The Rhône–Rhine Canal ( French : Canal du Rhône au Rhin , pronounced [kanal dy ʁon o ʁɛ̃] ) is one of the important watershed canals of the French waterways, connecting the Rhine to the Saône and the Rhône and thereby the North Sea and the Mediterranean . As built, the canal was made up of four distinct sections:
26-526: Developments for high-capacity navigation in the second half of the 20th century thoroughly transformed this Y-shaped system. When the first lock was built on the Grand Canal d'Alsace at Kembs, a new cut was also excavated from Kembs to Niffer, and the rest of the Canal de Huningue was upgraded from here to the docks at Mulhouse. A 3-km-long section of the former Canal de Huningue , from Niffer to Kembs ,
52-582: 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
78-648: Is a canal in eastern France , channeling the Upper Rhine river. It is 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) long between Kembs and Vogelgrun , and provides access to the region from the Rhine River, Basel in Switzerland , and the North Sea for barges of up to about 5000 metric tons . The Grand Canal permits the navigation of more than 30,000 boats a year between Basel and Strasbourg. Construction of
104-632: 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 It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace , Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine , on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of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 ( pronounced [alzas ʃɑ̃paɲ aʁdɛn lɔʁɛn] ; ACAL or, less commonly, ALCALIA ), 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 57,433 km (22,175 sq mi),
130-550: Is maintained and gives access to a boat harbour, while the remainder of that canal to Basel has been closed, and the terminal basin transformed into a whitewater canoeing course. Most of the northern branch was abandoned, and in the early 1980s the A36 motorway sliced through the canal embankment east of Mulhouse. Two sections were maintained and new cuts built from the Rhine to make them accessible: A further major upheaval, planned from
156-512: Is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there ( Alsatian , Champenois , Lorrain 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
182-570: Is rich with architectural monuments from the Roman Empire to the early 21st century. Gothic architecture is particularly conspicuous, with many famous cathedrals , basilicas and churches , such as Reims Cathedral , Strasbourg Cathedral , Metz Cathedral , Troyes Cathedral , Châlons Cathedral , Toul Cathedral , the Basilica of L'Épine , the Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port , the Basilica of Notre-Dame, Avioth [ fr ] ,
208-650: Is the result of territorial reform legislation passed in 2014 by the French Parliament to reduce the number of regions in Metropolitan France—the part of France in continental Europe—from 22 to 13. Grand Est is the merger of three regions: Alsace , Champagne-Ardenne , and Lorraine . The merger has been, and still is, strongly opposed by some groups in Alsace, and a large majority of Alsatians. The territorial reform law allows new regions to choose
234-562: The 1960s, was construction of a high-capacity waterway to connect the Rhône-Saône corridor with the main European waterway network. This project was abandoned by Environment Minister Dominique Voynet in 1997. The section from Mulhouse to Neuf-Brisach is abandoned, while the 29 km section between Artzenheim and Friesenheim has been partially restored by Alsace Region , but works were stopped in 2009 for financial reasons. A cycle path
260-706: The Alsace Regional Council. The current president is Jean Rottner . The gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 159.9 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 6.7% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,400 euros or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 101% of the EU average. The region has five tram networks: The region has four airports: The region has eighteen motorways: The region has twelve cities that have ring roads : Grand Est
286-472: The canal began in 1932 and was completed in 1959. The canal diverts much of the water from the original bed of the fast-flowing Rhine in this area, which is almost entirely unnavigable by boats. The Grand Canal produces hydroelectric power at Kembs , Ottmarsheim , Fessenheim and Vogelgrun, supplying electricity to one of the most heavily industrialized regions in France and even to Germany . Furthermore,
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#1732772503309312-442: The canal provides enough water throughout the year to a nuclear power plant at Fessenheim, eliminating the need for water towers . 48°02′N 7°34′E / 48.033°N 7.567°E / 48.033; 7.567 This Grand Est geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Grand Est Grand Est ( French: [ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst] ; English: "Great East" )
338-538: 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. With a long industrial history and strong agriculture and tourism (arts, gastronomy, sightseeing), the East of France is one of the top economic producing regions in
364-429: The country. The provisional name of the region was Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine, formed by combining the names of the three former regions— Alsace , Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine —in alphabetical order with hyphens . The formula for the provisional name of the region was established by the territorial reform law and applied to all but one of the provisional names for new regions. The ACAL regional council, which
