I am coming to Alsace for a holiday soon. Every French person I tell seems shocked or almost disgusted/sometimes amused that I have opted to take a holiday here, as if I am taking a holiday in Milton Keynes or Croydon.
Why is this? OK if I was going to Calais for a week I get the point but I am interested in wine and from what I have researched it seems a great idea. Is there something I am missing here? Have I made some kind of mistake?
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I do not think you have made any kind of mistake. I get out there once a year or so for a long weekend and always enjoy it. The wine, mountains, food, people, little typical towns, all are quite ok and interesting to me.
Maybe French people don%26#39;t think of it beacuse it is kind of a long and boring drive, the train until recently was not TGV standard (now it%26#39;s the fastest in the world Paris-Strasbourg), and it%26#39;s, well, kind of the end of the line - after Alsace you%26#39;re not in France anymore ...
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You probably know more about their country than the French do. To the French, if there is no beach it%26#39;s not worth the effort to go there, particularly on vacation.
Of course it%26#39;s OK to go to Alsace.
You%26#39;ll love the wines - mostly whites and a very nice pinot noire usually served chilled (you probably already know all of this).
I do have rather two unique suggestions if you happen to pass near these locations on your way:
1. The Mephisto factory outlet. Due to the bizarre French retail laws, this store might be called something else but it sits on a corner of the plot of land where the factory is located in Sarrebourg. You might be able to pick up a pair of men%26#39;s Mephistos for 50€.
Mephisto
Route de Sarruemines
Sarrebourg
Closed on Mondays
Open Tuesday to Friday 9h-12h and 14h-18h30
Saturday 9h-18h
2. I wouldn%26#39;t believe this place existed if I hadn%26#39;t seen it for myself. Surrounded by acres of green pastures and grazing cattle near Kirrwiller. It is a must see/dine/attend dinner theater:
http://royal-palace.com/
Additonally, if you are looking for a hotel near Itterswiller, I highly recommend Hotel Arnold:
http://www.hotel-arnold.com
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I drive through there since many years on my way to Switzerland.
The Alsace is a great place and has great people ! Some of the villages you will be visiting are like fairy tale . Could be that some French people are feeling a bit uncomfortable because of the unusual architecture, names and language/accent ? The Alsace has been changing hands several times in the past and the people in the rural areas feel more Alsatian then perhaps anything else. Lots of German visitors go there. May-June is a great time to visit. I bet more than one Parisian must feel like a foreign tourist in Riquewihr !
http://i-love-riquewihr.com/pt_9.html
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We loved our travels in Alsace -- great food, charming villages, good wine -- Strasbourg was a fascinating place with one of the prettiest Cathedrals in Europe
We stayed in a hotel there with windows opening right on the fascade of the cathedral -- wonderful view -- interesting town
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I think the problem with Alsace for the French is that the food has a Germanic influence. I was once told that someone had a %26quot;horrifying%26quot; experience there, the chef%26#39;s omelette didn%26#39;t meet my friend%26#39;s standard.
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Well, when it comes to food the French are pretty savvy, they will appreciate a good Sauerkraut as well as Flamkuchen anytime and wash it down wih a good Riesling or mild Gewuerztraminer.
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I think Sarastro has hit the nail on the head - holidays generally involve a dash south to the sun, so Alsace isn%26#39;t really considered an option for French holiday-makers. They%26#39;re missing a treat though - we%26#39;ve been there a couple of times and are often mistaken for Dutch or German, who seem to arrive in great numbers to enjoy wine, scenery, walking, etc, etc, etc.
Last time we went in May - it was beautiful, though a bit early for all the geranium window boxes in the villages (we watched a %26#39;cherry-picker%26#39; putting them up in Ribeauvillé), but - total serendipity - there were masses of storks nesting on the town hall in Munster. There were also some lovely walks through the vineyards, with the vines just starting to grow. On a practical note, will you have a car? You%26#39;ll see a lot more of the wine villages if you do.
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%26gt;Well, when it comes to food the French are pretty savvy, they will appreciate a good Sauerkraut
From my experience with French people, they will appreciate a good Choucroute but will be horrified and disgusted if offered Sauerkraut.
Never mind that it´s exactly the same.
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Thanks all for the insight. Yes I think they do all head to Nice etc. which I found to be slightly overrated as far as beaches go.
I love wine and I am excited about trying and becoming familiar with the wines available out there.
Yes I will have a car also so will be visiting all the small villages and eating as much as possible.
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Sauerkraut in the form of a Choucroute garnie anytime.
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