After a few hours in Colmar, I took the train 40 miles north to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace and the heart of this famous region of Eastern France. After getting off the train and walking through the old train station whose exterior looks…Read More

After a few hours in Colmar, I took the train 40 miles north to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace and the heart of this famous region of Eastern France. After getting off the train and walking through the old train station whose exterior looks modern with its glass enclosure, I made the short walk to Le Grand Ile (Big Island) where old and new Strasbourg meet. Strasbourg, France is home to several squares or Places in Le Grand Ile that make this city of over 400,000 people unique. In one of these squares, Place Kleber, as I approached old Strasbourg, I came upon a huge fountain that several people were sitting around and their kids playing in it. Since the temperature that day had reached an abnormal 90 degrees F that first Saturday in May, I thought, "When in Rome. . .", and I took my shoes off and started wading around the fountain cooling off my legs and feet.

Strasbourg's history is an ancient one dating from Celtic and Prehistoric times, but the area wasn't successfully settled by the Huns and Franks until the 5th Century as Strazburg. For a long time, Strasbourg and Alsace were an independent province run by a guild of citizens wanting democracy for Alsace. Strasbourg didn't join France as a province until 1681 when it was annexed by Louis XIV. During this time the 1598 Edict of Nantes was revoked by Louis XIV via the Edict of Fountainbleu (1685) and French Hugenots were denied their right to practice their religion freely, but Alsace and Strasbourg were not affected by this. Strasbourg was the place where the French National Anthem, Le Marsaillaise was written in 1792 but Strasbourg was not immune to the damage to its churches and other buildings during the French Revolution and lost its status as a free city in 1794.

Strasbourg was siezed by the Prussians in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War and suffered serious damage during the Siege of Strasbourg on August 24, 1870. After the Franco-Prussian War ended, Alsace and Strasbourg were annexed to Germany and remained part of that country until the end of World War I in 1918. Alsace declared independence after WWI, but the 1919 Treaty of Versailles returned the province back to French control. To protect itself from future German invasions, France built the Maginot Line through Alsace and near Strasbourg, but it was no help and France fell to Nazi Germany in June 1940 and Strasbourg along with the rest of Alsace was annexed to Germany and its Jewish residents were expelled and later deported to concentration camps. Strasbourg remained in German hands until the French 2nd Amored Division under General LeClerc liberated Strasbourg on November 23, 1944 after suffering much damage due to Allied bombings beginning in 1943. Today, Strasbourg has been restored to its old glory and is it Grand Ile is a UNESCO World Heritage sight.

After cooling off in the fountain in Place Kleber, I reluctantly put my shoes on and left Place Kleber via a little fair with a beautiful carousel to continue my adventure into Strasbourg. It was great walking around the old squares looking at the many raised timber buildings dating from medieval times including the ones in Place du Marche aux Cochons de Lait (The Pig and Milk Market Square), where those little piggies went to market and farmers could sell their milk to the people of Strasbourg. Old and new mix in Strasbourg and the Ponts Couvert that are part of the Barrage Vauban are good examples.

I first learnt about Alsace (and, by extension, about Strasbourg) when I was in school studying about the Franco-German tussles over this bit of land. Later, in college, while studying hotel management, I learnt more interesting things about this city: that it’s the home of…Read More

I first learnt about Alsace (and, by extension, about Strasbourg) when I was in school studying about the Franco-German tussles over this bit of land. Later, in college, while studying hotel management, I learnt more interesting things about this city: that it’s the home of the almost legendary pâté de foie gras. Then, a couple of months ago, when I was creating an itinerary for a trip to Western Switzerland, my husband and I decided we wanted to spend a few days somewhere either in neighbouring France or Germany. I posted a question on the IgoUgo Travel Forums, and among the suggestions I received was one from midtownmjd, to whom I shall eternally be grateful.

Really. Strasbourg is divine.

