Alsace is one of the régions of France. Originally part of the Holy Roman Empire and inhabited by people speaking a dialect of Upper German , Alsace gradually passed under French sovereignty in the course of the 17th century, and became one of the provinces of France. It is located on the eastern border of France, adjacent to Germany and Switzerland. Its capital and largest city is Strasbourg.
Alsace has an area of 8280 km², making it the smallest région of metropolitan France . It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the Rhine in the east and the Vosges mountains in the west.
It includes the départements of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin . It borders Germany on the north and the east, Switzerland and Franche-Comté on the south, and Lorraine on the west.
It contains many forests , primarily in the Vosges and in Bas-Rhin ( Haguenau Forest ). Several valleys are also found in the région . Its highest point is the ballon de Guebwiller in Haut-Rhin , which reaches a height of 1,426 m.
Alsace has a semi-continental climate with cold and dry winters and hot summers. There is little precipitation because the Vosges protect it from the west. The city of Colmar has a sunny microclimate ; it is the driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of just 550 mm, making it ideal for vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine).
