to 1908 under the orders of Kaiser William II, a great admirer of medieval romanticism.
The constitution of the Fifth Republic states that French alone is the official language of the Republic. Increasingly, French is the only language used at home and at work, and a growing number of people have a good knowledge of standard German as a foreign language learned in school. This situation has spurred a movement to preserve the Alsatian language, which is perceived as endangered, a situation paralleled in other régions of France, such as Brittany or Occitania. Few young people speak Alsatian today, although there do still exist one or two enclaves in the Sundgau region where some older inhabitants cannot speak French, and where Alsatian is still used as the mother tongue. Though the ban has long been lifted and street signs today are often bilingual, Alsace–Lorraine is today predominantly French in language and culture.

Our favourite place in the Alsace region

To appreciate the natural environment you can explore the Regional Natural Park of the Ballon des Vosges which occupies much of the western Haut-Rhin. The most important religious monuments in Haut-Rhin include the romanesque abbey at Murbach and the 11th century abbey church at Ottmarsheim. There are also numerous picturesque villages, among them some that are also classified among the 'most beautiful villages of France' (Eguisheim, Hunawihr and Riquewihr). The larger towns in southern Alsace include Colmar, with an impressive historical centre, and Mulhouse, well known for its important museums.

Heritage and Main Sites of the Alsace region

• 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.
• Alsace is also well known for its foie gras made in the region since the 17th century.
• The traditional language of the région is Alsatian, an Alemannic dialect of Upper German spoken on both sides of the Rhine and closely related to Swiss German.
• 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.
• Increasingly, French is the only language used at home and at work, and a growing number of people have a good knowledge of standard German as a foreign language learned in school.

Symbolically, the Route des Crêtes marks the border between Lorraine and Alsace, between the Romance and Germanic language worlds. Throughout its course, it is sometimes in Lorraine and sometimes in Alsace. Many town names have become synonymous with rich traditions, friendliness, prosperity and great wines. Several cities and villages along the Alsace Wine Route have become famous and attract a very large crowd of visitors during the summer months and Christmas, where they have beautiful Christmas Markets.
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. The Alsace vineyards extend across the hills of the Vosges at between 200 and 400 metres high, over some 14,000 hectares of grapevines which produce an average of 150 million bottles of wine.

High population growth during the post-WW2 economic boom of the Trente Glorieuses ended after the 1973 oil crisis. The city of Colmar has a sunny microclimate; it is the second driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of around 550 mm (22 in), making it ideal for vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine). It doesn't rain much in the area because of the protection offered by the Vosges mountains. Alsace is the part of the plain of the Rhine located at the west of the Rhine, on its left bank.
It borders Germany on the north and the east, Switzerland and Franche-Comté on the south and Lorraine on the west. German is also taught as a foreign language in local kindergartens and schools. Alsatian is taught in schools (but is not mandatory) as one of the regional languages of France.
Both slotrize casino no deposit bonus Alsatian and Standard German were for a time banned from public life (including street and city names, official administration, and educational system). However, in a Decree of 18 December 1952, supplemented by an Order of 19 December of the same year, optional teaching of the German language was introduced in elementary schools in communes in which the language of habitual use was the Alsatian dialect. After World War II, the French government pursued, in line with its traditional language policy, a campaign to suppress the use of German as part of a wider Francization campaign. The population was forced to speak German and 'French' family names were Germanized. During a reannexation by Germany (1940–1945), High German was reinstated as the language of education.