Grand Est

A region in northeast France, famed for Champagne cellars, fairy-tale Alsatian towns and the Strasbourg Christmas market.

Grand Est lies in northeastern France, bordering Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland, and was formed by merging Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne; its capital is Strasbourg. The Grande Île old town and cathedral of Strasbourg, the colorful half-timbered houses of Colmar and the Alsace Wine Route are the classic sights; Reims Cathedral and the Champagne houses and cellars are UNESCO World Heritage listed, and Place Stanislas in Nancy is also famous. Summer and autumn are good for wine tasting and driving, and the Christmas markets in December are the most popular. From Paris, the TGV reaches Strasbourg in about two hours, and Reims is even closer.

Destinations

• Strasbourg & Colmar (Alsace)
• Reims & Champagne
• Nancy
• Metz
• Freiburg & Southern Black Forest
• Basel

Itineraries

• Eastern France Rail Grand Route: Reims to Lyon – Connect the historic cities of Champagne, Lorraine, Alsace, and Burgundy by rail, from Paris to Lyon.
• Heidelberg, Alsace & Black Forest Railway – A Germany-France border rail loop connecting Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Freiburg.
• Alsace Wine Route – Drive south from Strasbourg to Colmar, connecting historic castles and half-timbered wine villages.
• Reims & Épernay Champagne – A short Champagne route from the coronation cathedral in Reims to the cellars of Épernay, passing through mountain wine…
• Black Forest North-to-South Self-Drive – Drive south from the spa town of Baden-Baden along the High Road, passing waterfalls and lakes to Freiburg.
• Paris, Versailles, Giverny and Reims in – Four days on Paris's core landmarks, plus three day trips by train to Versailles, Monet's Gardens at Giverny, and Reims…
• Southern Germany Grand Loop: Frankfurt to Munich – A grand self-drive route connecting Heidelberg, the Black Forest, Lake Constance, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Zugspitze.
• Basel, Jura Watch Valley & Bern – A cultural route in Northwest Switzerland: an art capital, World Heritage watchmaking towns, Creux du Van, and the capi…