What happens when two nations half-heartedly volley a region back and forth for centuries?
A mutt is born. In this case, Alsace, where the food is not quite German, not quite French. Same goes for the dwindling dialect.
Luckily, this is one attractive mix: rolling, French hillsides speckled with absurdly perfect Disney villages. Each house’s colorful paint is faded enough to appear pleasantly weathered, but not neglected.
Though the Alsace region was returned to France after WWI in the Treaty of Versailles, its flip-flopping history is apparent.
Travel Tips
Explore the villages of the Route des Vins d’Alsace using Colmar as your base. Go for the wine tasting, the scenery or the Christmas markets. Stay at Saint-Martin hotel in downtown Colmar.
Kayserberg, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and Obernai are treasures, but each of the dozens of villages have storybook status. If you’re super cool, do part of the Route by bike. Here’s your map. Bon voyage!
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