Alsace is home to one of France's newest wine routes

Having been part of France and Germany in their turbulent past, the regions of Alsace and Lorraine retain an intriguing flavour of both.

Thanks to the Germanic influence perhaps, Alsace's 'route des vins' is one of France's newest but most efficiently-organised wine routes, taking in photogenic towns and villages with medieval half-timbered houses, as well as offering the chance to get up close and personal with the 'terroir' on vineyard walking tours.

Meanwhile, close to the German border in France's northeastern corner, the buzzing metropolis of Strasbourg exists as the cultural heart of Alsace.

Nearby in Lorraine, the beautiful forests and lakes of the Vosges mountains offer the draw of the great outdoors, while heading south along the Swiss border to the region of Franche-Comté, the landscape continues with the myriad mirror-like pools of the 'Thousand Ponds' plateau. This setting, along with killer line-ups that have included Muse, The Strokes and Daft Punk, make June's Eurockéennes music festival one of Europe's best.