But they are also lands of encounters, crucibles of civilization. In these regions with their strong identity where traditions have been conserved with a passion, each town, each village is rich with its singular features, proud of its authenticity and heritage. It is a pleasure to discover the generosity of nature, with its diverse landscapes, its mountains on a human scale, it's lazily meandering rivers, its cathedral forests, its carefully looked-after hillside vineyards and its pretty villages with their flower-laden houses, straight out of a fairy tale...

The geography of the region is full of contrasts. The Vosges mountain range offers unique panoramas over the plateaus of the Lorraine region, with its beautiful valleys and the Alsace plain, bordered by the Rhine. The great river has since time immemorial enriched the soil with its alluvia and facilitated the development of trade between the regions it meanders through. An authentic legend, it has nourished the imagination of men on both banks and inspired story-tellers and poets, such as Apollinaire, who evoked in his "Poesies Rhenanes" the legend of the beautiful Lorelei, the witch whose eyes were full of precious stones. It has even been written that since the dawn of time, the plain and the river have been contemplating each other, locked in a lover's embrace ! The large towns of Alsace developed naturally in this plain. The capital city, Strasbourg, is both the seat of the European Parliament and France's premier river port.

In Alsace even today, renovation and construction work is executed following that very characteristic style that enchants visitors. It's the land of beautiful, half-timbered houses with brightly-coloured wooden panels finely decorated with wattle and daub. One never tires of contemplating the details of these well-maintained dwellings, with their finely wrought balconies decked with flowers in the Summer, the steep, flat-tiled roofs, the spiral gables, the sculpted bay windows, bearing the shop signs of craftsmen or winegrowers of yore…Demonstrating the attachment to the past, visitors sometimes discover inscriptions on the region's buildings bearing the name of the owner, the construction date and pious dictums to ward off the evil eye. It reminds us that this province was always a coveted possession, as is clear from the many ruined fortifications and tours that dot the landscape. With the protecting of its inhabitants in mind, this country was very innovative in its alliances : from the Middle Ages on, 10 towns signed a permanent pact of mutual assistance in case of danger, the "decapole".

The famous Wine Route gives visitors a chance to discover the landscapes, villages and towns of the region. It winds among vineyards that flank the Vosges foothills, protected from the Western winds on sun-drenched balconies. Everything in this landscape is about wine : the towns, the dwellings, the economic activity, the festivals. A civilization of the vine has emerged over the centuries. These vineyards produce the renowned Alsace wines – in particular the whites – based on a number of grape varieties, such as sylvaner, gewurtztraminer, pinot noir, tokay pinot gris, riesling, muscat. Production is focused on quality. A guild was formed in the 14th century with this aim in mind. Heir to this tradition, the St-Etienne brotherhood is very active today and awards coveted distinctions to wines that best represent the quality and typical features of Alsace wines. Its motto "None may be a brother of St-Etienne who does not love good food and Alsace wines" is a wonderful declaration of faith.

The Lorraine region invites us to delve once again into the pages of history. The origin of this province goes back to the 9th century, when Charlemagne's Empire was divided up between his three sons. Its annexation by France did not become final until after the death of Stanislas, Duke of Lorraine, during the reign of Louis the 15th. This former King of Poland put all his passion into embellishing his capital city, Nancy; we owe him the magnificent Stanislas Square, registered as a World Heritage site. Another treasure of the region's heritage is Metz Cathedral, called "God's Lantern", one of the most beautiful religious buildings in France, with its 6000 square meters of stained glass. French, Italian and German artistic influences combine to form a rich architectural heritage. The same is true in Alsace, where Gothic Art attains the sublime in Strasbourg cathedral, built with sandstone from the Vosges, with its beautifully decorated central portal. As for the town of Colmar, it boasts the world-famous "Issenheim alterpiece" by Grünewald in the Unterlinden museum.

The Lorraine region is renowned for its arts and crafts. The alchemy of earth, water and fire was mastered here in early times. Glassmaking and crystal glass-making (Baccarat, Saint Louis…) have a long-standing reputation that today's master glassmakers perpetuate in their masterpieces, wrought by hand. Sarreguemines has a reputation of being the capital of earthenware and Longwy that of enamel (Saint-Jean-l'Aigle). The earthenware factories of Luneville were very committed to art nouveau. In the different workshops, artists and artisans are the best narrators of their craft and of their splendid creations. The art of pearl embroidery excelled in Luneville and Mirecourt, the capital of French lute-making (violins, cellos, guitars…). Epinal, the "city of the image" for centuries, has craftsman's workshops and a fascinating Image Museum which exhibits the story of the creation and dissemination of popular imagery from the 19th century to the present day.

