In the beautiful town of Kaysersberg, on the Alsace Wine Route, eastern France

 In what country on earth would you rather live? "Certainly in my own, where are all my friends, my relations, and the earliest and sweetest affections and recollections of my life." Which would be your second choice? "France."

-- Thomas Jefferson
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(in eastern France) Alsace, a region on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland, has a culture that is characterized by a blend of Germanic and French influences. Until 1871, Alsace included the area now known as the Territoire de Belfort, which formed its southernmost part. From 1982 to 2016, Alsace was the smallest administrative region in France, consisting of the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments. On 1 January 2021, the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin merged into the new European Collectivity of Alsace but remained part of the Grand Est region.

+ Alsatian is an Alemannic dialect closely related to Swabian, though since World War II most Alsatians speak French. Internal and international migration since 1945 has also changed the ethnolinguistic composition of Alsace. For more than 300 years, from the Thirty Years' War to World War II, the political status of Alsace was heavily contested between France and various German states in wars and diplomatic conferences. The economic and cultural capital of Alsace, as well as its largest city, is Strasbourg, which sits right on the contemporary German international border. The city is the seat of several international organizations.

+ Ask the French what they think of Alsace and watch them grow misty-eyed with nostalgia and affection for this most idiosyncratic of regions. So hard to describe in terms of its character, it proudly guards its own distinct identity, language, cuisine, history, and architecture -– part French, part German, 100% Alsatian. Here the candy-colored towns and villages look as though they have popped up from a child's bedtime story, the gently rolling countryside, striped with vines, is nothing short of idyllic, and everywhere locals swear by their centuries-old traditions.

+ Starting with historical towns, cozy villages, and medieval castles to a charming rural area and wine tastings, it has everything one might expect and even more. The Alsatian rolling hills of vineyards are known world-wide and you can hop from one wine-cellar to another on the touristic Alsace Wine Route. The towns and villages along the way will charm you instantly with their colorful houses, winding alleys, and fresh flowers at the windows.

+ Pictured here is Kaysersberg, a beautiful town on the Alsace Wine Route. Considered one of the most charming cities in Alsace, with its paved streets and half-timbered houses, it is the native town of Albert Schweitzer. Situated on the road of Santiago de Compostela, Kaysersberg surprises by the charm of the medieval sites around the Ste Croix church and the fortified bridge (once a strategic position on the old Roman road that linked the Alsace to the Lorraine).