Alsácia

Alsácia is the strip in eastern França between the river Reno, which forms the border with Alemanha, and the Vosges mountains. The region changed hands between França and Alemanha several times over the centuries, and that shows up in everything: in street and town names, on bilingual signs, in the cuisine and in the Alsatian dialect, which is still spoken by some of the older residents.

Estrasburgo is the gateway. The city has a pink sandstone cathedral, the historic center of the Grande Île and the Petite France quarter, both listed as World Heritage by Unesco, and it is home to the European Parliament. The TGV, the high-speed train, links Paris to Estrasburgo in about 1h50.

To the south is Colmar, with canals in the Petite Venise, colorful half-timbered houses and the Musée Unterlinden, which houses the Retábulo de Issenheim. Surrounding Colmar runs the Rota dos Vinhos da Alsácia, a road that connects villages such as Riquewihr, Eguisheim and Kaysersberg, amid vineyards of riesling and gewurztraminer. On top of a hill, the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg watches over the plain.

White wine is part of the local culture, as are choucroute (sauerkraut), flammekueche (a thin crust baked with cream, onion and bacon) and kougelhopf, a tall crown-shaped cake. Storks have become a symbol of the region and appear in nests on rooftops and on souvenirs everywhere.

In December, towns set up Christmas markets; Estrasburgo's, the Christkindelsmärik, is one of the oldest in Europe. Markets usually run from late November to late December, and it is the busiest time of the year.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Estrasburgo, Colmar.