The two regions of Alsace and Lorraine are linked historically by the fact that, for centuries, they were fought over by the French and the Germans. After being claimed by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War, they were won back by France in World War I. Each has its own distinctive character, and they are easily visited together.
Strasbourg is the largest city in the Alsace-Lorraine region, which runs along France's eastern edge and borders Germany and Switzerland. For centuries, the city was wrestled back and forth between the Germans and the French, resulting in a curious—and often rewarding—mixture of language, culture and food. (Be sure to try choucroute, the French version of sauerkraut, and sample some of the city's excellent beer.) Strasbourg is also one of the European Union's three capitals (the other two are Brussels and Luxembourg City) and the seat of the parliament of the EU.
The ancient and scenic city of Strasbourg has many attractions. Chief among them are the impressive covered bridges (the best being the Cour de Crobeau), the red-sandstone Gothic cathedral and its astronomical clock (watch its automated rooster at 12:30 pm). Near the cathedral are several excellent museums, including Rohan Palace, the adjoining fine-arts museum (14th- to 19th-century paintings), the modern-art museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts. Strasbourg, 240 mi/385 km east of Paris, is a fun city for walking, especially in the Petit France quarter.
A nice side trip can be made to Nancy, the ancient capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, which is about 60 mi/100 km to the west of Strasbourg. It features Place Stanislas (Stanislas Square, dating from the mid-18th century) with its beautiful wrought-iron and gilt gates. Most people go to Nancy, however, because of its contribution to urban architecture of the past century. The Museum of the School of Nancy displays major pieces of the art-nouveau movement, such as those made by Daum Crystal Works.
About 40 mi/65 km south of Strasbourg is the wonderful small city of Colmar. It has a wonderfully preserved old city center with half-timbered houses and several interesting museums, most notably the Unterlinden Museum of Medieval and Renaissance Art, located in a 13th-century convent. In July, it hosts a large music festival known for the originality of its themes, focusing each year on one particular musician such as Glenn Gould and Jessye Norman.
In addition, this part of Alsace produces some of the best white wines in the world, and many of the wineries scattered through the foothills of the nearby Vosge Mountains are open to the public. Colmar was the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, who designed the Statue of Liberty in New York. His home is now a museum.
The flower-filled Alsacian town called Riquewihr is nearby and worth a stop if it's harvest time. The little town has several nice 12th-century houses. Ungersheim, which sits about 20 mi/30 km south of Colmar, is a town noted primarily for its Ecomuseum—a village made up of 50 or so houses, shops and churches from the 15th-18th centuries that were relocated to Ungersheim in the 20th century. Stop by and see blacksmiths and other period artisans at work.
If you continue another 30 mi/45 km southwest of Colmar you'll reach Besancon, a picturesque city dramatically set in a bend of the Doubs River. Besancon has many claims to fame: It was a city of ancient Rome, novelist Victor Hugo was born there, and its fine-arts museum is the oldest in France. Also in town are the Renaissance Palais Granvelle, St. Jean Cathedral (which has a wonderful astronomical clock) and Vauban Citadel (now a World War II museum with a great view of the area).
Besancon is known for the particular color of stone used on the facades of the buildings, la Pierre de Chailluz-calcaire. The stone has been extracted in the region since 1569 and creates a uniformity in the look of the homes, all of which are colored gray-blue or beige-gold, with pointed roofs.
