We arrive in Strasbourg by train and walk to our hotel, the Best Western Monopole Metropole, only 4 blocks away. We are distressed to find that our original plan to visit Trier, Germany, and Bastogne is totally impractical, but we are not disappointed at the alternative of spending our 2 days right here as soon as we start to walk around town.
What a lovely city it is with its dual Franco-Germanic personality! It is not only the main city of the historically significant Alsace-Lorraine region, but also the home of the European Parliament.
The center of the city, with its winding streets, is charming, and the Cathedrale de Notre Dame is stunning. In the older parts of the city, the architecture is fascinating. The streets are pedestrian-friendly, trees everywhere providing shade and oxygen. We fall in love with the place.
We find La Petite France, an island in the center of the Ill River and the historic home of Strasbourg’s tanners, now a site of open-air restaurants and boutiques. We decide to eat at a famous bierstube and restaurant, L’Ami Schutz.
The next morning we go to the TI office in Guttenberg Square to pick up a walking audio guide. In spite of the fact that the clerk is not very helpful with instructions, we figure out how the system works.
The audio tour begins and ends at the cathedral. We set out, ears glued to the commentary. It’s a wonderful experience. The commentary is complete without being overly long and boring, and it takes us to a number of places we might have missed, including St. Nicholas Church, where Albert Schweitzer preached as a young theologist, and St. Thomas' church, where he gave his first organ concert.
Back at Guttenberg Square, we visit the cathedral and its famous 15th-century astronomical clock.
After exploring the Cathedral, we rush across town to the Place d'Etoile, site of the European Parliament. We pass on a planned Rhine river cruise and enjoy a late leisurely lunch at a brasserie with a brassy waitress and outdoor seating.
For dinner we return to La Petit France. Because of the drippy weather, we have trouble finding a suitable restaurant. We finally choose a place, meet a fellow traveler from Belgium, and finish a bottle of Calvados in the midst of a raging thunderstorm.
It's been a great 2 days.
Quick Tips:
We found that it was easy to get lost in the center of the city but also easy to recover. We would just walk to the river and follow it to the bridge near our hotel.
As a pedestrian, be aware of the almost noiseless trams and bicycles, which can sneak up on you even in pedestrian-only zones. In these zones, also be aware that access to some parking areas require the cars to drive along the pavement to reach them. Bicycle lanes are on the sidewalks not the streets. Pedestrians supposedly have the right of way, but you could be perfectly within your rights lying in a hospital bed if you are not careful. Tom and I got surprised a couple times.
The European parliament building was a big disappointment: 1950's modern nondescript, glassy architecture with few distinguishing characteristics. Tours are available but sounded boring to us, so we passed.
The so-called Rhine River cruise is a glorified boat ride that spends little time on the Rhine. Once we were told the itinerary, we passed. It might be okay if you are looking for a place to sit and relax for a couple hours.
If you've never had Choucroute, the Alsatian sauerkraut, try it. It's not sour at all because it's marinated in Riesling wine.
Because of a large Middle-Eastern community, there are dozens of donor stands and storefront restaurants that serve lamb and chicken kebab or pita pocket sandwiches so you need never go hungry. The shwarma is great for walking and eating.
Guttenberg Square reminded me of Dam Square in Amsterdam, with lots of street performers and people just hanging out. It's great for people-watching.
At the TI office in Guttenberg Square there is a map available with a walking tour. You can also purchase an audio guided tour, which is excellent. The clerks, though, were the least friendly and helpful I found anywhere in Europe.
I think it's hard to go wrong on choosing almost any restaurant in La Petite France. There is lots of outdoor seating for food, drink, and people-watching.
The Riesling wines are to die for.
Every restaurant we tried served German-sized, as opposed to French-sized, portions of food. Plan accordingly.Best Way To Get Around:
The city has an excellent tram system, but we never had to use it. We walked everywhere we needed to go. The cathedral and Guttenberg Square are only 15-minute walks from the train station.
Taxis are available if you must go somewhere outside of the city center. I didn't see many, but you can call one at 03 88 36 1313.
I saw lots of bikes and one bike rental place near the train station. If we'd been there one more day, we would have most likely rented bikes to see what the residential parts of town looked like.
If you tire of walking, there are glass-roofed boat tours that circle old Strasbourg on the Ill River. The dock is 2 blocks to the right of the Cathedral. Just go past the Palais Rohan and turn right. We decided that we'd rather walk.