European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Alsace has it All by Mary Neth staff writer in Obers Leinbach Hotelier loan Bernard 7-Erafa and his Wil e Cristelle urged us to Lour norther Alsace ill fore leaving for the wine Road. You must see our artisans villages and Castle ruins they said. Al is Lestat n Young woman in the Louril office admonished us not to leave thai area without visiting the Mountain Castle of Haut Koenigs Burgand the wine Village s of Rique Wihr and rib Auville. At Colmar we were urged not to miss the Una Clinden museum where the Assenheim altarpiece is on display and to be sure to walk the streets of Petite Venice with its picturesque streets. Alsatian Are proud of what their local areas offer. This strip of trance tucked Between the Vosges on the West and the Rhine on the East boasts alluring scenery history great wines and spectacular architecture to top it off the Region s food is so consistently Good that carrying a Michelin guide is almost superfluous although Alsace has More than its share of trance s starred restaurants. Dining a la Alsace a special food Section in the daily Magazine pages of the stars and stripes tomorrow. Each season has its own Charm. In the late summer though the Region is ablaze with color. We were met with a dazzling Cornucopia of hues Lush Green vineyards and tobacco Fields and in every Village window boxes were overflowing with Bright geraniums the King of the balconies. Those window boxes Are carefully tended. At one restaurant we found the chef s elegantly Clad wife outside trimming away faded shoots and leaves. It s one of the important duties she said smiling. Whatever route you Lake through the area the wine route the romanesque route the route of the a narrow Cobblestone for cart in Rique Wihr one of the most visited  h Ine towns. Potters where modern artisans turn out traditional cooking vue you Vav " i colourful history Alsace has been an area of strife since the arrival of the romans  introduced the grape. Coveted by both Germany and trance a Sac e was � frequent Field of Slaughter from 11570 to i  Tranco prussian War of 1070-71 led to the incorporation of Alsace into the newly founded German Empire. After world War i the Region became Trench again. It was annexed by Germany in 1940, but was again returned to trance in 194s. Though a frequent cause of conflict Alsace also has been wonderfully instrumental in bringing the culture of Tram e to the germanic Peoples. 1 Lisl orians May quibble but alsatian say their medieval countrymen passed the Lyric and epic poetry of the Trench troubadours to the German Minn singers. They say Germany s greatest poem in the Middle Ages the i Jill Century version of the epic 20,000-line , was written by an alsatian Gottfried von Strasbourg and they give credit to another alsatian to Heinrich Der Gleissner for translating the fables of roman de renal Reynard the Tox from French into German. Those medieval fables which satirized the upper class and clergy were so popular that they were published several limes after the invention of the printing press. And speaking of the printing press some alsatian historians would have you know that Johannes Gutenberg perfected it in Strasbourg in 1-143 or 144-1 not in main Germany in 1450, As is generally accepted. Undisputed is Alsace s claim to the painters Martin Schonbauer and Mathias Gruenewald and in modern limes to humanitarian Albert Schweitzer. If you drive to Alsace from West Germany you arc waved visa free across the Border. You will be in France but Don t be surprised to hear the locals in a country restaurant speaking not French but a German dialect. This easternmost strip of France Between the Blue line of the Vosges mountains and the Blue line of the Rhine is very much a place of its own. The area abounds in attractive half timbered House-., the name Given to the Wood framed buildings with exposed limbers in the Walls. Ciup enlers Start with an exact draw ing of the Wall then determine the size of the wooden Section on the basis of tin inn unit of weight the Wall will have to Bear. The beams Are assembled with tenon and mortise joints held by Woi Den bolts never by Iron or steel. T he construction makes it possible to dismantle a half timbered House Pii a e by piece and Transfer it to another site. Topped with overlapping rounded red tiles and sometimes painted in Rich colors these Well kept Hall timbered houses spell Alsace. In the Peak season travellers Are Well advised to have reservations for lodging. If you Haven t booked ahead Start looking for a hotel room before Loo late in the Day because hotel rooms especially in popular tourist resorts can go fast. In such instances a drive to the next Lown will solve the problem. Tor help in Hunting for lodging visit local tourist offices. I very Lown of any size has one. Street signs marked with an i for information Point the Way. Most often these offices Are in the town Center near the hotel de Ville or City Hall. They Aren t allowed to recommend hotels or restaurants but can provide free lists of each and free City maps.  hotels generally Are clean and comfortable but a i omm ovations vary. Some of the smaller older establishments hark Back to the Era when the traveler was expected to carry his own bar of soap and Towel. Just in Case toss one of each into your suitcase. We found hotel prices ranging from 90 francs for a single room without Shower about $13 to 285 francs $43 for one with a Shower and a Kitchen Alcove. The average was about 200 francs $30. In contrast meals seemed expensive. Without wine or other beverage a three course dinner chosen from the menu averaged around 160 francs $24a four course meal Cost 200 francs $30. 4 to trips Maguinez september 21,1989