A Strasbourg Dawn

Historical importance.
On River Ill, a tributary of the Rhine, Strasbourg has been an important port for two thousand years. Originally a Gallic town, it became a crossroads in Julius Caesar’s day and an Imperial Free City of the Holy Roman Empire. It was French under Louis XVI, German in 1870, French in 1918, German again in WWII, and French again in 1944. Today, the city hosts the Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, Parliamentary Assembly, European Parliament, European Science Foundation, and European Corps. With all this formal importance, the University of Strasbourg (50,000 students--second only to the Sorbonne in many respects), quays, and outdoor cafes ensure a lively atmosphere of contrasts.

The city at dawn.
So many French novelists visited Strasbourg to admire the cathedral, we were glad to arrive on the overnight train so that we might watch the city awaken and savor every detail, as they did. In the almost-dark, we admired statuary, empty squares, and bakeries not yet open.

Lights came on as another bakery opened! In the dim dawn, we devoured our meringues on the street, still all to ourselves, while we looked down narrow pedestrian ways for signs of life--and coffee! For the second time this morning, we were the first customers, this time at a table at Cafe Broglie, and those who joined us were surely locals reading their papers. After the world’s best croissant with brew almost as good, we were ready for the cathedral, and surprisingly, it was ready for us--open! It must have been before 8:00, perhaps just after 7:00, when I exclaimed, "If Monet had seen this one, he would have painted it before Rouen!"

Morning on the quays to Petit France
More rustic than the quays of Paris, the ones here are perhaps as ancient, and scenes along them elicit delight. Elegant mansion homes house private high schools, some of them famous or named after famous people, such as Napoleon’s man in Egypt, General Kleber. We admired Lycee International.

This enchanting scene and others like it lured us across bridges and all around within a block of the river, but we always found our way back to the quays, where the scenery was most incredible. On Grand Isle, we found a memorial for massacred Strasbourg Jews, an ensemble of World Heritage buildings, and the ancient covered-bridge village Petite France.

Quick Tips:

Unique cathedral.
No visitor to France should miss Strasbourg Cathedral. I loved it and was glad that many famous artists ranked it next to Chartres. A casual rail visitor can find it by walking straight from the station and looking for the spire. It houses the Great Clock, and my guess is that it is the most incredible clock in Europe--or close.

Alsatian gastronomy.
I understand that great Alsatian food, including foie gras, at home in Alsace, is served at many restaurants down side streets from Cathedral square.

Another square is Kleber, named after Napoleon’s general. We found many more of import by roaming the island, and most had cafes with tables on the cobblestone.

Important sites.
All of Grand Isle is UNESCO World Heritage. Even beyond the medieval island, castles, chateaux, palaces, important government buildings, and monuments have tours. Because Strasbourg is the capital of Alsace, the regional museum is here, along with many other museums of notable reputation. Find them here. The only National Theatre (of 5) outside Paris is here, as well as children’s theater and others of merit, and the musical and dramatic communities are reputed to be second only to Paris--a recurring theme!

Best Way To Get Around:

Overnight from Paris.
Both French and German rail passes include Strasbourg. We were comfortable enough in our couchettes overnight from Paris. If you’ve always wanted to try an overnight, I would recommend this one, not because the train is elegant, but because you can get back to Paris before the day is over and tour 2 cities on your way without a second overnight--just in case you don’t like it. (We also saw many sites in Nancy the same day and were back in Paris by 9:30 p.m.--quite tired, of course!) The train runs all nights from Gare de l’Este at 11:14 and arrives in Strasbourg at 5:35.

Strasbourg transportation.
For the island where the ancient city is located, walk straight away from the rail station. Walking is the only transportation necessary in the old town, but Strasbourg has the most amazing modern tramway I’ve ever seen. Ask at the Tourist Office, Cathedral Square or at the rail station. There are also boat tours (day and night, with or without a meal) on both the Rhine and the Ill and a "Minitrain" short excursion. Bicycling is also encouraged on the quays.

When in Strasbourg . . .
Being up drastically early staves off a bit of guilt for me. When I’m a tourist, I imagine that residents, busy at work, might resent that I am in their way, another elbow to bump on their way to lunch, another seat filled in their favorite cafe. In Strasbourg this Monday morning before 7:00, no elbow had to deal with us, no line was longer, and we didn’t ask questions. In other words, we fit right in and were no more trouble than a local going about business. For us, this situation made vacationing more relaxed.

