About
Haut-Rhin is a department in the Alsace region of northeastern France, lying on the border with Germany and Switzerland. Its capital is Colmar. For a visitor, it makes a rewarding base for exploring a corner of Europe where French and German influences sit side by side, in the towns, the cooking and the way people talk about their history.
The Alsace Wine Route
The department is best known for the Alsace Wine Route, which winds through a string of small wine villages set among vineyards. The region is known for its white wines, and the Riesling and Gewürztraminer produced here are widely admired. Many villages keep their traditional half-timbered houses and flower-filled streets, so a drive or a walk along the route is a pleasant way to see the countryside and to stop for a tasting along the way.
Culture and history
Haut-Rhin also offers a blend of French and German cultural traces, visible in its architecture, its place names and its everyday customs. The department is also noted for its well-preserved medieval towns, where old streets and buildings give a sense of the area's long past. Strolling through these centres, with their squares and older quarters, is one of the simplest pleasures of a visit.
Planning a visit
Colmar, the capital, is a natural starting point, with the surrounding wine villages within easy reach. Visitors who enjoy the outdoors, good food and a relaxed pace will find plenty here. Because the department is spread across a range of villages and towns, it suits travellers willing to move between places by car, bicycle or local transport, and to take their time over each stop.
