Grand Est is a vast northeastern French region created in 2016 from the historic provinces of Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine. Bordered by Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Belgium, it is a crossroads of European culture, language, and cuisine. Strasbourg, the regional capital, hosts the European Parliament and flaunts one of Europe's finest Gothic cathedrals. Reims preserves the coronation church of French kings and the prestige champagne cellars of the world-famous Champagne region. In between, Colmar's half-timbered lanes, the vine-draped Alsace Wine Route, the Vosges mountain forests, and the solemn WWI battlefields of Verdun create an unrivalled diversity of experiences within a single region.
Grand Est is one of Europe's most historically layered regions. Reims was the site of French royal coronations for 1,000 years; Strasbourg was the cradle of the printing press (Gutenberg) and the European Union. Alsace and Moselle changed sovereignty between France and Germany four times between 1871 and 1945. The Verdun battlefield (1916) was the longest single engagement of WWI, claiming 700,000 casualties. Beneath all of this, the region retains Roman, Celtic, and early medieval heritage in its cathedrals, fortifications, and archaeological sites.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Grand Est.
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1
Julius Caesar defeats Ariovistus near the Rhine; Roman legionary fortress at Argentoratum (Strasbourg) established
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2
Clovis, king of the Franks, baptised at Reims by Bishop Remigius — establishing Reims as the coronation city of French kings
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3
Construction of Strasbourg Cathedral begins under Bishop Werner
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4
Johannes Gutenberg develops movable-type printing press in Strasbourg
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5
Treaty of Westphalia ends the Thirty Years' War; most of Alsace passes to France
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6
Duke Stanislas Leszczyński builds Place Stanislas in Nancy — now UNESCO World Heritage Site
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7
France cedes Alsace-Moselle to the German Empire after Franco-Prussian War
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8
Battle of Verdun (February–December); 700,000 casualties in 10 months
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9
Alsace-Moselle returned to France after WWI Armistice (November 11)
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10
Germany re-annexes Alsace-Moselle; French residents expelled or forced to assimilate
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11
Strasbourg liberated November 23 by General Leclerc and de Lattre de Tassigny
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12
Strasbourg chosen as seat of the Council of Europe; later the European Parliament
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13
Grand Est region created by merger of Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine
Historical eras
The chapters of Grand Est's past.
Historical sites
Places where Grand Est's past comes alive.
Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims)
Where: Reims
Admission: Free (interior); towers €11 (~$12)
Ossuary of Douaumont
Where: Verdun
Admission: Free exterior; crypt €3 (~$3.30)
Mémorial de Verdun
Where: Verdun
Admission: €10 (~$11)
Place Stanislas, Nancy
Where: Nancy
Admission: Free
Strasbourg Cathedral — Astronomical Clock
Where: Strasbourg
Admission: €3 (~$3.30) for clock show (12:30 daily)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Grand Est's story.
Mémorial de Verdun
Specialty: Comprehensive WWI Verdun battlefield museum
Hours: Daily 09:30-18:00 (Apr-Sep); 09:30-17:00 (Oct-Mar)
Admission: €10 (~$11)
Historial Jeanne d'Arc, Reims
Specialty: Immersive Joan of Arc experience at the archbishop's palace
Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon
Admission: €10 (~$11)
Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, Strasbourg
Specialty: Rhineland medieval art and original cathedral sculptures
Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon
Admission: €7.50 (~$8.20)
Musée Lorrain, Nancy
Specialty: Lorraine history and art from Celtic times to the 20th century
Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon
Admission: €6 (~$6.60)
Musée de la Guerre de 1870 et de l'Annexion, Gravelotte
Specialty: Franco-Prussian War 1870 museum in Moselle
Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00; closed Mon
Admission: €6 (~$6.60)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.