Picture © Credits to istock/bbsferrari
Picture © Credits to istock/bbsferrari

Great East


More than any other region of France, Grand-Est has been shaped by continual waves of settlement, invasion and border changes....

As the name suggests, this is a large region of eastern France, fronting the entire border with Germany and Luxembourg, and significant portions of the Belgian and Swiss borders, too. It is unsurprising that everything of the region's culture, from the architecture and languages, to the food and wine, is a pleasing mix of Gallic and Germanic. Visitors come to explore the battlefields of the Ardennes and Verdun, to quaff glasses of champagne, gobble up quiche and sauerkraut, hike or bike the Vosges, or to glide lazily down the mighty Rhine. Devotees of gastronomy know it for its famous 'Wine Route' and come to taste the famous Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, but it is also renowned for its sauerkraut, sausages and other dishes that are reminiscent of the neighbouring Germany. The region is also renowned for an other gastronomy speciality, the leading product of course being none other than the famous champagne, synonym of luxury and festivities the world over. Travellers seek out the region to amble through its small medieval towns, go walking along its plains interspersed with forests and valleys, or take a tasting tour of its legendary champagnes.