Tourist Attractions of Strasbourg

Sightseeing Overview

The key attraction of Strasbourg has to be its pink limestone Gothic Cathedral, on place de la Cathedrale. 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 crisscrossed by canals. This is the stuff of fairy tales, so it is hardly surprising that Alsace has given rise to a rich folklore tradition (see Literary Notes). 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 for visitors 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 Republique. The city’s university is nearby, across the Ill and Aar rivers. Visitors should pay a visit, if only to see the remarkable zoological and scientific collections at the Musee Zoologique, located in the heart of the campus. S

trasbourg’s museums form a close and co-ordinated network and are free on the first Sunday of every month. Information is provided online and via a central information telephone line .

Other tourist offices are located at Galerie a l’en-Verre, place de la Gare and on avenue du Pont de l’Europe (route du Rhin).

Passes

The Strasbourg-Pass is available for purchase at the Central Tourist Office and in hotels for €9.90. Valid for three days, the pass includes five free offers (to one of the eight museums, ascent to the Cathedral platform, the Astronomical Clock, a boat tour through the Old Town and use of a bicycle for one day) and five half-price offers.

Also available is the Passe des Musees de Strasbourg , which allows free access to all of Strasbourg’s museums and exhibitions. The pass is available for purchased at Strasbourg’s museums for €25 and is valid for one month on any four days. Serious culture vultures planning a year’s stay in Alsace may be tempted by the annual pass, valid for one year, which offers access to 120 museums in Alsace, Switzerland and Germany, also available for purchase at participating museums. This costs €53 for one adult or €92 for two adults.

Key Attractions:

Cathedrale Notre-Dame (Notre Dame Cathedral)

The Cathedral shares Strasbourg’s history of piggy-in-the-middle, falling under Protestant control after the Reformation and returning to the Catholic Church when Louis XIV took control of the city in 1681. Although shrouded in cobwebs of scaffolding, this huge building still stands proud, its steeple (completed in 1439) reaching 142m (466ft).

The interior is rather plain but highlights include the intricate façade with its three portals dedicated to the life of Christ and Last Judgement, the Eglise and Synagogue statues (the originals are located at the Musee de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame) and the colorful rose window over the west portal. The Horloge Astronomique (Astronomical Clock) strikes at 1230, as a cock flaps its wings and the stages of life (represented by child, boy, adult and old man) march to meet death. The climb to the top platform, from which there is an outstanding view over the city, involves ascending (and descending) 332 steps; this should only be contemplated by fit and healthy visitors.

Musee de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame Museum)

The original pair of statues (circa 1230) of Eglise (a symbol of the victorious Church) and the blindfolded, defeated Synagogue (representing Judaism), is the main treasure of this museum. Other highlights include the Tete 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 Sebastien Stoskopff. This rich collection of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance sculpture, furniture and tapestries extends over three floors of 14th- and 16th-century buildings.

Palais Rohan (Rohan Palace)

This ‘mini-Versailles’ was built between 1732 and 1742, as a residence for the city’s French princely bishops, including Cardinal Louis de Rohan. The château houses three museums and a gallery. The basement is devoted to the Musee Archeologique and covers the period from the Palaeolithic Age to AD800. The Musee des Arts Decoratifs, located on the ground floor, comprises the luxurious apartments of the cardinals of Rohan (used as guesthouses by Louis XV and Marie-Antoinette) and a collection of Strasbourgeois clocks and china. The Musee des Beaux Arts, located on the first floor, displays European paintings from the Middle Ages to 1870.

Musee Alsacien (Alsace Museum)

This intriguing museum of day-to-day life and Alsatian traditions is housed in three 16th and 17th-century buildings. The hotchpotch collection includes kitchen equipment, furniture, toys and a miniature 18th-century toy synagogue.

Musee d’Art Moderne et Contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)
This museum, with its glass façade looking 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, Perez and Manetas are represented. There is also an art library, concert hall and cafe-restaurant.

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 Le Notre, two centuries earlier. The lake allows for boating in summer. The park has a zoo, ‘mini-farm’ and stork enclosure, although visitors should not be surprised to see free-flying white storks nesting on many of the roofs and in the trees.

Parc de Pourtales

In the 19th century, Countess Melanie de Pourtales 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 Foret 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 Melanie Transport: Bus 15 to Melanie. Opening hours: Daily dawn to dusk. Admission: Free.