High population growth during the post-WW2 economic boom of the Trente Glorieuses ended after the 1973 oil crisis. The city of Colmar has a sunny microclimate; it is the second driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of around 550 mm (22 in), making it ideal for vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine). It doesn't rain much in the area because of the protection offered by the Vosges mountains. Alsace is the part of the plain of the Rhine located at the west of the Rhine, on its left bank.
The Alsace region’s touristic appeal is closely linked to its rich history. The Alsace region is also known for the richness of its gastronomy. The Alsace vineyards extend across the hills of the Vosges at between 200 and 400 metres high, over some 14,000 hectares of grapevines which produce an average of 150 million bottles of wine.
- By the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Strasbourg was a prosperous community, and its inhabitants accepted Protestantism in 1523.
- The word Sauerkraut in Alsatian has the form sûrkrût, same as in other southwestern German dialects, and means “sour cabbage” as its Standard German equivalent.
- Colmar is the principal centre of the wine-growing region, whose vineyards extend in a narrow strip along the lower slopes of the Vosges west of the city.
- Alsace is the most bicycle-friendly region of France,citation needed with 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) of cycle routes.
- From the time of Augustus to the early fifth century AD, the area of Alsace was incorporated into the Roman province of Germania Superior.
- The most important religious monuments in Haut-Rhin include the romanesque abbey at Murbach and the 11th century abbey church at Ottmarsheim.
- To the south, the Jura mountains mark the border with Switzerland from Basle to the vicinity of Porrentruy.
The friendly white storks, the iconic emblem of Alsace, are found in large numbers throughout the region. Protected in Italy since 1976, the grey wolf has since entered France through the Maritime Alps. There is now a population of about 900 chamois in the Vosges, particularly in the high ridges of the valley of Munster above 800 metres. From Colmar, next to the foothills and at the base of the Vosges mountains, clouds arriving from the West are forced to rise and fall as precipitation over the high summits, hence protecting the lower area from rain. The topography of Alsace, the Vosges and the Black Forest in Germany all play a major role in the local climate. In the South-West, the Gate of Burgundy opens Alsace to Franche-Comté, while the crest of the Vosges mountains serves as a natural border with Lorraine.
Both Alsatian and Standard German were for a time banned from public life (including street and city names, official administration, and educational system). However, in a Decree of 18 December 1952, supplemented by an Order of 19 December of the same year, optional teaching of the German language was introduced in elementary schools in communes in which the language of habitual use was the Alsatian dialect. After World War II, the French government pursued, in line with its traditional language policy, a campaign to suppress the use of German as part of a wider Francization campaign. The population was forced to speak German and 'French' family names were Germanized. During a reannexation by Germany (1940–1945), High German was reinstated as the language of education.
- Alsace is also well known for its foie gras made in the region since the 17th century.
- However, visitors to Alsace can see indications of renewed political and cultural interest in the language – in Alsatian signs appearing on hoardings and in car windows, as well as in new official bilingual street signs in Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
- The divergence in policy from the French majority is because the region was part of Imperial Germany when the 1905 law separating the French church and state was instituted (for a more comprehensive history, see Alsace–Lorraine).
- The traditional language of the région is Alsatian, an Alemannic dialect of Upper German spoken on both sides of the Rhine and closely related to Swiss German.
- In the prosperous city of Strasbourg, the bourgeoisie took over the local authority of the bishop.
- Increasingly, French is the only language used at home and at work, and a growing number of people have a good knowledge of standard German as a foreign language learned in school.
- It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the Rhine in the east and the Vosges mountains in the west.
Churches and castles
French government institutions employ a variety of means to prevent the German-speaking Alsatians from publishing media in their native language. However, the Constitution of France still requires that French be the only official language of the Republic. Today, the territory is in certain areas subject to some laws that are significantly different from the rest of France, which is known as the local law. During the war, 130,000 young men from Alsace and Lorraine were conscripted into the German armies against their will (malgré-nous). In order not to antagonize the Alsatians, the region was not subjected to some legal changes that had occurred in the rest of France between 1871 and 1919, such as the 1905 French law on the separation of Church and State. With the arrival of the French soldiers, many Alsatians and local Prussian/German administrators and bureaucrats cheered the re-establishment of order.
To appreciate the natural environment you can explore the Regional Natural Park of the Ballon des Vosges which occupies much of the western Haut-Rhin. The most important religious monuments in Haut-Rhin include the romanesque abbey at Murbach and the 11th century abbey church at Ottmarsheim. There are also numerous picturesque villages, among them some that are also classified among the 'most beautiful villages of France' (Eguisheim, Hunawihr and Riquewihr). The larger towns in southern Alsace include Colmar, with an impressive historical centre, and Mulhouse, well known for its important museums.
