Mulhouse (a city in southern Alsace), which had been part of Switzerland since 1466, joined France in 1798. "La Marseillaise" was played for the first time in April of that year in front of the mayor of Strasbourg Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich. France continued to maintain its customs border along the Vosges mountains where it had been, leaving Alsace more economically oriented to neighbouring German-speaking lands. By the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Strasbourg was a prosperous community, and its inhabitants accepted Protestantism in 1523. After the conclusion of the war, France was again free to pursue its desire to reach the Rhine and in 1444 a French army appeared in Lorraine and Alsace. During the next century, France was to be militarily shattered by the Hundred Years' War, which prevented for a time any further tendencies in this direction.

Alsace Voyage Préparez votre séjour en Alsace

"Alsatia", the Latin form of Alsace's name, entered the English language as "a lawless place" or "a place under no jurisdiction" prior to the 17th century as a reflection of the British perception of the region at that time. The local German dialect was rendered a backward regional "Germanic" dialect not being attached to German. 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.
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 slotrize casino no deposit bonus names were Germanized. During a reannexation by Germany (1940–1945), High German was reinstated as the language of education.

• 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.
• However, Alsatian, along with other regional languages, are recognized by the French government in the official list of languages of France.
• France ceded more than 90% of Alsace and one-fourth of Lorraine, as stipulated in the treaty of Frankfurt; Belfort, the largest Alsatian town south of Mulhouse, remained French.
• As is customary for regional languages in France, neither Alsatian nor the Frankish dialects have any form of official status, although both are now recognized as languages of France and can be chosen as subjects in lycées.
• 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.
• In the postwar years, however, French hegemony reclaimed Alsace, though some cultural ties to Germany remained.
• However, while French is the major language of the region, the Alsatian dialect of French is heavily influenced by German and other languages such as Yiddish in phonology and vocabulary.

Alsace is furthermore famous for its vineyards (especially along the 170 km of the Route des Vins d'Alsace from Marlenheim to Thann) and the Vosges mountains with their thick and green forests and picturesque lakes. Derived from the above, "Alsatia" was historically a cant term for the area near Whitefriars, London, which was for a long time a sanctuary. The bird practically disappeared around 1970, but re-population efforts are continuing.

Haut-Rhin

This tragic wartime episode gave them the name “les Malgré-Nous” (“in spite of our will”). From that time, the Alsace region was ruled by France and remained under its national colours until 1871. The region was originally populated by Celtic tribes who founded Argentorate (now Strasbourg) towards the end of the 3rd century BC.

Experience ecotourism in alsace

• While 39% of the adult population of Alsace speak the dialect, only one in four children speak it, and only one in ten children uses it regularly.
• To the north-west of Bas-Rhin the landscape changes as you enter the Regional Natural Park of Vosges du Nord.
• Long a center of the German-speaking world, after the end of the Thirty Years’ War, southern Alsace was annexed by France in 1648, with most of the remainder conquered later in the century.
• 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.
• Although Alsace has been part of France multiple times in the past, the region had no direct connection with the French state for several centuries.

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.

History

The Alsace region is bordered by the German Länder of Rhineland-Palatinate to the north and to the east, across the Rhine, by Baden-Württemberg. The Alsace region covers an area of 8,280 km2 (190 km long by 50 km wide), which represents 1.5% of the total area of France. The end of the Second World War signalled that it was time for the reconstruction and reconciliation of the peoples of Europe. Alsace had changed hands four times within 75 years between France and Germany. Cultural life was, in part, suppressed by linguistic pressure from French authorities confronted by regional culture.
Fall in love with the most mythical of wine routes In the hollow where the Lorraine plateau meets Northern Alsace lies a secret region with rich, rugged landscapes. Small in size but big in its diversity, Alsace is an endless source of surprises and variety, promising a truly exceptional time! Alsace is the most bicycle-friendly region of France,citation needed with 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) of cycle routes.
It borders Germany on the north and the east, Switzerland and Franche-Comté on the south and Lorraine on the west. German is also taught as a foreign language in local kindergartens and schools. Alsatian is taught in schools (but is not mandatory) as one of the regional languages of France.
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.

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.

Geography of the Alsace region

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