Alsace-Lorraine in Paris

Alsace and Lorraine. These two regions of France deserve to be discovered. Influenced by Germany’s customs, the Eastern part of France really has a different flavour. If  your timetable does not allow you to go and see by yourself, that is a shame.  But you can still have a first glimpse of what you could find there, here—in Paris!   Number 10 of the rue Daviel, in Paris’ 13th arrondissement: welcome to Little Alsace. A large blue gate opens on a delightful yard full of flowers. A bench allows the passer by to sit and admire. Around this yard, forty individual houses give the impression of being miles away from Paris. These brick and half-timbered houses reminds the bystander of Eastern France. The doors, shutters and timber are painted bright red, blue, green and yellow. Who would think that the 13the arrondissement, disfigured by dozens of huge blocks built in the sixties, would have preserved such a little paradise?   However, Little Alsace was not built by immigrants from Alsace. Jean Walter drew the forty houses up in 1912, for the “Habitation familiale” company. This new construction was nicknamed “Little Alsace” because the architect was inspired by Eastern France’s pointed roofs and timber and brick houses.   But this is only the start of our trip through Alsace and Lorraine.  No need to go far to have a first glimpse of Eastern France. The first two stops to be made are at the Maison de la Lorraine and the Maison de l’Alsace. They provide all the tourist information you need to visit their region, but they also offer a series of cultural events that will help you discovering Lorraine and Alsace without leaving the capital. At the Maison de la Lorraine, you can either go to a literary conference or see exhibitions of paintings from Lorraine artists. Other funny evenings are scheduled, such as a diner and floor show, where a soprano and a pianist gives life to a typical Eastern dinner.   But the most exciting period to visit the two Maisons is probably Christmas. The traditions of Eastern France are pretty different from the rest of the country. Indeed, Lorraine and Alsace were part of Germany until 1918, and they therefore adopted German customs. The Maison de l’Alsace welcomes a Marché de Noël, where honey, Bredelle (Christmas cakes), cinnamon cakes, Kougelhopfs, and famous wines, such as Gewurztraminer or Riesling can be bought. But December is also saint Nicolas’s month, the children’s favourite saint.  The Maison de la Lorraine is well-prepared for this event: parades in the Rue de l’Echelle, concerts and shows for children in the Maison. But other important dates of the year are to be celebrated, such as the coming of the beer in March or the end of the mirabelle harvest (a small yellow prune).   Feeling like discovering the treasures of Eastern French food? Rush to “Schmid”, on the Boulevard Strasbourg. Here is where you can find true sausages from Alsace, the famous “sauerkraut” and all the meat to go with. Struedels, Linzers, Springzs and Spatzles: all these names may sound unknown, but they are the cream of Eastern food tradition. As for restaurants, “Chez Jenny” offers a wonderful interior design, with huge panels of marquetry representing towns and important figures of Alsace. To buy food from Lorraine, “En passant par la Lorraine” next to the Maison is selling the traditional quiches and patés. But the most delightful place to have a first taste of Alsace and Lorraine is probably the “Patisserie Viennoise,” Rue de l’Ecole de Medecine, a tiny “salon de thé,” where one can sip a traditional hot chocolate, and enjoy a Strudel filled with poppy seeds and morello cherry…   Addresses   Maison de l’Alsace39, avenue des Champs-Elysées75008 Paris01 42 56 15 94   Maison de la Lorraine2, rue de l’Echelle75001 Paris01 44 58 94 00   Charcuterie Schmid Père et Fils76 bd de Strazbourg75010 Paris01 46 07 89 74   Boulangerie Raoul Maeder158 Boulevard Berthier75017 Paris01 46 22 50 73   En passant par la Lorraine2, rue de l’Echelle75001 Paris01 42 60 30 96   Chez Jenny39 bd du Temple75003 Paris01 44 54 39 00