Strasbourg
Strasbourg is located in France in the Alsace area very close to the German border and, therefore, has belonged, at various points in it's existence, to Germany and France. This is reflected in both the architecture and the cuisine here.
The city centre is surrounded by the river Ill which is small but quite relaxing as it travels through little Paris then eventually past the European Institutions.
Getting Around
Getting around is quite easy with a very good transport system consisting of buses, trams and taxis. The town is quite small so it is often very reasonable to simply walk…
There are lots of interesting shops in small back alleys that are fun to explore. Of course as you get closer to the cathedral (the centre of the city), the prices get higher…
The Cathedral
Definitely worth a visit is the cathedral - “La cathédrale Notre-Dame”. There is no charge to visit. There are often a number of tour groups here which can be distracting as they are noisy and occupy large parts of the cathedral. I found just wandering around and looking very interesting. The ancient stained glass is quite beautiful as are the organ pipes seemingly magically suspended above the main part of the church.
You may want to pay the small fee (free if you have a “Strasbourg-Pass” available from the tourist office) to climb to the top for great views of the city and the mountains in the distance.
If you are interested there are also tickets available (also free if you have a “Strasbourg-Pass” available from the tourist office - no need for ticket if you have this, just show up before the doors open at about noon) to see the clock chime - the apostles appear before Christ to be blessed - at 12:00 (noon) (along with a short introductory video) that I found quite enjoyable. The clock is one of the oldest in the world and is quite a marvel.
The procession of the apostles can be quite crowded so it is worth while getting your ticket as soon as the small ticket booth (located on the right side of the cathedral towards the back of the church - a small window about one foot square that you have to lean down to speak into!). The cathedral closes to regular visits well in advance of this so don't think you can see it just by staying a bit longer…
Water Tours
A great way to see the beautiful parts of the city is to take a boat tour which shows you areas you will not be able to see by land and offers a great overview of the city.
Little Paris
The Museums
Ok, museums can be boring but after taking the boat tour I was talked into visiting one that has to be a must for anyone wanting to learn anything of the local culture…The Alsatian Museum is a fascinating place to visit as it is inside a traditional Alsace house with rooms set up as they would have in the past. The traditional courtyard in the back is worth the price of admission alone! Amazing.
I did not have enough time to visit the other museums but there are quite a number (the chocolate museum sounds interesting but it was a bit out of my way).
European Institutions
The main income for Strasbourg has to come from the European Institutions located here such as the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Their impressive office buildings are located to the north east of the city centre but can only be truly appreciated by river.
Getting There
Though Strasbourg does have it's own airport located just outside of town we found the simplest option was to take a high-speed SNCF train from Paris (Gare L'Est) which takes a few hours.
Additional Information
Additional information can be found at:
- Strasbourg Tourist Office - The staff of the tourist office located beside the cathedral speak very good English and are very helpful. The “Strasbourg-Pass” is very good value if you plan on visiting a few things (particularly as it includes a trip on a tourist boat and access to museums)