Sightseeing OverviewThe key attraction of Strasbourg is its pink sandstone gothic
cathedral, on place de la Cathédrale. Most of the
museums are clustered around this focal point and many are housed in the 18th-century
Palais Rohan. This area is easily reached by foot or by tram to the Grand'Rue or Homme de Fer.
The
Petite France district (former home of the city's millers, tanners and fishermen) should not be missed. It has Hansel and Gretel-style half-timbered houses, flourishing geraniums and narrow streets criss-crossed by canals. This is
the stuff of fairy tales, so it is hardly surprising that Alsace has given rise to a rich folklore tradition.
The canals lead to the
Ponts Couverts, constructed as part of the 14th-century fortifications - the watchtowers still stand. The
Barrage Vauban (Vauban's Dam), designed to protect Strasbourg from river-bound attack, is nearby.
Other districts to explore include the imposing
European Institutions in northeast Strasbourg, with Richard Rogers' visually striking
European Court of Human Rights
and the grandiose German Quarter, constructed during the Prussian occupation of 1870, dominating place de la République. The city's university is nearby, across the Ill and Aar rivers. It is worth seeing the remarkable zoological and scientific collections at the Musée Zoologique, located in the heart of the campus.
Tourist InformationOffice du Tourisme (Tourist Office) 17 place de la Cathédrale
Tel: 03885 22828.
Website: www.otstrasbourg.fr
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900.
There is also a tourist information desk at the railway station.
PassesYou can buy the
Strasbourg-Pass at the tourist office and in hotels. Valid for three days, the pass includes five free offers (entry to one of the eight museums, ascent to the Cathedral platform, entry to the Astronomical Clock at the Cathedral, a boat tour through the Old Town and use of a bicycle for one day), and five half-price offers.
Also available is the
Le Passe des Musées du Rhin Supérieur (tel: 03893 39629; website:
www.museumspass.com - French and German only), which allows free access to 180 museums in the Rhin Supérieur, including Strasbourg. You can buy the pass online or at any participating museum and gives access to all the museums for any four days within a month.
Strasbourg's museums form a close and co-ordinated network and are free on the first Sunday of every month.
Further information (website:
www.musees-strasbourg.org; tel: 03885 25000).
Key Attractions:Cathédrale Notre-Dame (Notre Dame Cathedral) The world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874, and still the fourth tallest church today, this richly decorated gothic masterpiece of pink-tinted Vosges sandstone stands proud with its steeple reaching 142m (466ft). Highlights include the intricate west facade with its three portals; the Eglise
and Synagogue statues (the originals are located at the Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame); and the remarkable Renaissance Horloge Astronomique (Astronomical Clock), one of the world's largest clocks, which chimes at 1230 daily, as the Apostles parade before Jesus. The climb to the top platform, from which there is an outstanding view over the city, takes 330 arduous steps.
12 place de la Cathédrale
Tel: 03883 27578.
Website:
www.cathedrale-strasbourg.frFree admission (except roof platform).
Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame Museum) The original pair of statues of Eglise
(a symbol of the victorious Church) and the blindfolded, defeated Synagogue
(representing Judaism), are the main treasures of this museum. Other highlights include the Tête du Christ (Head of Christ), part of a stained-glass window from the mid-11th century, the sculptures of Nicolas Gerhaert de Leyde and the still-life paintings by Sébastien Stoskopff. This rich collection of Romanesque, gothic and Renaissance sculptures, furniture and tapestries extends over three floors of 14th- and 16th-century buildings.
3 place du Château
Tel: 03885 25000.
Website:
www.oeuvre-notre-dame.org Admission charge.
Palais Rohan (Rohan Palace) This 18th-century baroque ‘mini-Versailles' was built as a residence for the city's French bishops, four of whom where members of the Rohan family. The château houses three important museums and a gallery. The basement is devoted to the Musée Archéologique and covers the period from the Palaeolithic Age to AD800. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, located on the ground floor, comprises the luxurious apartments of the clergy of Rohan (used as guesthouses by Louis XV and Marie-Antoinette), and a collection of Strasbourgeois clocks and china. The Musée des Beaux Arts, on the first floor, displays European paintings from the Middle Ages to 1870.
2 place du Château
Tel: Archaeological Museum - 03885 25000; Decorative Arts - 03885 25008; Fine Arts - 03888 85068
Website:
www.musees-strasbourg.orgAdmission charge.
Musée Alsacien (Alsace Museum) This intriguing museum of Alsatian history is housed in three 16th- and 17th-century buildings. The very varied collection includes kitchen equipment, furniture, toys and fascinating Jewish and Christian worship items.
23-25 quai Saint Nicolas
Tel: 03885 25001.
Website:
www.musee-strasbourg.org Admission charge.
Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) This museum, with its glass facade looking out onto the quayside, is an ultra-modern addition to Strasbourg's buildings. The impressive permanent collection of paintings from the 1860s to the 1950s includes work by Monet, Signac, Arp, Picasso, Magritte and Klimt. From the 1950s to the present day, Brecht, Filliou, Pérez and Manetas are represented. There is also an art library, concert hall and restaurant.
1 place Hans-Jean Arp
Tel: 03882 33131.
Website:
www.musees-strasbourg.orgAdmission charge.
Further Distractions:Parc de l'Orangerie Situated just opposite the Palais de l'Europe, this is the largest and oldest park in the city. The beautifully proportioned pavilion, with its creamy white walls and central fountain, was constructed in honor of Empress Josephine in 1804. However, the oldest paths were designed by Andre Le Nôtre two centuries earlier. The park has boating on the lake in summer, as well as a zoo, a mini-farm and a stork enclosure.
Avenue de l'Europe
Free admission.
Parc de Pourtalès In the 19th century, Countess Mélanie de Pourtalès would receive high society in the beautiful château situated at the heart of this 24-hectare (59-acre) park. Contemporary sculptures are scattered throughout the gardens. Some, such as Claudio Parmiggiani's
La Forêt Regarde et Ecoute (
The Forest Watches and Listens), which consists of bronze ears grafted on to tree trunks, are so well blended in with the landscape that some locals still have not spotted them.
Rue Mélanie
Free admission.
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