The Top Things to Do and See in Strasbourg

This stunning 15th-century church was built in beautiful rose-coloured sandstone. One of its highlights is the medieval astronomical clock, a tremendous technological invention for the time – stop by at 12.30pm to see its daily performance. The 468-foot spire can be climbed for first-rate views of the city. Visitors during the Christmas holidays will have the pleasure of seeing one of France’s most beautiful winter markets in the square.

Enjoy the tranquility of Strasbourg’s oldest park in the northeast of the city, opposite the European Council building. The manicured park is said to be the site where 140 orange trees were re-planted after being taken from the Chateau de Bouxwiller during the French Revolution. Protected inside greenhouses, only three of these trees remain. However, there is now a zoo, a car track for kids and a lakeside restaurant inside the timber-framed Buerehiesel house.

No trip to Strasbourg can be deemed complete without a stroll around its charming Petite France district. The hanging baskets of blooming flowers and the pastel shades of the half-timber houses add colour to the centuries of history entombed in the architecture. Once homes to fishermen, millers and tanners, these impressively preserved backstreet buildings are now home to restaurants and hotels with canalside views.

Alsace is the small region where Strasbourg is located, situated to the east of France. Historically, it has been an area of conflict and mixture of cultural influences, since it has passed back and forth between the French and German governments. In the Musée Alsacien, you’ll be able to learn about typical living in this part of France alongside its folk art and traditions. Wander through the maze of traditional houses while pondering the 5,000 artefacts on display inside.

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament. This striking building is hugely significant not only to France, but to Europe as a whole. You can go inside and stroll through the interactive museum to learn more about how the European Parliament works. There are 12 yearly parliamentary sessions held here, each of which has an average duration of about four days, so it’s not uncommon to be in Strasbourg during one of these important meetings. You might even catch a glimpse of one in action. Note: it is closed on weekends and public holidays.

Strasbourg’s Botanical Gardens are a mixture of beauty and science, featuring over 6,000 different plants across its Imperial district site. Apart from the outdoor gardens, there is also an arboretum and a greenhouse, plus you can join workshops on arboriculture. Speaking of trees, the gardens are home to an impressive collection including a remarkable great sequoia and pecan tree. Come on Sunday afternoon for a free guided tour.

It doesn’t take long to realise that the best way to explore Strasbourg is on two wheels. Long considered the country’s cycling capital, the city crams in over 600km of cycle paths, with an estimated 16 percent of its workforce using bikes to commute. Thanks to its intuitive Velhop system, you don’t even need to have your own – its “bike when you like” initiative means more than 6,000 bikes are available to pick up throughout the city.

Named after Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the renowned military engineer who designed it, this dam is a remarkable feat of 17th-century engineering. It was built during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and intended to raise the River Ill and flood southern areas of the city in the event of enemy attack. These days, the dam – which sits on 13 limestone arches – is primarily used as a spot for tourists to take the best picture of Strasbourg.

An early morning pick up from Strasbourg’s tourist office is how a typical wine tasting day begins, as you begin the short journey south, stopping at Alsace’s best caveaux. The region’s role in historic duels between France and Germany is reflected in its most famous wines, which are heavily influenced by France’s eastern neighbour. Sup the finest Riesling from a flûte d’Alsace while soaking up views between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine valley.

For a true taste of Alsatian food, drink and culture, make a beeline for one of the city’s many popular wine joints known as winstubs. Originally devised by local winemakers who saw it as a way to squeeze profit from every drop of surplus grog, the tradition has lasted the test of time. Winstubs like Zuem Strissel have retained their homely, community vibe – they’re the best places to try local wine and Alsatian favourites, like choucroute garnie (sauerkraut and sausages) and flammekueche (a bacon and onion flatbread).

First opened in 1998, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art attracts both artists and art lovers from all over the world. Located on the riverbank of the River Ill, right in the heart of Strasbourg’s historical neighborhood, the museum not only consists of exhibition spaces, but also photography rooms, a library, an auditorium and a restaurant. The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art has a very diverse permanent collection with works of art by Gustave Doré, Vassily Kandinsky, Max Ernst and the like. It also hosts art productions on a regular basis.

The Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, housed in a gothic Renaissance building, is home to four important collections of Upper Rhine art dating up to 1681. It is run by the Fondation de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, which dates back to 1281 and is responsible to this day for the maintenance and upkeep of the cathedral.

The Musée Historique de la Ville de Strasbourg, in a 16th-century former slaughterhouse, tells the story of the city from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. Visitors can get a feel for the day-to-day life of ordinary citizens through a collection of costumes, furniture and domestic objects.

The Rohan Palace itself is one of the main landmarks within the city of Strasbourg, protected as a historical monument since 1920. It was build between 1732 and 1741 under the then Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg. The homes and shops located between the cathedral and the banks of the river were razed to build this sprawling palace, designed in the classic style fashionable at the time. Today, Palais Rohan houses three of the museums of the City of Strasbourg: the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Decorative Arts. A must during any visit to Strasbourg.

A little-known treasure of Strasbourg, the gothic Eglise Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune was consecrated in 1053 by the Alsatian Pope Leo IX. It was built on the site of a chapel from the Merovingian dynasty – the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the fifth to the eighth centuries. It’s worth a visit to see the original base of the belltower, some 14th-century frescoes and a peaceful cloister with columns dating back to the 11th century.

Probably the best-known square in downtown Strasbourg, the fully pedestrianised Place Kléber is home to one of the city’s main Christmas markets and the official Christmas tree in winter. The best shopping streets in Strasbourg converge on the square, and it’s a great place to people-watch in the warmer months.

Johannes Gutenberg was born in Germany some time in the 1400s, but it was during his time living and working in Strasbourg that he made strides in the development of printing. There’s a statue of him in the square, opposite the Chamber of Commerce, created by French sculptor David d’Angers in 1840, which depicts Gutenberg proudly holding aloft a page of the Bible.

This huge square, with a park in the middle, sits in the heart of the German quarter, near the National Theatre and the University Library. There’s a poignant memorial in the park featuring a woman with her two sons – one of whom died for France and the other for Germany. It’s a symbol of the divided loyalties of the people of Strasbourg during two world wars.

The Grande Mosquée de Strasbourg, inaugurated in 2012, is the second largest mosque in France with a capacity for 1,500 people. Its main feature is a 20m-high (66ft) metal cupola weighing 116 tonnes.

A symbol of friendship between France and Germany, planted in 2004 on both sides of the River Rhine, the Jardin des Deux Rives spans the border between the two countries. You can walk or cycle across the bridge and go on a very international promenade.

In 1871, when Alsace and Moselle were annexed to the German Empire, Strasbourg became the capital of the new Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen and tripled in size. The Neustadt, or new city, mushroomed, with imposing buildings as a symbol of power, such as the Palais du Rhin, the library, theatre and university, and later included striking examples of art-nouveau architecture.

Christmas is a time when Strasbourg comes into its own, celebrating Alsace traditions with 300 stalls spread out over the city centre. The Christmas market – comprising 13 separate ones all within walking distance of the old town – is the oldest and biggest in Europe, earning Strasbourg the title, the Capital of Christmas.