Alsace-Lorraine

The Maison Pfister, built in 1537, is the most striking of Colmar's many old dwellings. Note the decorative frescoes and medallions, carved balcony, and ground-floor arcades. — Fodor's

The Bartholdi Museum is the birthplace of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834–1904), the sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty. — Fodor's

This carefully laid out museum in Mulhouse introduces visitors to the golden age of railways, including documents relating to railway life and the history of the Micheline train. — Michelin Guide

An ode to the automobile, this striking glass-and-steel museum showcases 400 rare and classic motors, from old-timers such as the Bugatti Royale to Formula 1 dream machines. — Lonely Planet

Worth a detour for the wraparound panorama from its ramparts, taking in the Vosges, the Black Forest and, on cloud-free days, the Alps. — Lonely Planet

Renowned for the diversity of its landscapes: high-altitude pasture, the Plateau des Mille-Étangs...so-called "blue line of the Vosges" offers endless possibilities for exploration and relaxation. — Michelin Guide

Built in 1291, the Dolder defensive gateway was strengthened in the 15 and 16C. — Michelin Guide

Flanked by houses (one of which, 16C, has a wooden galleries) this is an absolutely charming square. — Michelin Guide

The house where the musicologist, medical doctor and 1952 Nobel Peace Prize–winner Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) was born is now a museum, with exhibits on the good doctor’s life in Alsace and Gabon. — Lonely Planet

The cultural highlight of Colmar is the Musée d'Unterlinden; once a Dominican convent and a hotbed of Rhenish mysticism. — Fodor's

Not to be confused with the shabby little Koïfhus winstub on Rue des Marchands, this popular landmark (the name means "customhouse") serves huge portions of regional standards. — Fodor's

Built from 1015 to 1439, Notre-Dame cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic art, owes much of its charm to the pink Vosges sandstone used for its construction. — Michelin Guide

France's only museum devoted to Art Nouveau is in an airy turn-of-the-last-century garden–town house built by Eugène Corbin, an early patron of the School of Nancy. — Fodor's