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WINE

Alsace Wine Route boosts tourism in eastern France

Tourism in the eastern French region of Alsace is booming thanks to its magnificent vineyards and wine tasting tours. Tens of thousands explore the Alsace Wine Route every year.

The Alsace Wine Route is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Situated in eastern France, it draws tens of thousands of tourists every year.
The Alsace Wine Route is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Situated in eastern France, it draws tens of thousands of tourists every year. (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP)

The big problem with the famously picturesque Alsace Wine Route in eastern France, said Jean-Louis Meyer as he put down his glass of white wine, is that there are so many vineyards where you can stop for a tasting.

In any village along its 170-kilometre (105-mile) length, “there’s at least 10 vineyards offering tastings,” said the Paris wine lover.

With such head-spinning variety, “you have to choose. So we end up always going to the same places,” added the 69-year-old.

The route through quaint medieval villages and rolling vineyards close to the border with Germany drew 7.7 million tourists last year, nearly half of them from abroad.

It is the busiest in France after the storied wine trails that wind between the prestigious chateaux of Bordeaux and Champagne, but arguably the most scenic, particularly in autumn when the vines turn a blaze of gold and bronze.

Giant wooden barrels

Seventy years old this year, the “Route des vins d’Alsace”, as it is known in French, sprouted a parallel bike route a decade ago, and a walking trail is to follow next year.

In the village of Goxwiller, Raymond Koenig, 84, proudly showed the giant wooden barrels — each of which can hold 10,000 litres (2,640 gallons) of wine — which his family has used since 1889.

He was 14 when the route was opened in 1953 and he remembers how it helped put the region on the tourist map.

Meyer was sampling their pale nectar, now produced by Koenig’s son Christophe, and usually leaves with four or five cases.

Being able to sell directly to their customers is hugely important for the winemakers. “It cuts out the middleman,” said Philippe Bouvet, of CIVA, which promotes Alsatian wine.

Around a quarter of their income comes from these direct sales, he said, “much, much more” than in the rest of France.

‘Not just buying wine’

But the flipside of the route’s success is that it has led to a tendency for winemakers to “wait for the customer to come to them”.

That could not be said of Celine and Yvan Zeyssolff, who have transformed their vineyard in Gertwiller into an immersive museum, which has become a hit with tourists, particularly from the other side of the Atlantic.

“When we started in wine tourism 25 years ago, people thought we were mad,” said Yvan Zeyssolff.

Coachloads of American tourists turn up there after a cruise on the Rhine. Wine glass in hand, they visit the cellars to watch a film about the history of the domaine projected onto the wine barrels.

“They are not just buying a bottle of wine, but also a story. We share our life with them every day,” said the winemaker, whose sales have “exploded”.

Visitor numbers have too, with 20,000 people a year paying the 16 euros ($17) for the tour and tasting. The family has also added a restaurant, tearoom and 28-bed hostel, which is now being expanded.

Celine Zeyssolff puts their success down to “visibility internet algorithms” have given them, with websites in both French and English where visitors can book. “People don’t just drop in by accident as they did 20 years ago,” she said.

At Goxwiller, the Koenig family is also looking to a digital future, with 18-year-old Mateo, Raymond’s tech-savvy grandson studying viticulture. “I have winemakers’ blood, and I am ready to take over,” he told AFP.

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TOURISM

What to expect for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France

From international ceremonies to re-enactments and art exhibits plus parades, there are several things in store for the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France.

What to expect for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France

There are several events planned to recognise the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, with the majority taking place at or near the historic sites in Normandy, northern France.

The D-Day landings, sometimes referred to as the Normandy landings, were a series of air and sea operations as part of the Allied invasion of France during World War II. In France they are referred to as Jour-J, le Débarquement or la Bataille de Normandie

The landings began on June 6th, 1944 under the codename ‘Operation Overlord’, among the largest seaborne invasions in history, and they helped to begin the liberation of France from occupation under Nazi Germany, eventually laying the foundations for Allied victory in Europe.

Thousands of Allied troops died, as well as between 4,000 to 9,000 German soldiers during the D-Day invasion alone and an estimated 20,000 French civilians were killed in the ensuing bombardments of villages and towns.

