GRAND EST

Grand Est, previously Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne- is an administrative region in north-eastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions – Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine – on 1 January 2016, because of territorial reform which was passed by the French legislature in 2014.

Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine was a provisional name, created by hyphenating the merged regions in alphabetical order; its regional council had to approve a new name for the region by 1 July 2016. France's Conseil d'État approved Grand Est as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, effective 30 September 2016. The administrative capital and largest city is Strasbourg, which is also the administrative centre of the region, and the seat of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights.

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, Luxembourg, Germany, and Switzerland – along its northern and eastern sides. It is the only French region to border more than two countries. To the west and south, it borders the French regions Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Grand Est contains 10 departments: Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Marne, Haute-Marne, Haut-Rhin, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges.

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. The main mountain ranges are the Vosges to the east and the Ardennes to the north. There are 7 nature parks as of 2018.

Grand Est 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 the cathedrals in Reims, Strasbourg, Metz, Troyes, Châlons, and Toul.