Home again!
We were transported to a time when our small city in America had an active downtown--before malls. I remember The Palace restaurant on a busy Main Street in West Virginia, where my older sister had coffee before work. When my mother and I "went to town," we treated ourselves to the Palace and saw people we knew. Decor and menu were "continental." Oil paintings were of Cordoba, Spain, where our local artist Raymond Stoker lived as an expatriate and painted courtyards now on UNESCO’s list. (Those oils now live with me.) If the Palace were still there, I could walk to it some morning, but a parking lot now detracts attention from historic buildings. When folk reminisce, the Palace becomes a topic of conversation, and similar nostalgia will continue in America’s small cities until we learn the value of public transit and pedestrianism.

Cafe Broglie
Cafe Broglie resembles the Palace: awninged windows on the sidewalk, a little brass, some impressionism on the walls, and "continental" cuisine.

It’s a place where locals "claim" a favorite spot by the window and read the morning paper.

Lighting was perfect for early morning, relaxed, but bright enough to see, and help were waking up with their coffee, but industrious. Some ineffable quality made Cafe Broglie the perfect place to start our day--everything was ready to take care of us.

The best croissants in the world!
Our table was "ready" with basket of croissants. I thought Alsatian food was rich with cream and butter, but the notion that this would affect a meer croissant hadn’t occurred to me--aren’t they always rich? These were delicious beyond belief! No previous experience of croissants could prepare anyone for them. Coffee was good, too. We paid the waiter and were ready to go. He wanted paid again! He had charged us only for coffee--a good bit!--and hadn’t charged us for croissants. I have a vague idea that they are complimentary for "regulars." He asked for the second payment only after a lady in the next room talked to him. The second receipt was only for 3 euro and change. We left only 8 euro poorer--and had really stuffed ourselves with those croissants!

An institution
It’s the place to experience the city awakening. As we left, groups were chatting on the corner, ready to start their day at Cafe Broglie.

". . . a veritable tiara of stone." Victor Hugo
We were shocked by the relatively unsung beauty of Notre Dame de Strasbourg. Yes, we had read reports of its beauty, and I’m sure they did a fine job! But, until we saw it and comments of famous writers, we had no idea it was comparable to Chartres. Built by the same stone masons and master builders who created the most beautiful gothic cathedral, Notre Dame de Strasbourg is "a pinky-red angel" (Paul Claudel, French poet/playwright), referring to its pink sandstone composition, inside and out. The main portal displays wondrous detail and a unique color with age.

Stendhal admired it, and Goethe was inspired by it to launch a romantic movement. Four centuries ago, it was tallest building in Christendom, so many travelled to see it.

Rose interior
Early morning, we entered without admission, but there usually is a small fee. Inside, we should have been fined for our loud exclamations! (Did I mention that we were shocked?) I’ve never seen such beautiful rose columns! I started walking toward the high altar--this feature was torn out centuries ago in many churches, such as Notre Dame de Paris!--with a too-loud "Aaaahhh."

The pulpit and high altar
The pulpit is a work of stone filigree. This photo of it reveals a closer look at columns supporting the nave.

I admired the organ and choir stall decoration, but soon I was standing before steps to the altar squinting at inlaid arcs of mosaic in dark there when, all of a sudden, light flooded the scene. Over to the side was a slotted machine for coins, so we inserted 20 cents and lighted it a few times in hopes of getting a better photo. Still, we were at the base of long stairs.

Around the corner, we found another coin box and took another photo from the side--a little closer, but at an awkward angle. Our frenzy with capturing this feature was quickly abandoned when we beheld another fancy. (Never was there a cathedral such as this!)

The Great Clock
By this time, a few more visitors had come in. Now, a man was putting coins in yet another box to get the Great Clock to light. Between the High Altar and the Great Clock, the bookstore was just opening, and the church employee there seemed undisturbed that he was watching grown children at a carnival. He was nice to change our large bill and approved of our high spirits. The Gross Horloge is spectacular, but we didn’t stay for the show, the Parade of the Apostles, (every day at 12:30), which I hear makes plenty of noise--roosters crowing and such!

More famous quotes!
The Cathedral and city have been described as having a different idea about democracy, faith, wealth, and worship. Openness and art, even "aristocracy without faction" may characterize both. I could add that the most beautiful church I’ve ever visited is also most entertaining.

