As it is known for the European Parliament, most people don’t know Strasbourg as the capital of Alsace. And most people don’t realize, similar to Brussels, it’s more than a technocrat’s heaven. Strasbourg really surprised us.
In the following, we show you what you can easily see in a hot and humid day. Everything is within walking distance.
Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban
Our city tour began at Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban.
Originally the Ponts Couverts were made of wood, but in the 19th century they were replaced by stone bridges.
Behind the Barrage Vauban you’ll find the Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art of Strasbourg.
La Petite France
‚Little France‘ is really impressive with its Alemannic, Southern German half-timbered houses by the river Ill.
There are lots of cafés here and many, many people. But still very romantic and beautiful.
Cathédral de Notre-Dame Strasbourg
The most photographed building of the city is also Strasbourg’s landmark.
In the inside, you’ll see the Astronomical Clock (Horloge astronomique). The amount of people in the church is also really astronomical.
Actually the cathedral was more beautiful from the outside. It’s famous for its main facade and the huge rose window (15 meter diameter). It was built from 1050 on and took three centuries. The gothic elements are the witnesses of those times.
South of the cathedral, you’ll find the Palais Rohan. They frequently organize exhibitions here.
Lightshows in summer
Like in many other European cities, you can see an amazing lightshow in Strasbourg. To be precise at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and at the Barrage Vauban.
If you want to take good pictures or film it, you have to be there early. We were not the only ones who liked the show.
European Parliament
Well, there’s not much to do or to see here. But if you’re passing by anyway you should make a short stopover here. The weather gods were good to us, so we decided to have breakfast here in the morning after a bulk buying. At least it was good enough for that.
From Strasbourg you can visit the cities and villages around. We’ve been to Colmar, Kientzheim and Riquewihr.