From our Strasbourg 2008-2009 guide book (bought for €1 from the Tourist Information Centre next to the railway station), we learnt that Strasbourg began as a Roman camp called Argentoratum, back in 12 BC. From that period in time, the guide book skipped straight on to the Middle Ages, when Strasbourg began to make its presence felt: in the 12th century, work began on the massive Cathedrale de Nôtre Dame. It continued till well into the 15th century, by which time other interesting events had begun to happen in this city, which was now pretty well established on an island of the River Ill. By the 1500’s, Strasbourg had become an important centre of the Reformation (which probably accounts for the number of Protestant churches that still stand in the city—Strasbourg’s largest church, after the Cathedrale de Nôtre Dame, is the Protestant church of St Thomas).

Industry and commerce weren’t lagging behind, either. The millers, tanners, carpenters and fishermen (after whom streets in present day Strasbourg are still named) continued to ply their trade and live in half-timbered houses.

More importantly, Strasbourg began coming up in life: in about 1455, a local scion, Johannes Gutenberg, invented the printing press and instantly put Strasbourg on the map. And, with Strasbourg’s annexation to France, the city became a regional capital: Mozart performed in concerts here, Goethe studied at the local university, and Marie Antoinette, en route to Paris for her wedding, stopped by at the Palais Rohan and spent the night. Today, Strasbourg is half historical, half modern. The island in the Ill is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the more modern part of the city has some of its major buildings along the river.

For us, Strasbourg proved to be a city of different flavours, sights and sounds. The railway station—dull and boring as stations are apt to be—proved, on closer inspection, to have a façade of carved stone (unashamedly baroque) and stained glass windows. On the outside, it was all enclosed in a vast mostly-opaque glass bubble, but still: a city with a main train station like that couldn’t be bad.

And Strasbourg certainly proved itself. Five minutes’ walk from the railway station, we were across the river and onto the island. This is where Strasbourg comes into its element. In the northern half of town—around Quai de Paris, Quai Kellerman, Quai Schoepflin, Rue de la Fonderie, Rue de la Mesange, etc—the streets are mainly modern. Oh, we came across the occasional old fountain or column (there was one in the tiny park in front of our hotel, the Best Western de France on Rue du Jeu des Enfants) and some churches, but by and large, this is an area of banks, offices, shops (Galerie Lafayette included) and boutiques like Edouard Artzner, Strasbourg’s best-known producer of pâté de foie gras.

South of this area, we began seeing more prominent signs of a bygone age. At Place Kléber, a vast paved square with a now-green statue of Strasbourg-born General J B Kléber, people stroll and chat, eat and drink in front of an impressive edifice, all carved stone columns, statues and scrolls. We never did learn what it was. Further south, down the Rue des Grandes Arcades from Place Kléber, we arrived at another square, this one with a statue of Johannes Gutenberg. Place Gutenberg also has a fully functional carousel dating back to 1900: striped canopy, painted medallions along the rim, lovingly crafted wooden horses racing around the edge and one even on top of the canopy, like a weathervane.

Just a couple of minutes’ walk from Place Gutenberg is the square in Strasbourg, Place de la Cathedrale, home to the magnificent Cathedrale de Nôtre Dame. This is where we decided there was no point putting our camera back in its case: there is just too much around that’s utterly picturesque. The cathedral, of course, from all angles, inside and outside, and at all times of the day—especially at sunset, when the beige stone is gilded and glorious; and the buildings around.

There is, for instance, the Maison Kammerzell, with its windows of rounded panes of stained glass, and its profuse carving. Across the square is the Palais Rohan, baroque architecture at its zenith, but better known for the three excellent museums it houses. The other great museum next door is the Musée de L’œuvre Nôtre Dame, full of original art from the cathedral. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are a few half-timbered houses facing the cathedral. Half-timbered houses, as we later learnt during a Batorama boat tour, are easily dismantled and can be shifted. In Strasbourg, at least, "Half-timbered houses were treated more like a piece of furniture than a building!"

