7 countries, 7 atmospheres

7 match(s) found in

The land of taste

If there is one place where Christmas is celebrated with great cheer it is certainly Strasbourg, capital of Europe, whose "Grande-Ile", encircled by the river Ill and the Canal du Faux Rempart, is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A few weeks before Christmas, five squares in Strasbourg, including the famous Place de la Cathédrale, are transformed as if by magic. The "Christkindelsmärik", created in 1570 to replace the St Nicholas market, is now the oldest Christmas market in France! Here you will enter a realm where lights twinkle night and day, the spicy fragrance of mulled wine fills the air, and sparkling colours, traditional treat

The land of mysteries

The land of the legendary and cruel Hans Trapp borders the forest of Haguenau, the largest forest in Alsace. This region is known as the Pays de l’Outre-Forêt and its capital is Wissembourg. In the Land of Mysteries, one of the best known local trades is surely that of potter. The products the local potters make are beautiful: glazed earthenware from Soufflenheim and salt-glazed stoneware from Betschdorf can be found on the stalls of the traditional Christmas markets in Haguenau. The perfect place to find original Christmas gifts, whilst enjoying a cup of mulled wine and chatting with St. Nicholas and the Christkindel ! And you won't leave the Land of Mysteries without vi

The land of light

The Land of Light is crossed by the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park and is the cradle of the mythical character, Christkindel. Legend has it that the child Jesus, personified by a young girl dressed all in white, appears on Christmas Eve. From the beginning of December, the towns and villages sparkle with a thousand lights. A sparkle that reminds us of the glass works at Wingen-sur-Moder, where the workers are still carrying on a tradition based on know-how born at the end of the Middle Ages ! This village is home to an amazing treasure: the Lalique crystal works, founded by the French master glassmaker and jeweller of the same name. A visit to the museum will transport you int

The land of Christmas stars

Visit Colmar, home of the famous illustrator Hansi and birthplace of the brilliant sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, creator of the colossal, majestic Statue of Liberty ! Discover Kaysersberg, where the Doctor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Schweitzer was born ! History also gives you an appointment with Neuf-Brisach, a fortified town built in 1697 alongside the Rhine by the great military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis de Vauban, and a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List ! If you have a taste for heights, head to Munster and the surrounding area: with the Vosges mountains close by, food lovers and gourmets will be able to combine the pleas

The land of Christmas gatherings

This special Land, situated half-way between Colmar and Mulhouse, is a reconstructed village that tells the story of Alsatian life in the 19th and 20th centuries. This place that celebrates the sources of Alsatian life could hardly ignore one of the periods of the year most cherished by families and so it organises traditional Christmas gatherings. With these events, the Ecomusée helping to keep alive beliefs, legends and emblematic characters from the past. This living museum, with its exhibitions and realistic presentations of scenes from traditional life, is a collection of houses, trades and craftsmen's workshops from days gone by.

The land of songs and fine fabrics

From the Ballons des Vosges to the Alsatian Jura, from Guebwiller to the Three Borders area, the Land of Songs and Fine Fabrics is part of the dynamic and convivial Alsace. Mulhouse is the cradle of an industrial know-how whose origins go back to the 17th century, when a factory was set up producing highly prized Indian cotton fabrics. A reminder of a glorious industrial past, the fabrics have their own museum, the Museum of Printed Fabrics, where you can admire the finest examples. For the Christmas celebrations, a piece is created specially and used to decorate the facades of the Town Hall and the chalets of the Christmas markets. This is also the Land of Songs: the days and evenings are d

The land of Christmas trees

The Land of Christmas Trees is situated in Central Alsace. Why the nickname "king of the forest"? Its origin surely goes back a long way... Indeed, the Humanist Library in Sélestat contains the first written reference to the sale of Christmas trees, dating from 1521. Later on, this conifer would come to be decorated with ribbons, red apples, coloured paper, sweets and cakes. It was in the 17th and 18th centuries that it began to be lit up with carefully placed candles. In the 19th century the hand-painted blown glass bauble replaced the traditional red apple, but the Christmas Tree, once venerated in pagan festivals, has become a constant feature of Christmas and remains one