Concept

Grand Est

Summary
Grand Est (ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst; Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: Groß Oschte; Großer Osten ˈɡʁoːsɐ ˈʔɔstn̩; "Great East") is an administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine (alzas ʃɑ̃paɲ aʁdɛn lɔʁɛn; ACAL or, less commonly, ALCA), as a result of territorial reform which had been passed by the French Parliament in 2014. The region sits astride three water basins (Seine, Meuse and Rhine), spanning an area of , the fifth largest in France; it includes two mountain ranges (Vosges and Ardennes). It shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. As of 2020, it had a population of 5,562,651 inhabitants. The prefecture and largest city is Strasbourg. The East of France has a rich and diverse culture, being situated at a crossroads between the Latin and Germanic worlds. This history is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there (Alsatian, Champenois, and Lorraine Franconian). Most of today's Grand Est region was considered "Eastern" as early as the 8th century, when it constituted the southern part of the Francian territory of Austrasia. The city of Reims (in Champagne), where Frankish king Clovis I had been baptized in 496 AD, would later play a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The Champagne fairs played a significant role in the economy of medieval Europe as well. Alsace and Lorraine thrived in the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and subject to competing claims by France and Germany over the centuries. The region has distinctive traditions such as the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas markets, or traditions involving the Easter hare in Alsace and Lorraine. Alsace-Moselle are furthermore subject to local law for historical reasons.
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.