Surprising Strasbourg

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.

This three-and-a-half-star hotel is about 4 or 5 city blocks from the train station on a street that terminates at the plaza in front of the station, so it is very easy to find. It is also very near to the City Center, Guttenberg Square, and La Petite France. As you can see from the picture, the exterior is not that appealing, but the interior is great.

When we checked in, we were asked if we wanted breakfast. We said yes and only later discovered that it cost an additional 10 Euros. I’m not sure it was worth that, but it was okay and obviously convenient. I find that while most three- and four-star hotels in Europe include breakfast in their room rate, Best Western-affiliated hotels do not.

In other matters, the desk clerk was very helpful. We had dozens of questions because we were planning on making day trips to Trier and Bastogne. She took all the time necessary to show us on maps how to get to where we wanted to go and also showed us that visiting Trier and Bastogne was a bad idea because of the distances involved. We ended up taking her advice and spent the next 2 days exploring Strasbourg. She also helped us with restaurant recommendations and other tips.

Although the hotel was built in 1919, it contains all the modern necessities, including an elevator, a convenience many European hotels in older buildings lack. The lobby and the rooms contain many antiques and paintings. Breakfast is served in a high-ceilinged Alsatian-style dining room. I don’t think they serve lunch or dinner. There is a small comfy bar off the lobby we never had the opportunity to use. Our room was a little small because of the two double beds, but it was clean and comfortable. The bathroom was adequate, with a bathtub and shower. Even though we really didn’t need it, air-conditioning was available.

The hotel has all the amenities you could want, including wi-fi, dataports, Internet access, office services, etc. Limited parking is available at an extra cost.

According to the brochure, the same family has owned the hotel since it was built. They have obviously taken good care of it. I would certainly return here again.

Our first night in Strasbourg, we decided to eat at one of Strasbourg’s most picturesque bierstubs, L’Ami Schutz, a Franco-Germanic name for sure. Located between the two forks of the Ill River, next to the Ponts Couverts (covered bridges), it has both an indoor dining room and an outdoor seating area. Because of the threat of rain, we opted for the wooden beamed interior.

It was crowded inside, but we must have looked like big tippers, as we got a prime table immediately. Even though this is a relatively famous restaurant, the host was very accommodating and the service was efficient and friendly. We had many questions about the menu, and our waitress hung in there and answered them all. In spite of the crowded conditions, our food arrived in a timely manner.

The menu is huge, with set meals that include wine or beer and an extensive a la carte menu, with beverage recommendations, featuring all kinds of regional specialties, particularly Choucroute au Riesling (sauerkraut marinated in Riesling rather than vinegar) and many different pork dishes. I suggested the Sausage and Choucroute, or "Choucroute Garnie," plate to Tom, as he had never tasted Choucroute. The portion was huge. He couldn’t finish it and my pork shank was so large, I couldn’t help him out. We had a local beer, Schutzenberger's Pils, before dinner and an excellent Riesling with our meal. The wine was very reasonable at about €20 a bottle, as I recall. When we finished, we were upset because we had no room for one of the many desserts on offer.

This place is open every day for lunch and dinner and the prices are fair. With two beers, a bottle of excellent wine, and our a la carte food orders, our check was about €90, including the service charge. Next time I’m in Strasbourg, I intend to head right back here for another meal.

There is no doubt that this cathedral is the primary tourist attraction in Strasbourg. For one thing, it sits right in the center of the city, dozens of streets lead directly to cobbled Guttenberg Square where it is located, and it can be seen from almost anywhere in or near Strasbourg.

Proposed in 1015, its construction, on the site of an earlier Romanesque basilica, was begun in 1176 and the spire was finished in 1439, 424 years later. It stands as a superb example of Gothic architecture. The steeple soars to 466 feet. A team of masons worked on it through out the 13th century, creating superb statuary and an impressive interior subtly lit by fine stained glass windows. The world-famous main facade, an overwhelming collection of biblical figures and saints, was completed half a century later. Its size is balanced by its gracefulness. I did not feel as overwhelmed by it, as I did by the Cathedral in Cologne or by Notre Dame des Paris. Victor Hugo said it best when he referred to it as a, "prodigy of the gigantesque and the delicate."

It was damaged and restored after Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and World War II. Because it’s built of pinkish red sandstone, it is in constant need of repair. Fortunately, when we were there, the scaffolding was on the sides and not covering the façade.

For some reason, the cathedral was closed when we arrived at the square, so we did the audio tour detailed in a separate review. Problem is, we missed the 12:30pm show of the Astronomical Clock, when its automated figures perform their wonders. The Apostles march before Christ, a cock crows and beats its wings, and the seven ages of man can be seen. We were able to see different figures parading on the hour at 1pm. The clock is in the south transept and costs €1 to see. It’s worth it.

