Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The province of Alsace stands like a flower-child referee between Germany and France.
Bounded by the Rhine River on the east and the Vosges Mountains on the west, this is a
green region of Hansel-and-Gretel villages, ambitious vineyards, and vibrant cities. Food
and wine are the primary industry, topic of conversation, and perfect excuse for countless
festivals.
Alsace has changed hands between Germany and France several times because of its
location, natural wealth, naked vulnerability—and the fact that Germany considered the
mountains the natural border, whereas the French saw the Rhine as the dividing line.
On a grander scale, Alsace is Europe's cultural divide, with Germanic nations to the
north and Romantic ones to the south. The region is a fault line marking the place where
cultural tectonic plates collide—it's no wonder the region has been scarred by a history of
war.
