Alsace is located at the eastern border of
France, 275 miles from Paris and right in the heart of Europe. It is
flanked on the west by the Vosges mountains, and on the east by the
Rhine river and the Black Forest. Once part of the German Empire,
Alsace only became French under the Louis XIV. Germany later
re-annexed it twice, from 1870-1918 and from 1940-1945. From a
tourist's point of view, Alsace projects a fairy tale image of
half-timbered houses adorned with flowers, gabled roofs, and
chimneys - sometimes topped by stork nests. The upper Vosges, with
majestic forests and peaceful lakes, presents inviting panoramas to
the hiker and the intrepid mountain-bike rider. Alsace has
created one of Europe's great original dishes: choucroute. Regarded
as the national dish, choucroute is fluffy sauerkraut served with
smoked ham, sausages, and potatoes, enjoyed with wine or beer. The
seven Alsace wines, six white and one rosé, are named after the
grapes from which they are made: Gewurtztraminer, Muscat, Pinot
Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sylvaner and Tokay Pinot Gris. Marketed
in the long slender bottles typical of the region, they are dry and
crisp, and should be served cold. The wine route wends its way
for about 75 miles along the eastern side of the Vosges mountains.
Famous among other theme-oriented itineraries in Alsace are Mountain
Ridge Road, Romanesque Road, Rhine Road, and Fried Carp Road.
