One of Europe’s capitals is not the capital of a country. It is one of the capitals of a union that is not a country: the European Union. Strasbourg, currently sitting in France, is one of those capitals, along with Brussels. It sits sort of in the middle of France’s border with Germany, who formally owned the land where Strasbourg. Strasbourg is a stone’s throw away the border, so to speak. It has been a complicated life for Alsace and its main city, Strasbourg…
A Christmas market cruise tour decision
When I first looked at my Rhine Christmas market cruise’s itinerary, I was excited to see so many neat places on the list (check this post for tips and places to experience on this cruise). Strasbourg, in particular, was an appealing stop in the cruise. It may bewilder some who know me but I opted for a walking city tour instead of –gasp– a wine tasting session of the region’s famous wines. I cringed at having to choose but I definitely wanted to explore the city; I could always buy Alsatian wines and taste at home, no??
Entering the town
We approached the city’s heart via the Ponts Couverts bridge which offers views of beautiful buildings of traditional architecture of the region.
Most charming was the structure on the tiny island on the Quai du Woerthel with the tiniest of walkways to it from the bridge.
Lunch in Strasbourg
I chose well. We started with the small-group guided walking tour but we broke away from it at some point to have meal in a local restaurant that had been recommended (“Le Tire-bouchon” – or corkscrew). A small, tightly-packed placed that , yet, had a spot for our even-smaller group.
The dessert was my favorite dessert ever: chocolate mousse. And I knew ahead of time, I was not sharing with the table… (OK, my Mom got a spoonful, after all, she brought me to this world!) It was SPECTACULAR!
After lunch, my Mom and I broke off (yet again) from the smaller group and meandered on our own.
Christmas decorations in Strasbourg’s streets
Words can’t describe how beautiful and festive the side streets were. It was all as if out of a dream, beyond what Disney could achieve in any of its parks! The charming and beautiful buildings were purely out of a story book.
Calling what we looking at “architecture” sounds pretentious. But it is also over-simplifying what we were looking at. The storefronts and buildings aim to out-decorate each other and they manage to do so without looking gaudy – French style reigning supreme!
Strasbourg’s Notre Dame Cathedral
We walked into Strasbourg’s magnificent, medieval, one-towered, rose Cathedral of Notre-Dame to check it out. It seems to have taken 250 years to get built, finishing in the first half of the 15th century. Before America was discovered…
Its interior is something to explore for sure – worth the line!
Its astronomical clock is supposed to be worth seeing in action – something we missed.
As the day progresses, light hits the Cathedral’s pink sandstone exterior differently and it feels like its façade changes color.
Of course, the exterior around Christmas time is also wrapped by the many Christmas market stands that make the city both a beautiful and festive place to visit at this special time of the year!
Joyeux Noël!!
