Bienvenue à Strasbourg

This document is in English so that everybody can understand the tips before traveling to this wonderful city located in the East of France (next to the German boarder): Strasbourg.

BIENVENUE A STRASBOURG!

Strasbourg is a very interesting city because it’s a French city which has a Germanic culture. Indeed, the city was German and French several times and we can see that in the architecture of the buildings: you can see typical French buildings and German ones. Moreover, it is an international place, many people from all over the world are in the city to study at the University of Strasbourg or other prestigious schools and work for the European institutions.

 

Public Transport:

You can easily travel in the city by tram. You can also take the bus or rent a Velhop bike.

This link will help you take the public transports in the city.

http://www.cts-strasbourg.eu/fr/

You must buy tickets at the machines located on the platforms. You can pay by cash or credit card.  You must cancel the ticket before entering the tram. You can buy a ticket for the day.

If you want to rent a bike:

http://www.velhop.strasbourg.eu/

You can go everywhere from the train station: to the airport of Strasbourg (called Entzheim) and to all the most important cities in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland…

There are high speed trains (TGV): you can arrive in the city center of Paris in less than 2 hours, then you can even take another train (the Eurostar) to go to London!

The railway company is called SNCF, this is their website.

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/

 

Places to visit in Strasbourg:

In the city centre:

• La petite France: typical historical quarter.
• La Place Kléber: the biggest square in the city.
• La cathédrale = The cathedral: it’s original because it is made of pink stones from the Vosges (chain of mountains nearby).

• The quarter around the cathedral is very beautiful. You can walk in very typical narrow streets.
• La place Gutenberg
• La place Broglie
• La place de la République
•  Le parc de l’Orangerie : beautiful park where you can hang out and relax.
• Le conseil de l’Europe / The Council of Europe: It’s located opposite le Parc de l’Orangerie.
• Le parlement Européen/ The European Parliament: It’s the place where the European MP’s meet for one week a month. They are in Brussels most of the time. It’s possible to visit it but you should reserve your visit early.

You can take the bus or the tram to visit the city but Strasbourg is a small city, therefore you can walk everywhere, if you have a good pair of shoes.

 

Typical food:

La tarte flambée: it’s the same idea as a pizza but with cream, bacon and onions on the crust. It’s excellent! There are several varieties of tarte flambée but this is the traditional one.

La choucroute / Sauerkraut

Le Baeckeoffe

Le Koegelhopf which can be sweet and salty (with onion and bacon)

 

The most interesting museums:

• The Tomi Ungerer Museum: 

Tomi Ungerer is a famous Alsatian artist who’s famous worldwide and it’s rare to visit a museum dedicated to somebody who’s still alive. Worth visiting.

• The Contemporary art museum : Le musée d’art contemporain.
• Le musée de l’œuvre Notre Dame (about the Cathedral)

Of course, there are other things to see, eat and visit in Strasbourg, but this article gives you some ideas of what you should see and do first.