390-480: The fifth largest in France; it includes two mountain ranges ( Vosges and Ardennes ). It shares borders with Belgium , Luxembourg , Germany and Switzerland . As of 2021, it had a population of 5,561,287 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 Gallic-Latin and Germanic worlds. This history
416-525: The internet. Like the name Région Hauts-de-France (and, until 2015, the name Région Centre ), the name Région Grand Est contains no reference whatsoever to the area's history or identity, but merely describes its geographical location within metropolitan France. In a poll conducted in November 2014 by France 3 in Champagne-Ardenne, Grand Est (29.16%) and Austrasie (22.65%) were
442-511: The north, Germany on the east and northeast, and Switzerland on the southeast. It is the only French region to border more than two countries, or more countries than French regions. Its neighbors within France are Bourgogne-Franche-Comté on the south, Île-de-France on the west, and Hauts-de-France on the northwest. Grand Est contains ten departments : Ardennes , Aube , Bas-Rhin , Marne , Haute-Marne , Haut-Rhin , Meurthe-et-Moselle , Meuse , Moselle , Vosges . The main ranges in
468-458: The project. The Emperor’s administration conceived the predecessor of today’s public-private partnership model, selling existing canals to private companies, to provide funds for new links. The proceeds were diverted for the war effort, and it was not until 1821 that this project, now renamed ‘Canal Monsieur’, was reactivated by the canal company set up for this purpose. Works were completed in 1833. Upgrading to Freycinet standards started in 1882, and
494-599: The promotion of the region's economy and financing educational and cultural activities. The regional council has no legislative authority. The seat of the regional council will be Strasbourg . The regional council, elected in December 2015 , is controlled by The Republicans . The elected inaugural president of the Grand Est Regional Council is Philippe Richert , who was previously the President of
520-457: The proximity of the sea. In Champagne and Western Lorraine , the climate is oceanic ( Köppen : Cfb ), with cool to mild winters and warm summers. But Ardennes , Moselle and Alsace climates are borderline humid continental ( Köppen : Dfb ) - oceanic ( Köppen : Cfb ), characterized by cold winters with frequent days below the freezing point, and hot summers, with many days with temperatures up to 32 °C. Grand Est
546-711: The region include the Vosges to the east and the Ardennes to the north. The region is bordered on the east by the Rhine , which forms about half of the border with Germany. Other major rivers which flow through the region include the Meuse , Moselle , Marne , and Saône . Lakes in the region include lac de Gérardmer , lac de Longemer , lac de Retournemer , lac des Corbeaux , Lac de Bouzey , lac de Madine , étang du Stock and lac de Pierre-Percée . Grand Est climate depends on
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#1732772503309572-738: The seat of the regional councils, but specifically made Strasbourg the seat of the Grand Est regional council—a move to appease the region's politicians. The creation of the new region was unpopular among Alsatians . In response, the Government created the European Collectivity of Alsace merging the departments of Bas Rhin and Haut Rhin , to take effect in 2021. The region has an official population of 5,562,651 (municipal population on 1 January 2021). The regional council has limited administrative authority, mostly concerning
598-661: The summit level was lowered, reducing the number of locks. The new high-capacity Rhine-Rhône waterway would have made the canal obsolete, but the environment minister Dominique Voynet cancelled that project in 1997. The Government then funded – as compensation – the backlog of maintenance works and other improvements, but with little impact on commercial traffic in 250-tonne péniches , which has all but disappeared. Grand Canal d%27Alsace The Grand Canal of Alsace ( French : Grand Canal d'Alsace , pronounced [ɡʁɑ̃ kanal dalzas] ; German : Rheinseitenkanal , pronounced [ˈʁaɪ̯nˌzaɪ̯tn̩kaˈnaːl] )
624-490: The top two names among 25 candidates and 4,701 votes. Grand Est also topped a poll the following month conducted by L'Est Républicain , receiving 42% of 3,324 votes. The names which received a moderate amount of discussion were: Grand Est covers 57,433 square kilometres (22,175 sq mi) of land and is the sixth-largest of the regions of France. Grand Est borders four countries— Belgium ( Wallonia region) and Luxembourg (Cantons of Esch-sur-Alzette and Remich ) on
650-563: Was built along this section in 2011, extending the popular cycle path south from Strasbourg. The first section of the Canal de Franche-Comté was authorised by Burgundy Council in 1783 and completed in 1802 from the Saône to Dôle. Napoleon was seeking to develop inland waterway connections throughout the country, and the Rhône-Rhine link was of such strategic importance that he gave his name to
676-568: Was elected in December 2015, was given the task of choosing a name for the region and submitting it to the Conseil d'État —France's highest authority for administrative law —by 1 July 2016 for approval. The provisional name of the region was retired on 30 September 2016, when the new name of the region, Grand Est , took effect. In Alsace and in Lorraine, the new region has frequently been called ALCA, for Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne-Ardennes, on
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