ALSACE
Vacations and Sightseeing
Vacations and Sightseeing
| Basic information | |
| Official language | French |
| Capital | Strasbourg |
| Area | 8.280 km² |
| Population | ca. 1,906,000 (2019) |
| Currency | euro (EUR) |
| Web | .fr |
| Code. | FRA |
| Tel. | +33 |
Popular destinations FRANCE
| Alsace | Ardeche | Auvergne |
| Brittany | Burgundy | Cevennes |
| Corsica | Cote d'azur | Dordogne |
| Jura | Languedoc-roussillon | Loire valley |
| Lot | Normandy | Picardy |
| Provence |
Vacations and Sightseeing
10 million tourists visit Alsace for its hiking trails (16,000 km, incl. Vosges), cycling trails (1,200 km, incl. Vosges), culture, history, gastronomy and traditions. About 40% of these visitors come from abroad and 30% are business tourists. The tourism industry has an important place in the Alsatian economy, employing around 25,000 people.
Strasbourg is the capital of Alsace and is a beautiful city with a lot of architectural and historical heritage. It is also the home of the European Parliament. It is located on the banks of the Rhine, on the French border with Germany. The highlight of a visit to Strasbourg, and a good place to start your exploration of Strasbourg, is at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. This is a beautiful Gothic building visible from all corners of the city because of its high spire. Inside Strasbourg Cathedral, you will find a wide range of stained glass windows, representing different eras from the 12th to the 14th century. There are ornate carved porticoes and an astronomical clock. The interesting historical centre of Strasbourg is located around the cathedral, the district is known as 'Petite France'. It is an impressive district with many beautiful houses in Renaissance style.
Colmar is an important tourist town in the Haut-Rhin department in the south of Alsace. The old town has narrow streets with half-timbered houses and shows the real Alsace as it was hundreds of years ago. This part of the city is called 'Petite Venise' and is attractive and photogenic. The city also has two major attractions, the first is in the Unterlinden Museum with the Issenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald, a beautiful piece of Renaissance art. The second is in the Dominican church, the 'vierge au Buisson de roses' by Martin Schongauer. Although less important than Grunewald, this too is a highly appreciated altarpiece.
Château Haut-Koenigsbourg is a castle situated on a hilltop near Kintzheim just west of Selestat in Alsace (in the municipality of Orschwiller). It is one of the most visited places in Alsace and in France, both for the castle itself and for the far-reaching views. The castle has beautiful defensive ramparts, towers and walls. After crossing the drawbridge to the castle, you enter the main living area. This is followed by the salle des fêtes, with a large symbolic eagle painted on the ceiling. There are also several other rooms and halls, and a wide selection of objects and furniture and many medieval weapons. Outside there is a typical medieval garden.
Sources
Dominicus, J. / Vogezen, Elzas
Gottmer
Elzas, Vogezen, Champagne
Michelin
Graaf, G. de / Vogezen en Elzas
ANWB
Schuppen, S. van / Vogezen, Elzas en Lotharingen
ANWB
Tschirner, S. / Elzas, Vogezen
ANWB
Wikipedia
CIA - World Factbook
BBC - Country Profiles
Copyright: Team The World of Info