Regional information for Bas-Rhin, Alsace

The department of Bas-Rhin constitutes the northern half of the Alsacian region. The departement is bordered by Germany to the north and to the east, the departements of Haut-Rhin and Vosges to the south and by the d?partements of Moselle and Meurthe-et-Moselle to the west.

There are three geo-economic parts to the departement. From the east, to the northwest, it is agricultural and spotted with densely populated villages. The Vosges Mountains, in the northeast are heavily forested. To the north, the departement is primarily commercial due to its excellent communications system of canals, roads and railroads.

Major towns include  

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is by far the largest and most important city in this region. As the name suggests, a city on a highway, the highway being the east-west trade and invasion route and the north-south river for commerce. Today, it is the headquarters of the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights, but it is rich in historic monuments and architecture and a magnificent cathedral.