Strasbourg, France – Little picturesque gem
A nice surprise town between Germany and France!
We took a short trip during the holidays. In Belgium, July 21 is the National day of Belgium and it is celebrated nationally. So we took the advantage of 4 days holidays. Covid-19 pandemic is not still over but European countries are slowly opening up.
A few tips during the pandemic – A mask is a must for any closed space. Don’t forget to bring it everywhere!
You still need to wear a mask in any closed space, but that is much better than the lock-down. For examples, in Germany, when you are inside the restaurant to go to the bathroom, you much wear a mask. Everywhere when you walk outside, you can see people carry a mask around.. It feels that the mask may be one of the staples for our daily lives due to the pandemic.
Check whether reservations may be required for museum or exhibits
During the pandemic, it is highly recommended to make a reservation for museum visits to control the number of people. It is not enforced by all of them, but many of them require the reservation in advance. Please make sure to check.
Okay. Now my favorite things to do in Strasbourg, France when you have more than 1 day!
Strasbourg is truly a nice surprise to us. It is located at the border between France and Germany. Strasbourg is situated at the eastern border of France with Germany.
From the wiki, ” The historic core of Strasbourg, however, lies on the Grande Île in the river Ill, which here flows parallel to, and roughly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from, the Rhine. The natural courses of the two rivers eventually join some distance downstream of Strasbourg, although several artificial waterways now connect them within the city”.
1. Walk everywhere and along the river Ill
There are many pedestrian pathways along the river. Of course, there are quite a few options for boat tours. The boat tour takes about 1 hour and it is informative. But I think the best way to explore around the river is to walk around. The paths are breath-taking and they look unique in the morning, afternoon and the sunset. There are multiple paths you can take so you would never get bored! I can definitely say this is my favorite thing to do during this trip.
2. Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg – Breath-taking Gothic Church with pink sandstones
If you are in Strasbourg, you can NOT miss the Cathedrale. What a grand buidling and what a history in this! This is right in the middle of the city center and definitely the tourist attraction. What I found amazing is whenever you pass this building no matter how many times a day, I am truly dazzled by the pure size and astonishing arts all over the building. Not a single stone was missed for great art decorations. You can go inside the Cathedral from 10a.m. When we were there around 10:00 on Monday, there were not a lot of people (partially due to COVID-19), but we saw at the later time, there were a line of people waiting to enter. Inside it is truly amazing as well with the decorated glasses and
3. Petite France
La Petite France (also known as the Quartier des Tanneurs; German: Gerberviertel; “Tanner’s Quarter”) is a historic quarter of the city of Strasbourg in eastern France. It is located at the western end of the Grande Île, which contains the historical centre of the city. At Petite France, the River Ill splits up into a number of channels that cascade through an area that was, in the Middle Ages, home to the city’s tanners, millers and fishermen, and is now one of Strasbourg’s main tourist attractions. Petite France forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Grande Île, designated in 1988.
From Wiki
Have a drink in front of Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg
One picture speaks louder than many words! The view is amazing and the mojito was great too!
Try Flammekuechen
This is a special cuisine of Alsace. Funny enough that I tried this dish when I was in Korea during my expat time in Jeongja. I couldn’t not remember the taste and to be honest I couldn’t know what the original taste is any way.. This time, I tried the real one. Very thin pizza without cheese.. Topped with ham and cream or something else with the cream.. Very big, but baked in a specialized oven, very very thin.. Not too heavy like pizza, but light and tasty. Must try when you visit here!
Alsace is the region where Albert Schweitzer came from
I am not sure whether you heard about Albert Schweitzer. He was my hero when I was young. His humanitarian efforts in Africa was THE reason why I wanted to be a doctor. ( By the way, I am not a medical doctor .. Long story, but maybe I can write about this later).. I read his biography when I was around 8 years old, and so touched by his generosity and dedication to save many lives. I did not know where he came from exactly, but when I heard during the boat tour, I was so surprised that he was from this region.
We really enjoyed Strasbourg. Very walkable and nice town to go around. People are nice and friendly. Starting awake after COVID-19 as all other cities are doing.. I truly recommend to visit this hidden gem if you are around this area!