A quick guide to Strasbourg, France
A while ago, I wrote an article about my experience with living abroad and doing an internship abroad for five months. I got this experience four years ago and during that time, I was living in the region Lorraine of France, what is in the North-East part of the country. A big city close from my hometown back then, is Strasbourg. During my time abroad, I went to this city a couple times. I really loved the city. It has some beautiful districts and friendly people. In this article I will tell you about the places you should absolutely pay a visit to when visiting Strasbourg.
1 La petite France
Definitely my favourite district of Strasbourg is la petite France, located in the historical centre of the city (Grande Île). I just love the typical French houses, the cosy atmosphere and the many canals. It is also a very photogenic district. In the Middle Ages, this district was home to the city’s tanners, millers and fishermen. Furthermore, it is nowadays part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Petite France (Little France) comes from the hospice of the syphilitic, which was built in the fifteenth century in this district, to cure persons with syphilis. Close to La Petite France, you can also find Place Gutenberg, which is a square and also worth the visit.
2 The cathedral Notre Dame 
The cathedral of Strasbourg is also located in the historical centre of the city. It is one of the biggest and most famous cathedrals of France. In 1439, the construction of the cathedral was finished after a construction period of 163 years. It is a very impressive and beautiful cathedral and I can really recommend to visit the inside as well, because it has a beautiful interior. The cathedral is located on a square in the middle of the centre of Strasbourg where a lots of cafes and eateries are. On the same square, you can also find an ‘Office de Tourisme’ (tourist office) where you can ask for information and buy maps of the city.
3 Parc de l’Orangerie
You can find this park a little outside of the city centre of Strasbourg, across the Council of Europe’s Palais de l’Europe. The park is designed in the seventeenth century by le Nôtre of Versailles fame. It is a big and beautiful park which features lots of flowers, a big lake (Lac de l’Orangerie), playgrounds and a mini zoo. It is nice to take a walk through the park, take your children and let them play in the playgrounds or to let them get up close to the animals of the mini zoo. In the summer you can also rent row boats and sail over the lake.
4 Barrage Vauban
This is a dam from the seventeenth century on the River III, built by the famous French Military engineer and architect Marshal Sebastien Vauban. You can find the Barrage Vauban close to the district La Petite France and it has a terrace where you can have a nice view across this district to the cathedral. Since 1971, the Barrage Vauban is a historical monument of France and nowadays you can go there for different kinds of art exhibits.
5 The capital of Christmas
I kind of already told you in my previous article about Strasbourg and the reason why this city is perfect to visit around Christmas. Strasbourg is a very huge happening when it comes to Christmas and the Christmas markets. In the city, there are different parts where you can find stands and buy Christmas stuff or food and hot beverages.
Author: Tamara
This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.
