Grand Est

Heritage

At the crossroads in the centre of Europe, the Grand Est has, for better or worse, been at the heart of events since the beginning of time. While still bearing some of the wounds left by history, it is also the site of some of the European civilisation’s finest achievements. This is a region that has managed to maintain its traditions, its memories of an eventful past, and its architectural heritage.

Architecture

Half-timbered houses are the traditional symbol of Grand Est, but there are so many different things to see there, so many villages, each with its own character but always giving visitors a warm welcome.

Castles

From their vantage points high up in the foothills of the Vosges, Grand Est’s castles still watch over the plain… for the greater pleasure of visitors only. Alsace is the region of Europe with the greatest number of feudal castles, a sign of its tumultuous history. Traces of more than 400 of them have been discovered, mostly in ruins. Nevertheless, a hundred are relatively intact, and give a good idea of their erstwhile splendor and of the daring that often went into the building of a castle keep or curtain wall.
Exploring seven centuries of Grand Est’s castles, from splendor to decline, is always a great experience.

Nature reserves

Grand Est has preserved and protected its fascinating natural heritage much to its visitors’ delight. Great time to explore these reserves, havens of peace, of unspoilt nature, with specially designed educational sites that surprise and delight visitors while providing a wide range of information.

Vosges

Of rounded hills with distant horizons and secret lakes, of festivals and fairs, of vast forests and delicate ceramics; its 10,000 miles of signposted footpaths take you through unspoilt nature at its best.

French vineyard

The Grand Est Wine Route takes you past some of the world’s most famous wine-farming estates. The vineyards cover thousands of acres, forming a magnificent panorama as they climb the sunny slopes of the Vosges, past medieval villages and ancient castles.

Vineyard and Gastronomy

Recipe of Alsace

One of the great pleasures in life is fine food: in Grand Est, gastronomy is an art where the chefs draw their inspiration from the rich palette of regional foods and fine wines. It is the region of France with the most starred restaurants which combine traditional cuisine with daringly sophisticated touches. Every dish is an invitation to feast all your senses on the flavours and colours, enhanced by the succulent Grand Est cuisine.
Flammekueche is probably one of the most famous specialities in the area…

Alsace Wine

“A small glass of Alsace wine is like a summer dress or a spring flower; it’s a ray of sunshine that makes life brighter,” said Christian Dior. Alsace is the only region of France to continue the tradition of making varietal wines only. It has seven delicious grape varieties plus wines made with late harvested grapes that connoisseurs consider a rare pleasure.

Useful information:

Tourism office in Grand Est:
www.tourism-alsace.com

Maps of Grand Est:
www.ign.fr
www.viamichelin.com

Gites in Grand Est:
www.1000gites.com

Travel from the UK
By air: Regular flights by most major international airlines serve Grand Est’s two international airports: Strasbourg International Airport (located 9 miles south-west of Strasbourg) and Basel-Mulhouse-Fribourg Euro Airport (located in Southern Alsace).
Easyjet flies from Liverpool and London (Stansted and Luton airports) to Basel-Mulhouse-Fribourg Euro Airport.
www.easyjet.com
www.britishairways.com

By train: Main-line trains from the rest of Europe serve Grand Est directly.

Our team of sale advisers at Sextant Properties will be happy to help you to find a property in Grand Est. We have a large network of partners in Alsace. All of them are registered French real estate agents and speak both French and English. Whatever kind of property you are looking for: farmhouse, longere, barn, gite, B&B, country house, mill, castle or chateau, we will do our best to find a property in Grand Est matching your requirements.