What’s in a name?
You may be surprised at how the name "Petit France" was devised! A hospital was located in the district in the 1500’s to care for patients with veneral disease. Alsatians blamed the French for spreading it--particularly their military campaigns in Italy. So, the area was referred to disparagingly as "Little France," a place where veneral disease was rampant.

Les Ponts Couverts
The pavement changes. Then, like a fourteenth-century "gateway" to Little France, the bridges announce to visitors that they are entering another time zone. Landscaping and terracing accomplished by Vauban include three canals of the Ill River with a barrage later covered with earth and grass to provide views from the top. Vauban’s Fortress or four watchtowers, originally part of the city walls, provide excellent views of the Cathedral and layout of the city. The panoramic terrace of the Vauban dam is highly recommended. The entire district was sparsely visited our Monday in April before noon. Restaurants were just opening.

Shopping and dining
All around the area of Petite France, we saw shops with faience and other national products, but mostly handmade items. This area on the water was a favorite spot for tanners, millers, and fishers, and so shops here try to reflect that ancient history in their products. Restaurants preserve the recipes of Alsatian cuisine--one is named Little Alsace--and they are everywhere. We stayed near the water and had no meal in the area, but we had to admire the settings where tables were arranged near huge trees, ancient themselves, right next to railings on the water. Since there are three canals, there is plenty of opportunity to shop, dine, tour, and do just about everything on the water--and if that isn’t enough, there are boat tours!

Timbered and corbelled houses
The district is reputed to be one of the most densely-packed conglomerations of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century timbered houses one is ever likely to see. These are unique in that they have huge internal courtyards and extra high, unusually steep roofs, both useful to medieval tanners, who worked in the courtyards and hung skins to dry in the lofts. Now, they make interesting shops and restaurants! Some are small hotels in this self-sufficient medieval community.

Photo opps
Even the cobblestone warrants a few shots. House of Covered Bridges with its pedestrian land-footbridge canopied by wisteria vines and surrounded by water--that’s a shot you can’t get anywhere else! There are many of those.

Tours
We saw glass boats full of people before noon. Boats leave from the landing stage at Palais Rohan every day year-round and every evening through September, and narrated tours are more than an hour (7 euro). Another economical alternative is a walkman tour (6 euro) that guides visitors from the Cathedral to and all the way through Petite France. These are available from the Tourist Office, place de la Cathedrale.

A city for walking
Anyone wanting to walk around Strasbourg’s old town might divide his walk into three sections: the interior squares, the quays, and Petite France. This discussion pertains to squares and quays. Altogether, we spent six hours walking the island, and four of those involved narrow streets and colorful squares, with one half-hour time-out from walking to visit the Cathedral and another for breakfast. We found half-timbered houses, small monuments that reveal "Strasbourg style," and statuary that speaks the history of illustrious citizens.

From the Rail Station
Straight away from the rail station, we noticed metal tram tracks spread out on the mainland side and on the periphery of the island, too, so we made note that if we returned another time, we could use this modern public system to jump from site to site. We noticed the cars in different places all morning and were so impressed with them, we took this photo of a tram on one of the city’s colorful bridges.

Kleber Square
Our first stop was one of the largest squares in town. It is the scene of the outdoor market a few days a week and decorated with the statue of Jean-Baptiste Kleber (1753-1800).

He was Napoleon’s general in Egypt. Before that, he was in Alsace in the National Guard at the time of the Revolution. After proving himself worthy, he commanded all of Napoleon’s forces amid growing native hostility and was eventually assassinated. In Strasbourg today, he is honored with a Lycee, Kleber College, this square, a hotel, and many other place names.

Cathedral Square
We walked through a narrow street to find Cafe Broglie. This isn't necessarily the shortest distance between the two points, as we deliberately tried to keep to the narrowest passageways we could find in hopes of discovering the most ancient sites. From Cafe Broglie, another passage led us to Cathedral Square, set up with rows of chairs in front of a narrow timbered building, restaurant Maison Kammerzell, a woodcarver's masterpiece. All around the square, small, colorful hotels offer views of Notre Dame de Strasbourg, as well as antique shops and others.