Alsace within the Holy Roman Empire
This quiet region of densely forested hills, small streams and rivers and rocky outcrops is very beautiful and well worth exploring – Neuwiller-les-Saverne is to the south-west of the park and Lembach to the north-east. To the south of the region lies the city of Mulhouse and the rural land of the Sundgau, which reaches the Swiss border in the Jura mountains. The Alsace region is located in north-eastern France and is famous for its wine, its colourful half-timbered houses and its castles, which sit enthroned on the summits of the Vosges mountains. Colmar is the principal centre of the wine-growing region, whose vineyards extend in a narrow strip along the lower slopes of the Vosges west of the city. The massif of the Vosges gradually gives way eastward to the plain of Alsace, while to the south the region of Sundgau in southern Haut-Rhin rises to the Jura Mountains.
Following the Protestant Reformation, promoted by the local reformer Martin Bucer, the principle of cuius regio, eius religio led to a certain amount of religious diversity in the highlands of northern Alsace. The divergence in policy from the French majority is because the region was part of Imperial Germany when the 1905 law separating the French church and state was instituted (for a more comprehensive history, see Alsace–Lorraine). Alsace is generally seen as the most religious of all the French regions. But by the 2010s, Alsace had entered a new period of slow demographic growth, though the Strasbourg area had become one of France's fastest growing regions.
The traditional language of the région is Alsatian, an Alemannic dialect of Upper German spoken on both sides of the Rhine and closely related to Swiss German. Although German dialects were spoken in Alsace for most of its history, the dominant language in Alsace today is French. With the purpose of "Francizing" the region, the Rot-un-Wiss has not been recognized by Paris. As it underlines the Germanic roots of the region, it was replaced in 1949 by a new "Union jack-like" flag representing the union of the two départements. The authentic historical flag is the Rot-un-Wiss; Red and White are commonly found on the coat of arms of Alsatian
slotrize casino no deposit bonus cities (Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Sélestat…) and of many Swiss cities, especially in Basel's region.
They maintained their own customs, Yiddish language, and historic traditions within the tightly knit ghettos; they adhered to Jewish law. By 1790, the Jewish population of Alsace was approximately 22,500, about 3% of the provincial population. The population grew rapidly, from 800,000 in 1814 to 914,000 in 1830 and 1,067,000 in 1846. This had grave effects on trade and the economy of the region since former overland trade routes were switched to newly opened Mediterranean and Atlantic seaports. At the same time, some Alsatians were in opposition to the Jacobins and sympathetic to the restoration of the monarchy pursued by the invading forces of Austria and Prussia who sought to crush the nascent revolutionary republic.
Alsace, a land of castles
After 1918, French was the only language used in schools, particularly primary schools. French lost ground to such an extent that it has been estimated that only 2% of the population spoke French fluently, and only 8% had some knowledge of it (Maugue, 1970). Between 1870 and 1918, Alsace was annexed by the German Empire in the form of an imperial province or Reichsland, and the mandatory official language, especially in schools, became High German. The French language never really managed, however, to win over the masses, the vast majority of whom continued to speak their German dialects and write in German (which we would now call "standard German").citation needed From the annexation of Alsace by France in the 17th century and the language policy of the French Revolution up to 1870, knowledge of French in Alsace increased considerably. During the Lutheran Reform, the towns of Alsace were the first to adopt the German language as their official language instead of Latin.
Northern Vosges and Alsace Bossue
French Moments is about promoting the French culture and language through its website and social network. These gems of the wine country are often made up of old medieval ramparts, winding alleyways that bloom with magnificent geraniums, winstubs, vaults, half-timbered houses, and medieval churches. Several cities and villages along the Alsace Wine Route have since become famous and attract a very large crowd of visitors during the summer months and Christmas. It was greatly restored between 1901 to 1908 under the orders of Kaiser William II, a great admirer of medieval romanticism.
Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, and Pinot Blanc are among the notable white wines produced. Natural boundaries in Alsace include the Vosges Mountains to the west and the Rhine River to the east. Switzerland lies to the south of Alsace, and Germany borders it to the east and north. Alsace, historical region and former région of France, incorporated since January 2016 into the région of Grand Est. Share your best experiences in Alsace with #visitalsace
The constitution of the Fifth Republic states that French alone is the official language of the Republic. Increasingly, French is the only language used at home and at work, and a growing number of people have a good knowledge of standard German as a foreign language learned in school. This situation has spurred a movement to preserve the Alsatian language, which is perceived as endangered, a situation paralleled in other régions of France, such as Brittany or Occitania. Few young people speak Alsatian today, although there do still exist one or two enclaves in the Sundgau region where some older inhabitants cannot speak French, and where Alsatian is still used as the mother tongue. Though the ban has long been lifted and street signs today are often bilingual, Alsace–Lorraine is today predominantly French in language and culture.
Symbolically, the Route des Crêtes marks the border between Lorraine and Alsace, between the Romance and Germanic language worlds. Throughout its course, it is sometimes in Lorraine and sometimes in Alsace. Many town names have become synonymous with rich traditions, friendliness, prosperity and great wines. Several cities and villages along the Alsace Wine Route have become famous and attract a very large crowd of visitors during the summer months and Christmas, where they have beautiful Christmas Markets.
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