Behind the Palais Royal runs the Ill, and I’d recommend a leisurely walk along its banks, shaded with plane trees and with the occasional swan or duck swimming along. Very good for the soul, especially if you decide to carry a packed lunch (foie gras? A bottle of cold Reisling? Tarte à l’oignon? Maybe even a tarte aux myrtilles) and picnic on one of the grassy stretches along the way. You can, of course (as we did) make it a wholly sightseeing trip, in which case you’ll enter the very picturesque area of Petite France, named after a hospital which once stood in the vicinity. The hospital cared for those suffering from venereal disease, and since venereal disease was believed to be of French origin, the entire area came to be known as Petite France. Today, Petite France is innocuous enough: a picture-postcard perfect quarter of river, canal, plane trees, swans, narrow cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. A happy meander through Petite France will bring you to the edge of the quarter, where three solid square-sided towers are all that remain of what was once the Ponts Couverts, the covered bridges. The towers were used as watchtowers, with gunners stationed at the top to keep a watch on the southern border of the city. A tiled roof covered the bridge and the towers, which accounts for the name of the bridge. Beyond the Ponts Couverts is the Vauban Dam, a multiple-arched structure which could be used to flood the southern half of the city in case of an invasion.

There is more to Strasbourg. In the more modern part of the city, you’ll see the edifices that today make it an important centre of political affairs: the European Parliament and the Human Rights Building. There are older structures too, like the Palais de Justice and the Palais du Rhin, both imposing buildings of the Imperial German Quarter, set against manicured lawns, flowerbeds and shady trees.

For me, at least, Strasbourg will always mean rows of half-timbered houses, with geraniums crowding the window boxes. It’ll mean a swan preening itself in the waters of a gently flowing canal. It’ll mean a trio of buskers playing "Sway" in Place de la Cathedrale. And it’ll mean an amazing city that manages to blend France and Germany so beautifully that you never think it strange that each street and each square has actually two names: Place Benjamin Zix is also Zixplätzel, Grand Rue is also Long Stross, and Rue du Fosse des Tanneurs is also Gerwergrawe.

The last time I was so fascinated by a city was in Rome. Well, Strasbourg may not be as big and as famous as Rome, but it’s as unforgettable.

Sitting at the edge of France, rubbing shoulders with Germany (and, off and on during its history, also being part of Germany), Alsace has been influenced in many ways by its neighbour. The Alsatian language, for instance (as we discovered during an informative boat tour…Read More

Sitting at the edge of France, rubbing shoulders with Germany (and, off and on during its history, also being part of Germany), Alsace has been influenced in many ways by its neighbour. The Alsatian language, for instance (as we discovered during an informative boat tour of Strasbourg) draws heavily from both French and German. It also borrows from Hebrew, Yiddish and English, but that’s another story.

Language isn’t the only thing in this part of the world that draws from Gallic and Germanic sources; the food is of equally diverse origins. The light dressings on salads, the lightly sautéed potatoes and the glacés that help cool off on a hot summer’s day are very decidedly French. The pickled cabbage—known in German as sauerkraut and in French as choucroute—is, on the other hand, well-known as a definitely Germanic dish. And it appears on menus throughout Strasbourg, from upscale brasseries to stand-by-the-roadside fast food counters, along with boiled potatoes to meats of every type: bratwurst, liver dumplings, boiled beef or pork, ham and bacon. Some eateries, like Ami Schutz on Ponts Couverts, do a sauerkraut special that gives you the works: six different types of meat with sauerkraut and potatoes. Others, like a small shop called Super Hamburger, between the Cathedral and Place Kebler, serve a takeaway that’s spiced up with sauerkraut: an Alsatian version of a hotdog.

But sauerkraut isn’t all there is to Alsatian food. Other specialties that you’ll see featuring prominently on menus include flammekueche, tarte à l’oignon, and quiche Lorraine. The tarte à l’oignon (onion tart) and quiche Lorraine are similar: both consist of a pastry shell filled with a custard of eggs, milk, butter, onions and generous doses of cheese. Where the quiche Lorraine scores over the tarte à l’oignon (in my opinion!) is in the addition of a judicious amount of bacon. A good onion tart or quiche Lorraine is creamy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and filling without sitting in your tummy.

