Happily a successful breeding programme has succeeded in re-introducing them to the region and they are again a popular sight, and a number of towns also have a 'stork park'. At one time every tall roof and steeple seemed to have a resident stork, but these then suffered a serious set-back and almost disappeared from Alsace. To the north-west of Bas-Rhin the landscape changes as you enter the Regional Natural Park of Vosges du Nord. 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. Combined with the fertile ground this creates an ideal environment for grape growing and wine production. This blog is run by Pierre Guernier for French Moments Ltd, a company founded by Pierre and Rachel Guernier and based in the south coast of England.

Wine Sold Under Bond

Munster is still being made on either side of the Vosges mountains in Alsace and in Lorraine. 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. 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). It is estimated that 28,000 jobs are generated by tourism in Alsace, which represents 3.5% of the regional workforce in summer. As in most French regions, the service sector is growing rapidly at the expense of the first two sectors.

La Route des vins d’Alsace

France began an aggressive policy of expanding eastward, first to the rivers Rhône and Meuse, and when those borders were reached, aiming for the Rhine. Though little is known about the early history of the Jews of Alsace, there is a lot of information from the 12th century onwards. Strasbourg began to grow to become the most populous and commercially important town in the region.

Heritage and Main Sites of the Alsace region

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.

• In 1951, Article 10 of the Deixonne Law (Loi Deixonne) on the teaching of local languages and dialects made provision for Breton, Basque, Catalan and old Provençal but not for Corsican, Dutch (West Flemish) or Alsatian in Alsace and Moselle.
• After 1918, French was the only language used in schools, particularly primary schools.
• 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.
• Between 100,000 and 130,000 Alsatians (of a total population of about a million and a half) chose to remain French citizens and leave Reichsland Elsaß–Lothringen, many of them resettling in French Algeria as Pieds-Noirs.
• The end of the Second World War signalled that it was time for the reconstruction and reconciliation of the peoples of Europe.

PLACES TO SEE IN FRANCE

As is customary for regional languages in France, neither Alsatian nor the Frankish dialects have any form of official status, although both are now recognized as languages of France and can be chosen as subjects in lycées. Since the 17th century, the region has passed between German and French control numerous times, resulting in a cultural blend. Alsace became one of the French regions boasting a thriving Jewish community and the only region with a noticeable Anabaptist population. Multiconfessional villages appeared, particularly in the region of Alsace bossue. Landowners, who as "local lords" had the right to decide the religion that was allowed on their land, were eager to entice populations from the more attractive lowlands to settle and develop their property. It has regularly increased over time, except in wartime and shortly after the German annexation of 1871 (when many Alsatians who had opted to keep their French citizenship emigrated to France), by both natural growth and immigration.
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. The Ministerial Memorandum of 21 June 1982, known as the Circulaire Savary, introduced financial support, over three years, for the teaching of regional languages in schools and universities. In 1951, Article 10 of the Deixonne Law (Loi Deixonne) on the teaching of local languages and dialects made provision for Breton, Basque, Catalan and old Provençal but not for Corsican, Dutch (West Flemish) or Alsatian in Alsace and Moselle. Although Alsace has been part of France multiple times in the past, the region had no direct connection with the French state for several centuries.

• The Alsace region’s touristic appeal is closely linked to its rich history.
• With the purpose of “Francizing” the region, the Rot-un-Wiss has not been recognized by Paris.
• Strasbourg began to grow to become the most populous and commercially important town in the region.
• Fall in love with the most mythical of wine routes
• Locally known as Elsässisch, it is an Alemannic dialect, part of the High German language.
• In spite of consecutive wars between Germany and France, which have severely affected Alsace, the region has been able to protect its rich heritage of churches and castles.

Craft breweries in Alsace: enjoy beer differently

It crisscrosses through the Alsatian vineyards from north to south from Marlenheim to Thann. 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.

Voyage médiéval : sur les traces des chevaliers

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. The Alsace region is divided into two French 'departments' with Bas-Rhin to the north and including Strasbourg and Haut-Rhin to the south and including Colmar. It is the smallest region in France and very pretty in its location between the Vosges mountains and the slotrize casino no deposit bonus Rhine. Alsace is found in eastern France, on the border with Germany to the east and the Lorraine region of France to the west.