Alsace Local Customs

 
by Kathrin_E
 
  •   Local Customs
    by Kathrin_E
  • Stalls by the abbey church
      Stalls by the abbey church
    by Kathrin_E
  • My favourite sausage stall
      My favourite sausage stall
    by Kathrin_E
  •   Local Customs
    by Toshioohsako
  •   Local Customs
    by Toshioohsako
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Christmas beers.

by breughel

Special beers for Christmas can be found in several beer brewing countries and of course in the Alsace which combines wine and beer production. The very large brewery Kronenbourg is located in Obernaï, Alsace (belongs now to Carlsberg).The tradition of special beers for Christmas goes back to the Middle Ages, when monks would make a strong, malty beer for the Christmas celebrations. Today, most breweries in Alsace concoct a special brew. Christmas beer is full-bodied, often spicy, and boasts a beautiful amber shade. It should be served chilled at 10-12°C.

Tip Photo
Glühwein, Vin Chaud, Mulled wine.

by breughel

Christmas markets attract most visitors when it gets dark because all the lights of the decoration and the shops add to the Christmas atmosphere. The cold of the winter night is also there so that a glass of Vin Chaud, Mulled wine is welcome. Glühwein (or Gluehwein) in Alsace is usually prepared from red wine, heated with sugar and spiced with cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, cloves, lemon zest. Hereafter a traditional receipt from Glühwein served at the Alsatian Christmas markets. The receipt is in French, of course, otherwise it would not be traditional!Ingrédients :1 litre de vin de Bordeaux rouge,1/8 litre d'eau,60 grammes de sucre,De la noix muscade râpée,1 ou 2 feuilles de laurier,1/4 de bâton de cannelle,3 clous de girofle,1/2 citron.Préparation :Porter à ébullition l'eau, le sucre et les épices, Laisser infuser 30 minutes, filtrer, Mélanger au vin rouge,Chauffer doucement jusqu'à...

Tip Photo
Cheese

by Helga67

The most typical cheese of Alsace is Munster cheese, a soft round cheese with an orange skin. Its odour is distinctive and its taste sharp, without being strong. It can be eaten in different ways: simply sprinkled with cumin seeds or with bibelasskäs. Bibelasskäs is a white-cheese dish that is eaten with Munster and hot potatoes.

Tip Photo
Alsacian dialect

by tini58de

The Alsace has been a stip of land fought over for centuries and it has belonged to France and Germany back and forth. Knowing this you might understand why you will find both French and German signs and inscriptions throughout this region.Oftentimes you can get along with German, especially with older people. They have a dialect that is similar to the dialects on the other side of the border.If you are curious - here is is some more information on the Alsatian dialect.

Tip Photo
Ville Fleurie

by tini58de

In the Alsace you will find a road sign next to the village sign, telling you, if you are just visiting a "blooming village". The more flowers you find on the sign (the maximum is 4), the more flowers you will find in the village.

Tip Photo
Time to eat or not to eat

by markyg

As with most places in Europe, there are specific times to eat lunch and dinner. Usually between the hours of 11-2 for lunch and 5:30 or 6:00 for dinner, though most Europeans eat much later for dinner. There are a limited amount of places open between 2 and 6, usually McDonald's or Kebap/fast food stands, so be sure to plan accordingly. The smaller the town, the less the options. We thought maybe a wine bar in a larger town would have food all day and entered a place at 2:01 and were told they were no longer serving, despite many people finishing their lunch. If one is really stuck and not wanting fast food, the major highways usually have all day restaurants that are more expensive and not as good.

Another edible symbol : the Flammekueche

by mariev

The "flames' cake" (or rather tart) : FlammekuecheThis dish used to be made when a baked had to start his oven (starting it very hot and fast to have it more regular later) – The name comes from the way it was cooked : Oven open, the flames nearly licking the paste.If you have a good oven it is rather easy to prepare and ideal for a party (a bit like a BBQ ou a Crèpe party : eating immediately what comes from the oven, baking on demand). For 4 to 6 people - Preparation 30 minutes - Cooking 10 minutesIngredients: 500gram bread dough (or pie crust pastry), 2 large onions 40 centilitres double cream (or thick fresh cream), (manye people prefer to mix the cream with fresh white cheese 50%/50%).80 gram of smoked chest (or smoked bacon) 1 (soup) spoonfull oil (colza if possible, groundnut if not), 50 gram butter, Salt, pepper, nutmeg. Preparation: - Slice the onions thinly.- Make them brown...

Tip Photo
An alsacian symbol : the Storks

by mariev

The storks are strongly attached to alsacian imagery as the local legends tell that they are those who bring the babies.Some years ago, they had nearly disapeared from the countryside (pollution, no more edible fish in the rivers, collisions with high voltage lines, etc...). After a re-introducing and protection campain, largely conducted in the Orangerie zoo in Strasbourg, storks families are back - still mosly in breeding farms but progressively free and reoccupying their old nests on the roofs.

Tip Photo
Wine

by Leipzig

The Alsace region is well-known for its wine. Vine yards can be seen on almost every slope facing the sun in the south. Every year in fall you can attend wine festivals in almost every little village and every major town. I was in the Alsace region in July - too early for vintage.

Tip Photo
wines and vines

by btex

The Alsace region is mainly known for its white wines. The grapes that they use for making their wines are: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat d'Alsace, Tokay Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir. I gladly sampled wines from many of these grapes and found that my favorite was Riesling. The picture of the empty wine bottle on this page is a Riesling - it came from Cave Vinicole de Kientzheim. Sampling wines is always a fun activity.

Tip Photo
Local traditions and culture in Alsace

Top 3 Hotels in Alsace

Hotel Gutenberg  Strasbourg

 1 Review and 183 Opinions  I toured Alsace by bicycle in mid-September, 2008. After the group ride was over, I stayed for 3... 

 Hotels in Strasbourg

Saint-Martin Hotel Colmar  Colmar

 4 Reviews and 76 Opinions  We stayed 2 nights in 2004. When we arrived we were given keys to a small attic room which was... 

 Hotels in Colmar

Citotel Hotel d'Alsace Wissembourg  Wissembourg

 7 Opinions

 Hotels in Wissembourg

365 Hotels in Alsace
 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
Travel Highlights

The Place

Reviews and photos of Alsace attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Alsace sightseeing.

Experience Alsace
Local Customs: Cities in Alsace
  1. Strasbourg Local Customs
  2. Colmar Local Customs
  3. Mulhouse Local Customs
  4. Wissembourg Local Customs
  5. Obernai Local Customs
  6. Ribeauvillé Local Customs
  7. Turckheim Local Customs
  8. Sélestat Local Customs
  9. Riquewihr Local Customs
  10. Ebersmunster Local Customs
  11. Kintzheim Local Customs
  12. Molsheim Local Customs
  13. Barr Local Customs

More Cities in Alsace

 

Questions and Answers

Elsarodriguez profile photo

Q:  My daughter 22 and I will be going to Alsace next April. We will travel from Paris.We will stay three nights. What's the cheapest... 

Beausoleil profile photo

A: Where you stay depends on what you want to see and do and also your transportation. We drive so we stay in one of the wine villages. We've stayed in Barr many times and... 

Read 6 Replies

postQuestion_button