A flammekueche—also known as a tarte flambée, and equally common in restaurants—is also a baked dish with a base of pastry, but it’s very different from the tart and the quiche. This is more like a very thin crust pizza, except that the topping has no tomatoes. A traditional flammekueche is simply topped with yoghurt, chopped onions and lardons, tiny pieces of smoked bacon. It’s then popped into the oven until the onions are cooked, the bacon crisp and the topping absolutely luscious. You’ll find spiced up versions of flammekueche, of course, including some with distinctly Italian ingredients like olive oil or garlic, but don’t miss the opportunity to try a traditional one—if it’s good, it’s excellent.

There’s more, including matelote, a fish stew traditionally made with mushrooms and tiny onions, with cream and wine—typically Reisling—and a healthy dose of herbs to give it flavour. Unfortunately, my experience of matelote was less than inspiring: the only time I had it was at L’Ancienne Douane, and it was woefully bland. Another Alsatian specialty with Reisling, however, got our unstinted vote: poulet au Reisling, an Alsatian version of the legendary French coq au vin. This one consists of pieces of boned chicken in a rich, Reisling-and-cream sauce with mushrooms. The poulet au Reisling we had was at the Taverne de la Cathedrale, where they served it along with spaetzle, a local pasta that’s tossed in butter and is very good.

The abundant wine also makes it presence felt in the superb game stew known as baeckoffe. This includes vegetables—carrots, leeks and potatoes in the version I tasted at Ami Schutz—and can be based on different types of meat. The excellent baeckoffe at Ami Schutz is rabbit, but the one at L’Ancienne Douane is made of three types of game.

While we’re on the subject of wine, this is probably the place to point out that Alsace’s two best-known wines are its Reislings and Gewürtztraminers. Both are superb wines, and run (like all wines) the gamut from dishwater to nectar, so ask for a taste before you pick on a bottle you’d like to buy. Nearly all cafés and restaurants offer a wide range of local and other wines, some by the glass—though how good a wine that’s sold by the glass will turn out to be is usually a hit-or-miss affair: I’ve had some fabulous stuff, but then I’m easy to please.

Even my adaptable tastebuds however didn’t think much (can tastebuds think?) of Strasbourg’s big dessert-breakfast item, the kügelhopf. This is a sweetish bread, studded with raisins and baked in a distinctive ring-shaped mould. Dusted with icing sugar, it’s all right as a breakfast food with a hot latte, but nothing to write home about, as far as I’m concerned. The city makes much of kügelhopf, though, and you’ll see tiny kügelhopf moulds, made of porcelain and prettily painted with flowers, on sale as souvenirs all over Strasbourg. Much, much better is the tarte aux myrtilles, which I had at a small café in front of the Cathedral (the Place Cathedrale, by the way, is a good place to begin searching for Alsatian food—nearly all of the cafés in the area serve local delicacies). Tarte aux myrtilles is a blueberry tart. It has a base of pastry which is topped with a thin layer of custard and shovelfuls of cooked blueberries before being baked one last time. Sublime.

And now for the biggie: Strasbourg’s very own star, pâté de foie gras. Pâté de foie gras supposedly originated in Strasbourg (or at least in Alsace), and the best there is—and I have this from a person who grew up in Strasbourg and should know—is to be bought at Edouard Artzner’s. Artzner have been making pâté de foie gras for over two hundred years now, so it’s hardly surprising they’re good at it. They make a wide range of pâtés, both of goose as well as duck, and they make related products such as terrines and confits. The shop, at 7, Rue des Mesanges, stocks a vast number of Artzner specialties in different forms—for instance, if you’re travelling and want to take pâté back with you, ask. Products to be consumed fresh are different from those that can survive storage. Artzner, by the way, also serve food to be consumed at the shop (they have seating available). Although the emphasis is on pâté and similar foods used as ingredients in recipes, you’ll find other options too, including salads. It’s not cheap, but the buttery goodness of a well-made Artzner pâté is not easily forgotten.