The ‘D-Day Festival Normandy’ will involve the bulk of the remembrance events, including the official ceremony, and it will take place from June 1st-16th. It will kick off on June 1st with a firework display. 

You can download the full itinerary HERE. English translations can be found under the original French. There is also more information available on the 80e-Normandie.fr website, with an interactive map HERE.

Here are some of the main events planned;

The official international ceremony – June 6th

This will take place on the date of the anniversary at Omaha Beach and will involve various heads of state, veterans and other French officials. 

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to be present, and while it has not yet been confirmed, there are strong indications that US president Joe Biden and Britain’s King Charles will also be in attendance.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited, but Russia did receive an invitation to send another country representative.

It will likely resemble the previous large anniversary commemoration, which took place in 2014 and saw 17 heads of state in attendance for a ceremony at Sword beach.

Expect road closures in the area. Keep track of them using this map.

Air show

The Patrouille de France aerial display team will fly over Omaha Beach on June 6th – the day of the international ceremony.

Country-specific ceremonies

There are also going to be smaller individual ceremonies commemorating British soldiers at Gold Beach in Ver-sur-Mer, Americans at Colleville-sur-Mer, near the American cemetery and Omaha beach ,before the official ceremony on June 6th, and Canadians at Courseulles-sur-Mer, after the official International Ceremony.

These ceremonies may require advanced registration.

Museums, culture and art

Several museums, including the Utah Beach Museum, the Overlord Museum, and the Normandy Victory Museum will have special exhibits.

A few examples are the ‘Standing with Giants’ exhibit at the British Normandy Memorial, which features over 1,475 silhouettes, made from recycled materials, meant to represent the British soldiers who lost their lives.

There is also a photo exhibit on the role of Native Americans during WWII, which runs from May 8th to September 29th at Route de Grandcamp in Vierville-sur-Mer.

Parades 

There will be several small-scale military vehicle parades, as well as some larger ones.

The ‘liberation of Sword beach’ parade will involve more than 100 military vehicles and people dressed in period attire. It will take place on the streets of Colleville-Montgomery and Ouistreham Riva-Bella, with live music from the ‘D-Day Ladies’. It will take place on June 8th.

There is also the Bayeux Liberty Parade (June 9th), which will involve more than 300 historic vehicles to recognise the first city to have been liberated in France. The event will open with a pipe band, and there may be an air show involved too (though this is subject to change).  

READ MORE: Oldest allies: The best and worst moments of the French-American relationship

Re-enactments and reconstructions of military camps

Camp US – An American re-enactment camp with around thirty vehicles and around forty participants in uniform. There will also be a free exhibit of old photos (June 2nd-4th), the screening of a WWII themed film on June 6th, food trucks and free parking nearby. Free to visit from June 1st-8th.

Camp Nan White – A Canadian re-enactment camp at Bernières-sur-Mer. You can discover Canadian military vehicles, radios, field kitchens and more. Plus, there will be a free concert. Free to visit from June 1st-9th.

Camp Geronimo – An American re-enactment camp at Sainte-Mère-Église. There will be several period vehicles, including tanks, as well as an exhibit on women in the US military, and a parade. Free to visit from June 1st-9th.

Parachute drops

Civilians, soldiers, veterans and re-enactment groups will take part in multiple commemorative parachute drops. There will be one on June 2nd at Carentan-les-Marais, another on June 5th at Azeville, and one at La Fière in Sainte-Mère-Église on June 9th.

Concerts and balls

Sword Beach Swing Festival – From June 7th-9th, music from the 20s to 40s, swing dancing, and more. Taking place at the Salle Trianon in Lion-sur-Mer from 7.30-8.00 pm on June 7 and 8, and from 2pm onward on June 9th. Free and open to all.

Somme Battlefield Pipe Band – Listen to traditional Scottish tunes, with some Irish, American, Canadian and Australian music mixed in. Located at Arromanches-les-Bains, starting at 5pm on June 6th.

Up the Johns Liberty Band – Enjoy an evening of fun with period costumes, live music, food and dancing, alongside members of the Canadian regiment that liberated the commune of Thue et Mue 80 years ago. Taking place at the Gymnase Victor Lorier at Rue de la Pérelle from 7.30pm onward on June 8th.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the D-Day commemorative events. You can find the full programme HERE.

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