A land of beautiful forests, the Vosges mountain range perpetuates the art of paper making, including that of Arches created 5 centuries ago. It belonged to Beaumarchais who printed the complete works of Voltaire. Another long-standing economic activity, the textile industry, implanted in the 18th century, specialised for a long period in household linen. These activities benefited from the motive force produced by the rivers cascading down from the Vosges mountains. The Vosges is a water tower for the region, though its proportions are modest. No high summits or peaks, just soft, rounded contours : the summits are called "balloons". Because these mountains are low-lying, they are attractive for all forms of tourism. The landscapes are pleasing at all levels : beautiful fir, spruce and beech forests, many lakes nestling in the valleys, pastureland in Summer, cross-country skiing tracks in the Winter. The waters of the Vosges mountains are renowned and spa tourism is well developed, with several important resorts : Vittel, Contrexeville, Plombières, Bains-les-Bains, etc.. Names that bring to mind pleasant sites for hydrotherapeutic cures and relaxation that have been very popular since the earliest times : the Roman era, the Middle Ages, the Second Empire and right up to the present day.

The Lorraine region saw some of the deadliest battles of the First World War 1914-1918. Near Verdun, the French and German troops confronted each other over a period of 18 months in battles of unparalleled violence which left almost 800 000 dead. Even today, the landscapes bear the scars of those savage battles. Several memorial sites (museums, memorials, forts, boneyards and cemeteries..) remind us of this tragedy and of the heroism of the combatants. As regards heroism, we may recall a young Lorraine woman who during the 14th century had an exceptional destiny : Joan of Arc, born in Domremy. Convinced that she was on a divine mission, she obtained a few companions in arms to launch a struggle to "push the English out of the Kingdom of France" and save the King. This land gave France one of the greatest heroines of its history. Certainly the most popular.

Alsace and Lorraine are regions with strong traditions in many different areas. The specific character of Alsace transpires through a language that was for a long period the parlance of every day life, as well as through traditional costumes that are brought out of the mothballs on gala days. The artist Hansi popularised the image of red skirts and black bonnets with wide ribbons for women and of the red waistcoat worn under a black jacket for men. The people of Alsace have always been associated with the stork, which every Spring returns to nest on the spires of churches and tall buildings. A symbol of the region, this proud wader was said to bring good luck and children all knew that babies came carried by the storks. In Lorraine, the memory of Saint Nicolas is alive and well : he is credited with the resurrection of three children and as in Scandinavian countries, he is associated in popular imagery with Father Christmas, the generous benefactor of children.

The regions of Alsace and Lorraine have created museums presenting these products or traditions and there are many routes or theme tours to satisfy the curiosity of visitors. The traditional festivals attract large crowds : wine festivals, the festival of the mirabelle, the Christmas Tree festival (which is rumoured to have been invented in this region around 1600 AD), the festival of the fiddle, the festival of hops, of sauerkraut, etc…as well as the well-known Christmas markets. The gastronomy of the region has a solid reputation. With its mirabelles (small yellow plums), cherries and raspberries, Lorraine produces acclaimed spirits and liquors. The Vosges is a land of cheese : Munster on the Alsace side, gerome on the Lorraine side. In addition to the wines already mentioned, Alsace brews a number of great beers thanks to the hop and barley crops growing in the plains. The best known regional dish is incontestably sauerkraut, for which Strasbourg is particularly acclaimed, as well as hams, cold meats and foie gras. Lorraine offers its "hotpot", its "pot-au-feu" in which the beef is replaced by sausages and fat streaky bacon, and its renowned quiche. As regards sweets, the "kougelhof" is Alsace's star, like the macaroon for Nancy (the town of the Macaron sisters), the Madeleine for Commercy, the sugared almond for Verdun and Plombières ice-cream.

The quality of its tables and of its welcoming tradition add to the many attractive features of these dynamic regions , at the heart of European construction.

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