STRASBOURG, EUROPEWhen a colleague asked me if I´d accompany her and a form of 31 15/16-year-old pupils on a 2½ day excursion to Strasbourg I agreed, I knew most of the boys and girls and expected they wouldn´t be too stressful and I´d been to…Read More

STRASBOURG, EUROPE

When a colleague asked me if I´d accompany her and a form of 31 15/16-year-old pupils on a 2½ day excursion to Strasbourg I agreed, I knew most of the boys and girls and expected they wouldn´t be too stressful and I´d been to Strasbourg so many years ago that I felt my memory could do with some brushing up.

The first impression was so-so, we came out of the train station onto an enormous place flanked by enormous buildings from the era when the city was annexed to the German Empire (1871 – 1918), bombastic representative ones in the so-called Wilhelmian style, historical eclecticism, quite depressive when the sky is overcast.

We took our luggage to the hostel Ciarus, a walk of 15 minutes along the banks of the river Ill. The streets flanking the river and the footpaths below running beside it seem to be favoured by dog-walkers and bums and bums with dogs, in a quarter of an hour I saw more dogs and more dog poop than, say, in one week in Lisbon. According to a teacher of French I asked later this is a countrywide problem which is known but not solved yet, the dog owners still rule. That takes away one star, no mercy!

We arrived on a Sunday and as Monday is the day when the museums are closed, we started with the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, 1, Place Hans Jean Arp (from Tuesday to Sunday 11-19 pm, 4 €/concession 2€), it´s five minutes away from the train station. The building itself is fascinating with much glass on the outside, it was inaugurated in 1998, huge rooms and not too many artefacts make for a generous atmosphere. Don´t think that young people appreciate contemporary art, their taste is as conservative as can be. Never mind, it doesn´t hurt to see new things and broaden one´s horizon, and – one never knows – such a visit may have a long term effect.

We hadn´t eaten properly the whole day and had therefore booked a room in the restaurant Flam´s, Rue de Freres (behind the Cathedral), where Tartes Flambées are served, the specialty of the Alsace region, as much as you can eat for 12 € (~ 8, 10 GBP), a soft drink or a glass of beer included. A Tartes Flambée resembles a pizza, it´s thin dough with something on it baked in an oven with open fire. Considering that a pizza size Tarte Flambée costs 6,80 € in other restaurants, drink not included, Flam´s was a bargain. We got our Tartes Flambées on oblong wooden boards, approximately 30 x 40 cm large, first the bacon, onions and cheese variety was brought, then bacon, cheese and mushrooms, followed by two sweet varieties (according to purists a sacrilege), with a layer of pudding, slices of apple and cinnamon or pudding and choccie crumbs. At the end of the Tartes orgy we calculated that we had devoured approximately 8 m² (the equivalent of four normal sized doors), I have never been fuller in my life and will certainly not touch another Tarte Flambée in the near future!

The following morning we did a sightseeing tour by boat, a vessel with a glass roof, departure from Palais des Rohan (150m away from the Cathedral) lasting 70 minutes (from 9.30 am to 21.00 pm every 30 minutes, adults 6.80 €, children 3.40 €), good explanations over headphones in six languages. This tour is very recommendable, especially when the sun is shining as it was for us, the old centre of Strasbourg is surrounded by the river Ill so that it is really an island, people have always lived on and with the river, one doesn´t see the backside but the showside of many houses. The branches of weeping willows hang into the water, swans, ducks, coots pass the boat, it´s quite picturesque.

Strasbourg flourished from Roman times, but it was the Middle Ages that represented the Golden Age of the city. If you like half-timbered houses then this is the place for you, one can find them throughout the city but most are in the oldest quarter called La Petite France in the south west of the inner city island. Many restaurants have their tables outside on the river bank, my favourite was La Taverne du Quai on the Quai de la Bruche beside an enormous plane in whose branches musicians used to sit and play in the olden days, pity they don´t do that any more.

There are also many fine and well-kept Renaissance and art deco buildings, Strasbourg exudes wealth, the expensive shops in the city show that there still is money. The most famous piece of architecture, however, is the cathedral begun in 1176 and built over a period of nearly 300 years, yet it´s not finished, it has only one steeple, no idea why they didn´t keep on building after being at it for such a long time. It´s a Gothic masterpiece in reddish sandstone, bring binoculars to study the thousands of statues inside and outside, more Gothic it doesn´t get anywhere! Look at the façade in the afternoon when the sun is shining on it and the stone seems to glow!