For my taste, we didn’t spend enough time in the cathedral itself. The statuary, tapestries, stained glass windows, and separate chapels, along with the incredible 18th-century organ, are worthy of a least an hour. We gave it 15 minutes. I am also sorry that we didn’t feel up to climbing the 322 steps to the viewing platform near the top of the steeple: €4.40 € for adults and €2.20 for children and students. I understand that the view is incomparable.

When we left via the main doors, the wind was whipping around the square. I later heard of a legend that the devil rode into Strasbourg on the wind and instructed it to wait while he went inside to look for a statue of himself. When he couldn’t find one, he became so apoplectic that he broke a window and stabbed himself. According to the legend, the wind is still waiting. It was certainly evident when we were there.

Opening hours vary but are basically 9am to 5pm. Picture-taking is allowed.

We discover La Petite France, an area on an island in the center of the Ill River, our first afternoon in Strasbourg. It is part of the Grand Ile, or Main Island, and the historic home of Strasbourg’s tanners and millers. It got its name from the fact that, in the early 16th century, it housed a hospital for the treatment of syphilis, which was known in those days as the “French Disease,” hence the Alsatian nickname, “Little France.” Now it’s a pedestrianized center of open-air restaurants and boutiques, full of people but not overcrowded. We grab a table under a huge oak and suck up a couple beers while watching the passing parade of families, lovers, backpackers, and older folks out for an evening stroll.

Later we walk through a park to get to the opposite end of the island, “Pont Couvert,” or Covered Bridges, comprised of three 13th-century towers. Its ancient fortified remains owe their name to the series of roofed wooden footbridges that connect the island to the mainland. This is where we dine at L’Ami Schutz, which is reviewed elsewhere in this journal.

The next evening we return and explore many side streets containing the renowned half-timbered houses with geranium-filled balconies, vast courtyards, and huge attics built to facilitate the drying of hides. These houses could be disassembled and moved by knocking out the plaster between the timbers, pulling the timbers apart, and then reassembling them somewhere else and plastering in the spaces between the timbers. Now they mostly house restaurants, gift shops, and boutique hotels, though some are still used as residences. They remind me of the nursery rhyme, “There once was a crooked man who lived in a crooked house….”

We walk beside the canal, with its ancient locks, and look over at the Vauban Barrage, a dam built in the late 17th century that has been used for centuries to regulate the flow of water in the river and also to flood parts of the city in case of invasion. I know I’m in a so-called “Tourist” area, but the environment is so compelling that I don’t care and allow myself to be utterly charmed by what I am seeing.

Later that evening, we find a group of restaurants on the opposite bank of the river. We choose one for an alfresco dinner in the midst of a thunderstorm and later finish off a bottle of Calvados with a new-found friend from Belgium—c’est la vie.

I can hardly wait to re-visit this area with my wife, Pam. I could easily spend 3 or 4 days exploring the island and the surrounding area, as well as sampling each of the restaurants and spending the rest of my time at an outdoor table drinking beer or Riesling and people-watching.

I don’t usually use audio guided tours because I often find them a distraction rather than a help. They also provide far more information than I usually want, particularly in art museums. In this case, Tom and I decided to try the Audio Guided tour of the city for two reasons. One, we had limited time, and two, the Cathedral was closed and we had a couple hours to kill before it opened, just about the same amount of time the audio-guided tour covered.

The audio-guided tours last from 90 minutes to two hours, depending on how fast you walk. I understand they are available in three or four languages, and are accompanied by a very nice brochure that supplements the cassette. We rented both the cassette and tape for €6 from the Tourist Office, right across Guttenberg Square from the Cathedral. You must make a deposit of €30, or let them hold your passport. You can keep the tape for 24 hours.

The only problem we had was that the clerk, who was most likely a summer hire from an influential family, was as much of an uncooperative smart-ass as I have encountered in all the TI offices I’ve visited in Europe and Asia. Nevertheless, we got our guides, but not a lot of information as to how to use them. We figured that out for ourselves.

As it turns out, Strasbourg is an ideal city for sightseeing on foot. The tour starts and ends at the Cathedral, which was closed for unknown reasons. We figured we’d be back, so we tuned in carefully and set out—our ears glued to the commentary. It’s a wonderful experience. The guide is complete, without being overly long and boring, and it takes us to a number of places we might have missed.

Our first stop is the courtyard of the Palais de Rohan. At one time, it housed the Bishop of Strasbourg. Now, it is a museum. This courtyard is often the site of free concerts. We next walk to an adjoining monastery herb garden and cemetery—a totally peaceful spot in the midst of the city. We continue down to the river, and walk along the banks to St. Martin’s Bridge. Crossing over to the opposite bank we stroll past the Guild Hall, the old City Hall, and St. Nicholas church where Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Albert Schweitzer preached as a young theologist. We hang a right and make an extended stop at St. Thomas' church, where he gave his first organ concert.

We also visit and learn all sorts of interesting facts about La Petite France, which is described elsewhere in the journal. Our last stop is the Cathedral, also described elsewhere. The audio guide provides a human touch to this impressive place.

Overall, the audio guided tour was a good experience, educational and interesting. I recommend it.