Destination of the Week

Alsace

So, you want to go to Alsace, Lorraine?

Sorry.  Bad joke about this beautiful area that includes Strasbourg, Mulhouse and Culmar.  It’s an especially interesting area in that the history includes rule by Romans then Alemanni, Merovingian Franks.  This was followed by the Verdun Treaty and the division of Charlemagne’s empire.  And this only gets us to 842 AD.

Jump to 1648 when Alsace becomes a French protectorate and then to 1681 when Louis XIV completely took over Alsace, occupying Strasbourg.  In 1871, Germany defeated France and took Alsace and parts of Lorraine until 1918.  Finally, in 1940, the armistice gave occupation to Germany only to have the area returned to France by allied forces at the end of World War II.

Through it all, the region remained very much “its own.”  The language is different (officially French but definitely a local dialect which is Germanic), the foods are a mix of French and German and the wines special, including Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pino Gris, Muscat Ottonel, Riesling, Auxerrois and Sylvaner.  This many wines from such a small area tells you how important the viticulture is to the region!

Strasbourg is the region’s leading city.  There you’ll find the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Strasbourg.  Construction began in 1176 with the tower finished in 1439.  Besides the traditionally religious elements including the tower, itself, the stained glass, the crypts and the sculptures, be sure to see the astronomical clock.  Construction was between 1547 and 1574 and features allegorical carvings and castings that are activated every day at 12:30.  There’s also a planetarium inside. 

Don’t miss the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame with not only rooms of art and precious sculptures but gardens and courtyards including those that produce medicinal plants.

You’ll find Strasbourg offers plenty more for your viewing and visiting.  It’s a lovely combination of cobblestone, canals, and timber & stone houses.  The medieval appearance belies the active life you’ll see.  And as you walk, don’t be surprised to hear a large mix of languages as visitors come from just about everywhere on earth to view this center of European history.

Farther south are Culmar then Mulhouse.  There’s plenty to see in both cities.  Keep in mind that Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi was born in Culmar.  There’s a museum in the home where he was born that's dedicated to him and his construction of the Statue of Liberty.

The region’s climate makes for hot summers, cold winters, and plenty of snow.  Nevertheless, it’s beautiful year ‘round and certainly, the Alsace wine road is a scene you have to see to believe.  It’s a route that runs for about 105 miles (170 km) along the foothills of the Vosges.  It passes over hills large and small, all dotted with beautiful homes, old castles and steeples and vineyards along both sides.

If you like Riesling or Gewurtztraminer, you’re gonna be like a blind dog in a butcher shop here – you won’t know what to go for first!

The DNA on many of the varietals here exists nowhere else.  That, along with the terroir created by the varying slopes and weather, yield both sweet and dry whites that are exquisite.

The Gewurtztraminers are especially good.  They’re fruity and very aromatic – even perfumy.  Gewurtztraminer can age well, acquiring even more of a flowery aroma.  Taste them as you pass through Pfaffenheim, Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Obermorschwihr, and Orschwihr.  You’ll have the chance to pair wines with spicy dishes or sauerkraut or foie gras or cheeses like munster, Roquefort, maroilles or pont l’eveque.

While you’re there, check out the legend of King Dagobert.  He was so smitten with a young lady from Kuttolsheim that he had an aquaduct – uh make that vinoduct – OK, a pipeline built to bring wine from Kuttolsheim to Strasbourg.  And, let us know if you find the pipeline, itself.

Even if you don’t, you see some beautiful scenery and taste wonderful wines. 

Want to book a trip? Start here.

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