Every day at 12.30 pm one can watch the astronomical clock constructed around 1550 by a team of Swiss clockmakers, during the performance the area is sealed off and lit, visitors have to pay a small fee (the tickets are sold outside from a hole in the wall [yes, indeed!]) if they want to see it, when it´s over, one can stroll by without paying anything, but one doesn´t see much as the corner where the clock is is quite dark. Before the figures on the two levels start moving an explanation is given in French, German and English which all in all lasts about half an hour, the performance itself lasts only five minutes.

During the following free time some pupils went shopping, others visited the Botanical Garden, yours truly the Museum of Fine Arts in the Palais Rohan 2, Place du Chateau (4 €/2€] presenting an overview of European painting from the Early Middle Ages to 1870, simply wonderful! Oh, to have one of the Dutch still lifes at home, some of the formats were of stealable size . . .

The following morning we visited the European Parliament; we had already seen the buildings on our sightseeing tour by boat, modern steel and glass ones on either side of the river Ill, not as tall as I had expected, quite nice to behold. The Palais de Europe was the first to be built, it was completed in 1975, council of Europe sessions are held here, the Human Rights Building was inaugurated in 1995, the European Parliament building is the youngest, it´s from 1999.

New York, Geneva and Strasbourg – the only cities in the world that are home to international organisations without being national capitals. The choice of Strasbourg as European capital just after WW2 was not arbitrary but rather intended as a symbol of reconciliation between the peoples of Europe and their future together. The Council of Europe was founded by the treaty of 5th May, 1949, on a proposition by Winston Churchill as early as 1942, today some 45 countries are members of this club of pluralist democracies representing a population of 800 million. The council is primarily concerned with ensuring that human rights are respected, but also deals with social, educational and environmental matters.

We were welcomed by the assistant of the representative of our constituency, one of 732 members elected every five years in the 25 countries forming the European Union. The representatives sit according to the political parties they belong to the conservative parties being in the majority at the moment. Later our representative told us that she sits between a Spaniard and a Pole with whom she has no common language, she implored our pupils to study languages, good woman!

We were allowed to listen in to a discussion on financial matters, all seats had headphones and we could follow the various translations, there were some languages I could not identify, I´ve never heard Hungarian, Lithuanian or Slovenian before to name but a few. Most pupils were thrilled by the atmosphere and the discussion and were reluctant to leave the discussion on the ways money had been spent and also wasted. I know now that the members of the European Parliament care and discuss the matter heatedly and I´ve understood that working in and for a united Europe is very, very difficult, but there´s no alternative and if money is wasted, so be it, a war costs more.

Close

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…Read More

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.

When travelling in Europe, everyone expects to see old architecture, whether it is Roman ruins, or as 'modern' as the 1800s. In fact, that is one of the joys of travelling. However, there is modern architecture which stands out and is worth mentioning.…Read More

When travelling in Europe, everyone expects to see old architecture, whether it is Roman ruins, or as 'modern' as the 1800s. In fact, that is one of the joys of travelling.

However, there is modern architecture which stands out and is worth mentioning. Notre-Dame du Haut is one of those. It is located in Ronchamp, about a hundred or so kilometres south of Strasbourg, though closer to Mulhouse, which is to the east. Notre Dame is unlike any church ever built, anywhere, and I am not exaggerating! It is in the shape of an ark, yes, like Noah's, though singularly more distinctive and stylistic. Mainly white concrete, with stained glass, its roof line sweeps up in a highly artistic fashion. Built in the early 1950s, it was designed by the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier and contains art of both Chagall and Matisse. The windows are deeply indented on what is certainly not a symmetrical church. Though it looks fairly large, it is relatively small inside.

