Family holiday in Alsace, France
Strasbourg, in the heart of Alsace
Monday, 22, Dec 2008 12:00
The region of Alsace in France has the perfect recipe for a family holiday to suit even the most demanding of tastes.
Take the region's many annual events, including festivals of cars, clowns, flowers and music, add a wide range of attractions, friendly locals and wonderful food - and you have the makings of a charming holiday.
Set all this in the second driest region in France and some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe and it is easy to see why family holidaymakers who have already discovered Alsace come back for more.
Here travelbite.co.uk takes a look at what the region has to offer.
The natural side of Alsace
The Vosges Mountains, bordering the west of Alsace, provide the perfect playground for the more active family.
For example, within one of the two nature parks - Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park and the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park, which is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve - it is possible to go hiking, mountain biking, dog sledging, horse riding and paragliding through some breathtaking countryside.
Alsace also has several adventure parks for younger families.
A favourite is Lac Blanc Parc d'Aventures, which is situated overlooking the Kaysersberg Valley in the heart of the Vosges Mountains.
The park offers seven grouped activities dependent on age, starting with the 'Bear Cub' and culminating in 'The Lynx' which includes activities such as tightrope walking and rock climbing.
One of the most interesting safari parks in the region is Monkey Mountain, situated near Colmar. There are a whole range of animal attractions at the park, one of which involves walking amongst 280 free roaming monkeys.
The cultural side of the region
Young princes and budding historians will enjoy exploring the 34 castles found throughout Alsace.
Perhaps the most impressive is the Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg - a massive medieval castle built 700 metres up in the hills overlooking the Alsace plain. This year marks the centenary of the restoration of the great castle and it is certainly worth a visit just for the view.
Visiting families may also enjoy a holiday on the canal systems that run through Alsace.
Bareboat or skippered, cruiser or barge, the opportunity to kick-back and enjoy life at four miles per hour, combined with the comfort of having your own living space and making your own agenda, can offer great rewards.
Cruising routes travels through a host of historic sites with beautiful fortified towns and citadels set in a landscape of rolling hills - making for the perfect way to enjoy the region.
This sporting life
For the sporting family Alsace has eleven 18-hole golf courses including those rated second best (Kempferhof Golf Club)and third most difficult (Soufflenheim Baden-Baden in France.
All ability levels are catered for and two of the courses have special nine-hole courses that are designed for children. The Wantzenau course offers the opportunity for the whole family to improve their French as well as their golf with instructors teaching the language during and after a round.
Summer in the city
The cities of Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse are all perfect locations for family city breaks.
As well as having a wide range of fascinating museums and art galleries there is also a lot to keep the children entertained. Le Vaisseau in Strasbourg, for example, is a science and technology museum in the city that has over 100 hands-on exhibits. A special area for children aged between three and six years even allows them to build a house.
Alternatively, the Schlumpf car museum in Mulhouse, which is the largest private car collection in the world, has small golf carts in which families can drive among the exhibits.
Heard it on the grape vine
The Route des Vins is probably the most beautiful wine route in Europe.
It winds its way over 170 kilometres and passes through fairy-tale villages such as Euigisheim and Ribeauville.
Families can explore the vineyards and adults can enjoy tasting the wine whilst children help pick the grapes or roll up their socks and help crush them.
More information
For further information on all of these activities plus much more visit the Alsace Tourist Board.
The TGV Est high speed train link - which joins Paris to Strasbourg - has had a significant impact on opening up Alsace to British holidaymakers reducing rail journey times by almost half.
Using the Eurostar service to Paris and then the TGV means the journey time between London and Strasbourg is around four and a half hours.
Air France fly from London City to Strasbourg, Ryanair from Stansted to Karlsruhe Baden in Germany, just 30 minutes drive from Strasbourg, while British Airways, Swiss and easyJet fly to the European Airport at Mulhouse-Basel.
Chris O'Toole