Holidays in Alsace France, Alsace Villas, Gites, Cottages, Ski Chalets, Chateaux
ALSACE
Situated in the North East and the smallest of the French regions, this varied and fascinating area not only has a flavour of both France and Germany, having shifted between the two for many years, but also has something for every season both winter and summer. Alsace has a wealth of notable features for the holiday maker ranging from beautiful scenery which ranges from the pastoral to the rugged to the many activities available for the more active visitor.
TOWNS AND CITIES
Alsace is famous for cities with half timbered and colourful architecture, the main one being Strasbourg with a central island surrounded by canals linked by stone bridges. Strasbourg is the home of the Council of Europe and the Court of Human Rights, it boasts the wonderful Cathedral of Notre Dame and many museums and in the winter the famous Christmas markets, quite a feature of the region. Other towns include Colmar the town of canals with it’s half timbered houses and it’s museums , also Mulhouse famous for it’s motor museum. Other must see places are the brightly painted villages of Riquehir and Ribeauville and also the medieval village of Barr.
ACTIVITIES
Situated where the Vosges mountains meets the Rhine valley, there are a wealth of activities. In the winter there is downhill skiing with night skiing too, in very family friendly resorts. During the summer there is hiking, mountain biking, golf, paragliding, hangliding and many canal based water pursuits such as boating and fishing. The Vosges mountains are perfect for walkers with it’s spectacular scenery and the whole region is excellent for cyclists with cycle lanes in cities and country cycle tracks. There are also several theme parks and yearly music festivals, altogether a perfect destination for singles, couples and families.
FOOD AND DRINK
Think hearty when you dine in Alsace. Famous for Choucroute Garnie- sauerkraute and sausages with ham, Baeckhoffe- a stew of mutton, pork and beef or escargots, tarte flambee and crème brulee generally washed down with local beer such as Meteor or local white wine like Gewurtztramner and Reisling. The area also boasts the local Munster cheeses. Alsace may be the smallest region but it does have the largest number of five star chefs!
CLIMATE
The climate in Alsace is semi continental with warm, dry summers- Colmar has the lowest rainfall in France, and cold snowy winters with the slopes getting good snow cover.
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