To further enhance the atmosphere is its location - it is situated upon a peak which provides a superb panorama. Church bells set to the side of the church, and a monument to war veterans further add to the site. In one source, the church is described as 'the most atmospheric and interesting of all post-World War II churches.' I certainly concur. I was close to the church the first time I was in the area, and I didn't visit. I kicked myself daily until I had the chance to return. If you are interested in architecture, don't miss it. It might not be your cup of tea, but it certainly is worth seeing!

Strasbourg is a great walking city, with many pedestrian zones. The reddish Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral stands out, as do cathedrals in so many French cities and villages. The astronomical clock inside is intriguing. Around the cathedral are half-timbered buildings, and myriad restaurants.…Read More

Strasbourg is a great walking city, with many pedestrian zones. The reddish Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral stands out, as do cathedrals in so many French cities and villages. The astronomical clock inside is intriguing. Around the cathedral are half-timbered buildings, and myriad restaurants.

The sizeable square is a favourite place for street performers of all sorts, and some mimes are likely, in true French fashion.

A little further afield is the Orangerie, a pleasant park with lovely flowers and a small zoo. If you have never seen a stork, here is your chance, as there are several (not only here, but elsewhere in Alsace too).

Strasbourg is an important city as it is home to the European Parliament. Tours are possible.

But back to the city center and one of the nicest areas of Strasbourg, the area known as La Petite France. Situated near canals, locks and the River Ill, this area is full of fascinating architecture, narrow streets, and restaurants and homes, lovingly decorated with flowers,and overlooking the water. 14th-century towers further add to the history. A canal cruise makes for a pleasant and relaxing ride, with a different perspective of La Petite France and other parts of Strasbourg.

If you want to go further, the Rhine River is the border between France and Germany. It is a major waterway for both the workaday world and cruises. Regardless of your choices, put on some good walking shoes and enjoy the city on foot!

From Strasbourg, just about everyone heads south to the many charming villages on the 'Route du Vin.' Whether you plan to drink in the scenery or the wind, there are many choices. There are wonderful wines produced in the area, and much…Read More

From Strasbourg, just about everyone heads south to the many charming villages on the 'Route du Vin.' Whether you plan to drink in the scenery or the wind, there are many choices. There are wonderful wines produced in the area, and much choice.

As for villages, Ribeauville, Kayserburg, Obernai, Eguisheim, Colmar, and Riquewihr are only a few which merit a visit, though the latter tends to be the one most often mentioned and visited as the archetypical village of Alsace. The area has been in disupte between France and Germany throughout history, and as such retains considerable German influence.

Haut-Koenigsbourg castle is also nearby and situated at some 2500ft. Though heavily restored in the early 1900s, it dates back to the 1500s and is exquisite in every detail. From here you can also get a good view of the endless fields of grapes and wine-to-be. Mount St. Odile also offers a pleasant refuge and views from on high.

The Route du Vin is an easy day trip from Strasbourg, though you might wish to spend a few days taking in the many possible sights. Whether you opt to stay in Strasbourg or any of the other towns in the region, they would all serve equally well as a home base. They are connected by good quality country roads which give you pleasant views of the vineyards and other fields. You might even get a glimpse of storks nesting in the area, as they are a common sight.

So, hop in a car, with at least one person who won't be drinking, and check out the "wine route" of Alsace for an experience of wine, history, nature and architecture.

If you are a cheese fanatic, this is one of the many fine cheese shops Strasbourg has to offer. This one is a little outside the island portion of Strasbourg on 20 rue d'Austerlitz. The phone number is 0388 363415. While picking up a lovely…Read More

If you are a cheese fanatic, this is one of the many fine cheese shops Strasbourg has to offer. This one is a little outside the island portion of Strasbourg on 20 rue d'Austerlitz. The phone number is 0388 363415.

While picking up a lovely artisanal goat cheese rolled in ashes or a ripe Emmenthal, be sure to stop at the Vin and Biere shop across the way. I am sad to say that I did not jot down their address, as we found the owner to be friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about his products.

If you happen to be in Strasbourg around Christmas, check out Hollbeer's Biere de Noel. Made with two malts, unfiltered and in small batches, this 7% alcohol microbrew has an unforgettable spicy aroma and remarkable flavour.