Famous residents of Strasbourg

Johann Gutenberg (1400-1468), inventor of printing with movable type
Erasmus (1467-1536), humanist
Hans Baldung (1484-1545), painter
Martin Bucer (1491-1551), Reformation leader
Johannes Sturm (1507-1589), teacher and pedagogue
John Calvin (1509-1564), Reformation leader
François-Marie de Broglie (1671-1745), marshall and governor of Strasbourg
Franz Xaver Richter (1709-1789), composer, eminent member of the “Mannheim school”.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), writer, researcher
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), composer - spent 23 days there in 1778.
Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760-1836), composer of the Marseillaise
Georg Buchner (1813-1837), writer
Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges (1830-1889), historian
Louis Pasteur (1830-1895), scientist
Lujo Brentano (1844-1931), economist
Georg Simmel (1858-1918), sociologist
Hans Pfitzner, (1869-1949) composer
Jean Jacques Waltz aka. Hansi (1873-1951), artist
Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), theologian, philosopher, physician and musician
Maurice Halbwachs, (1877-1945) sociologist
Otto Klemperer, (1885-1973) conductor
Marc Bloch (1886-1944), historian and resistant
Hans Rosbaud (1895-1962), conductor
Emmanuel Levinas (1905-1995) philosopher
Lucie Aubrac (born 1912) and Raymond Aubrac (born 1914), founding members of the Resistance.
Ernest Bour (1913-2001), conductor
Jean-Marie Lehn (born 1939), Nobel Prize for chemistry 1987
Bernard-Marie Koltes (1948-1989), playwright
Barbara Honigmann (born 1949), german writer and painter
Segolene Royal (born 1953), leading member of the Parti Socialiste.
Rodolphe Burger (born 1957), musician
Mireille Delunsch (born 1962), soprano

Language of Strasbourg

Alsatians speak French and many speak German as well. Some speak English or Elsassisch (Alsatian) - a High German dialect, which exists only as an oral language. Versions vary from town to town and Strasbourg has its own dialect. In spite of frequent attempts to restrict or ban the language, Alsatian is still spoken, particularly by the older generation.

Owing to space restrictions in this guide, however, only the French names and phrases are given. There is an increasing interest to reassert Alsatian, demonstrated by the decision in 1995 to place bilingual (French/Alsatian) street names in key points of the town. Hence, place de la Cathedrale is also known as ‘Muenschterplatz’ and rue de la Douane as ‘Kaufhusgass’. Owing to space limitations in this guide, however, addresses are given in French only.

Food and Dining in Strasbourg

There is no shortage of good restaurants in Strasbourg, from Asian and Eastern cuisine (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Pakistani and Indian) to traditional Alsatian, from haute cuisine to burgers and pizzas. The selected 25 restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Most restaurants in Strasbourg include tax and a 15% service charge within their prices. If service is good, guests will often leave an extra €2-3 tip or the small change
from their bill, if they pay in cash. If service charge is not included, it is customary for guests to leave a 15% tip. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including tax and service charge unless otherwise indicated. Opening times are fairly standard - 1200-1400 for lunch and 1900-2230 for dinner.

Gourmet

Au Crocodile

Chef Emile Jung combines his love of haute cuisine and regional cooking at his top Strasbourg restaurant, blessed with two Michelin stars. Born in Masevaux, in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, Jung built his experience in the culinary capital of Lyons (where he was inspired by the great Paul Bocuse) and at renowned Parisian restaurants, Fouquet’s, Ledoyen and Maxim’s. Each year, Monsieur Jung and his team create recipes based on themes - for example, the 2003 theme pays homage to five great French authors (Proust, Malraux, Beauvoir, Gary and Duras) by revisiting the culinary traditions of the places in which the novels were set. House specialties include truffle surprise and duck liver in Baeckeoffe (a traditional Alsatian dish of meat, vegetables and potatoes cooked in white wine and herb sauce). Guests should expect a long and well-chosen wine list, attentive service and a relaxed atmosphere in which the cuisine and customer satisfaction hold the highest priorities. Located near the Cathedral and place Kleber, Au Crocodile is decorated in a classical style with ochre tones and artifacts that reflect the current ‘theme’. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Buerehiesel

With three Michelin stars to his name, Antoine Westermann serves refined and regional cuisine at Buerehiesel, a 17th-century country house that was originally located in Molsheim, then uprooted and reinstated in its present location at the heart of the Parc de l’Orangerie, for the 1895 Industrial Exhibition. The chance to dine in a timber-beamed room overlooking the lush greenery of the park, on dishes such as les schniederspaetle et les cuisses de grenouilles poelees (ravioli with onions and chervil served with frogs’ legs) and la poularde de Bresse en Baeckeoffe aux truffes fraîches (chicken and vegetable casserole with rosemary and fresh truffles), is an expensive but memorable experience. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Julien

Julien, located in an elegant 1900s building with Belle Epoque decor, overlooks the Ill River. Eric Lestuzzi’s cuisine and the attentive service assured by owners Françoise and Jean-Paul Schaller has won the restaurant its Michelin star. Popular for working lunches with European Parliamentary members, this gastronomic restaurant is renowned for its scallops and oysters, roast lamb, duck foie gras and bitter chocolate ice cream. Closed Sunday and Monday.

La Vieille Enseigne

Jean-Christophe Langs serves regional cuisine in this cosy but classic restaurant, located in the heart of Strasbourg. His excellent cooking has won a star in the Michelin guide. Specialties include pike-perch braised in Gewurztraminer (regional wine), pigeon, and braised veal. Closed Saturday lunchtime and Sunday.

