Discover Grand Est
Grand Est is the great north-eastern region, bordering Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. Three historical territories make up this mosaic: Champagne, Lorraine and Alsace. In the south-east, the Alsace Wine Route winds 170 km from Marlenheim to Thann through France's most flowered villages — Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé — and Grand Cru-classified vineyards (Schlossberg, Brand, Hengst, Rangen). Strasbourg, capital metropolis of the Council of Europe, keeps its UNESCO-listed Grande-Île around the pink-sandstone Gothic cathedral. In the west, Champagne unfolds its 33,800 hectares of vines (UNESCO since 2015), around the three basins of Reims (the kings' coronation cathedral), Épernay (Avenue de Champagne and cellars 30 m underground) and Aÿ. The Meuse and Moselle country keeps the memory of the First World War's great battles: Verdun, Douaumont memorial, ossuary, Trench of Bayonets. Further south, the Vosges offer their rounded summits (Grand Ballon, Hohneck), their glacial lakes (Gérardmer, Longemer) and some of Europe's densest fir forests. On the table, Alsatian choucroute, flammekueche, Munster (AOP), baeckeoffe, Nancy bergamots, Lorraine pâté and Commercy madeleines build a strong identity. Recommended season: April-June and September-October, or December for Christmas markets (Strasbourg, Colmar, Riquewihr).