So early, these were not open, but we gazed in windows. In the Cathedral, brass letters on a stone wall pay tribute to Americans who gave their lives to free Alsace in 1944-45. If there were other monuments on the square, we didn’t see them.

Let’s find a really colorful square!
Leaving Cathedral Square, we meandered into more narrow streets and looked for openings to more "interior" or hidden squares. We passed Klein’s Baeckelaed’l, a colorful Patisserie, the sign announces--a French word!--where the clerk said, "Zwei" when I held up two fingers. From there, we found an authentic-looking courtyard with tables being set out, and this was the birthplace of Paul Appel in 1855.

The sign above his door says, "Illustrious savant and great citizen."

He was a well-known mathematician who served as spy for France during Prussian occupation, and further reading reveals that he was on the same side of the Dreyfus affair as Emile Zola and used his fame as mathematician to publish criticism of the French government for its anti-semitism.

Take a rest!
Leaving that sunny courtyard, we happened onto a tiny darker, cooler spot with fountain and concrete benches, Place Saint-Etienne, where we sat and enjoyed our treats from the patisserie with the German flair. As we relaxed, business owners were sweeping their little spaces in front of their doors and setting out plants, so we watched their industry and felt glad to be on vacation. A little classical fountain with Pan and his flute (I think) was in such deep shade I couldn’t get a good photo. From Place Saint-Etienne, we took the shortest distance to Ill River and walked along the quays, almost half-circumnavigating the island back toward the rail station and past it to Petite France.

I wished I had a bicycle!
I’m sure they can be rented, but not so early in the morning. We would love to return and encircle the island several times. The quays are where the phrase "the beauty of Strasbourg" must have originated. Trees that look like weeping willow hang over the river and encase every scene with frilly greenery. Bridges aren’t as spectacular as those of Paris, but charming, and old mansions and schools present a picture of wealth with informal, loving artistry that is never pompous, just inviting.

We had started along the river on Quai Saint-Etienne. Names change often, but our course didn’t. We found an interesting statue on Quai Lezay-Marnesia. The Marquis of Lezay-Marnesia, Paul-Adrien-Francois-Marie (1769-1814), was a prefect appreciated by the people of Strasbourg for his agricultural programs and others that tended to promote health and well-being. He created the first Normal School for teachers in France and instituted compulsory vaccinations in schools. (Aha! Another humanitarian from Strasbourg!)

Alas, he was thrown from his horse and impaled upon his sword while returning from an inspection. His statue and quay are near Pont du Theatre.

Pont du Theatre and World Patrimony
Near this bridge would be a good place to look for theaters! The opera is near (a sign says), and the symphony, I have read, is second only to Paris’--there’s that comparison, again! In the pavement in the middle of the bridge is a marker indicating an ensemble of buildings particularly important to UNESCO, but the online description of the Grand Isle designation makes clear that it includes everything surrounded by the 2 branches of the River Ill (the entire island), which is described as "a district that is characteristic of a medieval town and illustrates Strasbourg's evolution from the 15th to the 18th century." Of particular importance are four churches and Palais Rohan, former residence of the prince-bishops on Kleber Square. That particular marker must refer to Palais Rohan, pictured here, but we admired all the buildings on the island side of Pont du Theatre.

Pont de la Fonderie
Near the next important bridge, we found a plague mounted on the side of a building and indicating that the Strasbourg Jews were tried and burned "pres de ici," near to here, in 1349. Across the street, we found this monument.

This was one year after the Black Death began (for which they were accused of poisoning wells), and their money was confiscated and all debts to them forgiven before they were burned on a wooden platform in the cemetery. This was their neighborhood in the days of the Imperial Free Cities of the Holy Roman Empire. Rue des Juifs or Jew Street is over 1,600 years old--one of the Roman roads.

Our "Reconnaissance Expedition"
A little further along the quay, buildings get older, beginning with the Foundry, and Petit France, district of medieval tanners, is close. We couldn’t miss that attraction! But we would have time only to skim the surface of it, too. We have yet to return to any of the places we’ve been in Europe, but these expeditions that cover a great deal of territory in a short time are great for discovering where we want to return. We’re anticipating becoming very "efficient" in planning and touring Strasbourg, now that we know our way around. One has to be efficient to make it around to a great percentage of all the important sites in this city. Next time, we'll look up Gutenberg and Louis Pasteur and find out more about that Rohan family, who figured prominently in Brittany, too.