Restaurant Zimmer Sengel

Georges and Daniele Sengel serve traditional Alsatian cuisine mixed with the flavors of Southeast Asia at the picturesque Zimmer, situated in a building close to place Broglie and place Kleber, which has served as a restaurant since 1312. In summer, the terrace (on the corner of rue du Temple Neuf and rue du Sanglier) is perfect for alfresco dining, while private rooms are available for banquets, business lunches and parties all year round. Specialties include crab ravioli and lobster medallions. Closed Sunday and Monday.

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Shopping in Strasbourg

The Place des Halles, 24 place des Halles, is the main commercial center (open Mon-Fri 0900-2000 and Sat 0900-1900), with approximately 120 shops, as well as 10 restaurants and bars. The two main department stores, open daily 1000-1900, are both situated near place Kleber - Galeries Lafayettes, rue du 22 Novembre, and Printemps, 1-5 rue de la Haute Montee. FNAC, place Kleber, is also worth a visit for all things electronic and electrical.

Designer shops can be found along rue des Orfevres (Chanel and Yves Saint-Laurent) and rue de la Mesange (Cartier, Gucci and Hermes), with chic outlets along rue des Hallebardes and the up-and-coming rue du Vieux-Marche-aux-Poissons (Kenzo, Cerruti and Georges Rech), fast becoming lined with designer names. On the other end of the fashion scale, visitors can buy second-hand clothes, priced according to their weight, from Kilo Shop, 6 rue de la Lanterne, while traditional Alsatian costumes are for sale or hire at Maison du Costume Alsacien, 11b quai de Turckheim.

For year-round Christmas fans, Un Noel en Alsace, 10 rue des Dentelles, sells Christmas decorations whatever the season. Hat lovers should head for designer milliner La Chapellerie, 24 place de la Cathedrale. At 3 rue de Pâques, not far from Place des Halles, is The Bookworm, a bookshop selling English and American books, including Window to Strasbourg: A Guide to Living in France, which is written by enthusiastic amateurs and provides an excellent insight into the minutiae of life in Alsace.

Speciality shops are located all over the city but most close between 1200 and 1400 and on Sunday and Monday mornings. Alsatian specialties at the Edouard Artzner Shop, 7 rue de la Mesange, include Strasbourg goose and duck foie gras and Alsatian wines. Rene Tourette’s cheese shop, La Cloche a Fromage, 27 rue des Tonneliers, is well worth a visit. (more…)

Activities in Strasbourg

Fabienne Keller, Strasbourg’s new mayor, is dedicated to allocating a large portion of the city’s budget to culture. Music is its forte but Strasbourg does well across the cultural spread, with several events open to the public every day of the year.

The concert and opera seasons run from October until May. The largest concerts are shown at the Palais de la Musique et des Congres, place de Bordeaux . Recitals and chamber music can be heard inside churches and smaller concert halls. Every year, for a weekend in September during journee du patrimoine, Strasbourg’s cultural institutions allow free entry to the public. Since September 2002, two key cultural venues, TAPS Scala, 96 route du Polygone , and TAPS Laiterie, 13 rue du Hohwald, have been working together to present a long season (Sep-Jun) of theater, music and dance.

Cultural activities are listed in the Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alsace and Hebdoscope. More information about cultural events is found in Autour de… the French-only journal of the Opera National du Rhin, available from the Office du Tourisme .

Music: The Opera National du Rhin, Theâtre Municipal, 19 place Broglie , has earned Strasbourg a worldwide reputation for classical, lyrical and contemporary music. Other prestigious organizations include the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg , conducted by world-renowned Jan Latham-Koenig, which performs at the Palais de la Musique et des Congres, place de Bordeaux the Percussions de Strasbourg, 15 place Andre-Maurois , and the Conservatoire National de Region de Strasbourg (CNR), 10 rue du Hohwald .

Theater: Organizations that attract international companies, actors and directors include the Theâtre National de Strasbourg (TNS), 1 avenue de la Marseillaise , the Theâtre Jeune Public, 7 rue des Balayeurs , and Le Maillon, 13 place Andre Maurois . The Theâtre Alsacien de Strasbourg, located at the Theâtre Municipal, 19 place Broglie , and La Choucrouterie, 20 rue St-Louis , presents traditional shows and political satires in French and Alsatian. Le Kafteur, 3 rue Thiergarten, is a cafe-theâtre that presents humorous sketches.

Dance: The Opera du Rhin Ballet performs at the Palais de la Musique et des Congres, place de Bordeaux and the Theâtre Municipal, 19 place Broglie . Contemporary dance and jazz take place at Pole Sud, 1 rue de Bourgogne.

Film: The recently opened multiplex UGC Cine Cite, 25 route du Rhin, Neudorf, east Strasbourg , boasts 23 screens and seats 5,400 people, making it the largest cinema in Europe. Its sibling, the UGC Capitole, 3-5 rue du 22 Novembre, offers all the latest national and international films. The centrally located Pathe Vox, 17 rue des Francs Bourgeois , offers reduced rates for the 1100 showing. Star Saint Exupery, 18 rue du 22 Novembre has the winning formula of film plus meal. Arthouse cinemas, Cinema Star, 27 rue Jeu des Enfants, and Odyssee, 3 rue des Francs-Bourgeois , show films in the original language.

Cultural Events: The major annual events in Strasbourg are the International Music Festival in June, with classical concerts held throughout the city, and Strasbourg’s summer season of poetry, Les Mardis de la Poesie, every Tuesday in July and August, as well as choral concerts on Wednesday (Les Mercredis de la Voix), and concerts on Thursday (Les Jeudis de la Petite Scene Musicale). Musica, the festival of contemporary music, held at the Palais de la Musique et des Congres, in September, and the jazz extravaganza, Jazz d’Or, in November, are also important annual events on the city’s cultural calendar.
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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).
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