Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Alsace
When I was much younger there was a hit record from a group named Blue Mink called Melting Pot, the first verse went like this
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“Take a pinch of white man
Wrap it up in black skin
Add a touch of blue blood
And a little bitty bit of Red Indian boy”
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If you adapt the words to something along the lines of
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“Take a pinch France
Wrap it up in Germany
Add a touch of Switzerland
And a little bitty bit of Luxembourg”
Then you’ll have Alsace.
Alsace is an area of north west France but it’s not like any other part of France, yes it is French but with a strong Germanic influence and some influences from other neighbouring countries thrown in for good measure and this hotch potch actually manages to contain the best from all the countries.
The area is also geographically diverse, the western edge is the River Rhine which more or less defines the border with Germany.
Heading east you cross the plains of the Rhine before reaching the Vosges mountains which form the eastern part of the region.
A rich wine growing area vineyards abound, especially on the western facing mountains and a very popular Route de Vin runs north to south throughout most of the region, giving wine lovers an excellent touring route to explore with plenty of opportunities for the non-drivers to sample the local produce.
Mainly rural, the region has three large towns Strasbourg, the largest, in the north, Mulhouse, the second largest, in the south and Colmar the smaller of the trio between them.
Strasbourg is most well known for being the part time home of the European Parliament and there is a large EU area to the north of the city.
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However there is more to Strasbourg than being a home to Eurocrats. It is a city with a rich history, many old half-timbered buildings and a magnificent cathedral.
One of the best ways to see the city, before exploring on foot, is to take a boat tour of the city. The trips, in air conditioned boats, takes an hour and ten minutes, costs €12.50 and includes a circular tour of the old city and a trip out to the more modern area, housing the EU buildings.
Commentary is provided in nine languages via headphones and if you want to ignore the comprehensive commentary and just admire the views you can.
Having said that the commentary is informative and the English version is delivered by a chap with a delightfully soft Irish accent.
If you wish to avoid the EU quarter there is a shorter, 45 minute, tour of the old city costing €9.50
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Having done the boat trip then explore the city on foot. If shopping is your scene there are plenty of chic shops to visit. There are many pedestrianised roads with delightful old buildings or you can just sit outside a café and people watch.
As I said the cathedral is magnificent the only drawback being beggars sitting outside each of the doors all looking very frail but who, almost miraculously, show an adroit turn of foot when the police arrive.
The Place Benjamin Zix is a delightful square, something of a scaled down version on Montmartre in Paris.
Mulhouse is located at the southern edge of the region, close to the Swiss border and the city does have a Swiss feel to it.
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A mixture of old and new the city has a very efficient tram system, tied in with a park and ride scheme to encourage visitors to dump their vehicles and travel in by tram. Having said that city centre parking is anything but extortionate.
The main square, the place de la Réunion, is definitely the centrepiece of the city and is home to what must, arguably, be the most ornate town hall in France with a magnificent pink façade.
The buildings around the square are delightfully painted and for a gastronome like me finding a chocolatier next door do a cheesemonger was almost too much to bear.
The area around the square is an eclectic mixture of old and new and the sort of area you can just wander around and find little gems be it an art gallery or unusual shop.
Colmar is basically a delightful old town surrounded by an uninteresting by a nondescript, modern industrial development. The only problem is you have to drive through the boring concrete areas to reach the jewel in the centre, old buildings alongside canals.
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Needless to say there are canal trips, lasting about half an hour and costing just €6 a head. These offer stunning views of the town and the lovely houses and the highlight is having to duck as the boat goes under an impossibly low bridge.
The reward, if you haven’t been decapitated, is a close up view of the floral display outside the covered market.
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There are plenty of restaurants in the old town, although those with terraces overlooking the canals are invariably busy and their prices reflect the view. If you aren’t worried about a canal view some of the restaurants away from the canal side offer fantastic value for money.
One well worth visiting is the Winstub La Krutenau which only serves the Alsace speciality Tarte Flambé either with or without cheese for around €7.50 – Alsace fast(ish) food at it’s very best – not particularly fast as each tarte is cooked to order, so is fresh.
About seven kilometres outside Colmar is the town of Eguisheim. It features, in its centre, a château and a church with the houses forming concentric circles around these. Most of the houses are half-timbered and all adorned by flowers.
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The car par outside the town charges €3 a day for parking with the money going to pay for the plants – that’s one parking fee I do not begrudge paying.
Many guide books describe Eguisheim as the prettiest town in France. Whilst I’m in no way approaching visiting all the towns in France, of the many I have visited I think the claim is justified – if you’re ever in the area and are short of time try and make sure Eguisheim is on the “to do” list.
Judge for yourself from the following photographs:-
I mentioned in the beginning there is a Route des Vin in Alsace. It’s a well signposted route beginning at Marlenheim in the north to Thann in the south. 170 kilometres long it takes in all the main wine growing areas in the region.
In July and August there are plenty of wine festivals along the route and if you are seriously into your wine then the route could be transformed into a full weeks visit.
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When I visited Alsace in July they were experiencing their highest temperatures since 1952 with the mercury nudging 40° Celsius, making the plains and towns almost unbearable during the height of the day.
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This is where the mountains come into their own, although hot weather isn’t the only reason to visit the mountains.
In winter the mountains become ski resorts, whilst in the summer they become centres for walking and hiking or you can just point the car in a random direction and enjoy some stunning views.
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Some of the ski resorts have become quite imaginative, at La Bressee-Hohneck, for example, the chair lifts operate all year but in the summer instead of attaching skis to the side of the chair lift the adventurers attach mountain bikes, as what was a piste in winter becomes a mountain bike challenge in summer.
By the way the nearby town of La Bressee has an excellent Sunday morning market.
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Cuisine in the area has a very strong Germanic influence. The main local “produce” is, of course, wine but the mountains are home to Munster, the home of a famous but rather pungent range of cheeses and, needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities to visit cheese makers and sellers around Munster.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect on my first visit to the area but suffice to say my expectations were exceeded and it’s an area I would happily revisit again.
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