Showing 1-15 of 15 results
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Cathédrale Notre Dame
Strasbourg's lacy, almost fragile-looking Gothic Cathédrale Notre Dame is one of the marvels of European architecture. The west façade, most impressive if approached from rue Mercière, was completed in 1284, but the 142m spire - the tallest of its time - was not in place until 1439; its southern companion was never built. The cathedral served as a Protestant church from 1521 to 1681.
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Cathédrale Notre Dame Platform
The Cathédrale Notre Dame platform , 66m high above the façade - from which the tower and its Gothic openwork spire soar another 76m - affords a spectacular stork's-eye view of Strasbourg. The 330 spiral steps begin at the base of the tower that was never built.
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European Parliament
The home of the relatively toothless 732-member European Parliament , used just 12 times a year for four-day 'part-sessions' (plenary sessions), is 2.5km northeast of the cathedral. When it's in session (dates are available from the tourist office or on the website - click 'Activities' and then 'Parliament's Calendar'), you can sit in on debates for up to one hour; it's first-come first-served (bring ID) and no reservations are possible.
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Grande Île
With its bustling public squares, busy pedestrianised precincts and upmarket shopping streets, the Grande Île , declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, is a paradise for the aimless ambler. The narrow streets of the old city are especially enchanting at night, particularly right around the cathedral (eg rue du Sanglier).
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Jardin des Deux Rives
As a concrete (but very green) expression of Franco-German friendship, Strasbourg and its German neighbour Kehl have turned areas once used by customs posts and military installations into the 60-hectare Jardin des Deux Rives , whose play areas, promenades and parkland stretch along both banks of the Rhine just south of Pont de l'Europe.
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Le Vaisseau
Le Vaisseau , 2.5km southeast of the Cathédrale Notre Dame, is an interactive, hands-on science and technology museum aimed at kids aged three to 15. Everything is trilingual (English, French and German). From the Esplanade tram stop, the museum is one stop away on bus 7.
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Musée Alsacien
Housed in three typical houses from the 1500s and 1600s, the Musée Alsacien , affords a fascinating glimpse of Alsatian life over the centuries. Displays in the museum's two dozen rooms include kitchen equipment (stoves, ceramics, biscuit cutters), children's toys, colourful furniture and even a tiny 18th-century synagogue.
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Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain
The outstanding Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain displays a permanent collection of 'modern' (pre-WWII) art representing all the major movements (including impressionism, symbolism, Fauvism, cubism, Dadaism and surrealism) and hosts temporary exhibits of contemporary works.
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Musée de l'Œuvre Notre Dame
Occupying a group of magnificent 14th- and 16th-century buildings, the renowned Musée de l'Œuvre Notre Dame houses one of Europe's premier collections of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance sculptures (including many originals from the cathedral), 15th-century paintings and stained glass. Christ de Wissembourg (c 1060; Room Two) is the oldest work of stained glass in France. The celebrated figures of a blindfolded and downcast Synagogue (representing Judaism) and a serenely victorious Église (the Church), which date from approximately 1230 and once flanked the southern entrance to the cathedral (the statues there now are copies), are in Room Seven.
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Palais de l'Europe
Across the River Ill, the Council of Europe's Palais de l'Europe , once used by the European Parliament, can be visited on free one-hour weekday tours; ring ahead for times and reservations. During the four annual week-long sessions of the council's 46-country assemblée parlementaire (parliamentary assembly) you can sit in on debates (no reservations required). To get there by bus, take No 6, 30 or 72.
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Palais des Droits de l'Homme
Just across Canal de la Marne, the striking Palais des Droits de l'Homme , home of the European Court of Human Rights, completes the city's ensemble of major European institutions (the others are the European Parliament and the Palais de l'Europe). Sitting in on one of the two to five monthly court sessions, which generally begin at or Tuesday to Thursday and last about 90 minutes, is possible if there's space - check the website under 'pending cases' for dates and get there with ID a half-hour ahead (reservations are possible only for groups). The palais (court) is served by bus Nos 6, 30 and 72.
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Palais Rohan
The majestic Palais Rohan was built between 1732 and 1742 as a residence for the city's princely bishops. In the basement, the Musée Archéologique (audioguide included in ticket price) takes you from the Palaeolithic period to AD 800. On the ground floor is the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which has a series of lavish rooms featuring the lifestyle of the rich and powerful during the 18th century.
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Parc de l'Orangerie
Across av de l'Europe from Palais de l'Europe, the flowerbeds, playgrounds, shaded paths and swan-dotted lake of Parc de l'Orangerie are hugely popular with local families, especially on sunny Sundays. In the warm months you can rent rowboats on Lac de l'Orangerie. To get there by bus, take No 6, 30 or 72.
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Petite France
Crisscrossed by narrow lanes, canals and locks, Grande Île's Petite France is the stuff of fairy tales. The half-timbered houses, meticulously maintained and sprouting veritable thickets of geraniums, and the riverside parks attract multitudes of tourists. However, the area still manages to retain its Alsatian atmosphere and charm, especially in the early morning and late evening.
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Place de la République
Many of Strasbourg's most impressive (and German-built) public buildings are just northeast of the Grande Île around place de la République . The neighbourhood that stretches from there eastwards to Parc de l'Orangerie is dominated by solid, stone buildings inspired by late-19th-century Prussian tastes.
Showing 1-15 of 15 results
