The capital city of the Alsace region, Strasbourg straddles the French-German border. Although the ownership of Strasbourg has been violently contested over the centuries, today the French and German cultures have harmonized; and the protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim populations live side by side.
Our hotel, Cour de Courbeau, was built in 1532 and is a stop on many commercial tours.
The exterior is representative of its 16th century roots. We opened the leaded windows in our room to view . . .
The courtyard. At night it is full of diners.
The interior was unusually spacious. The hotel left a bottle of Alsatian wine for us, gratuit. Believe it or not, this was not a 5 star hotel.
Wow, we have never seen so much closet space in a hotel.
And the bath was state of the art modern.
Much of the town statuary celebrates famous Germans like Johannes Gutenberg, the man who invented the printing press. In place of scribes laboriously copying books by hand, the press allowed for the quick duplication of books, which facilitated the masses to be educated. One giant leap for humankind.
A plaza is also named after him.
Above is a monument dedicated to the French General Jean Baptiste Kléber, Napoleon’s main man.
We saw hordes of people all over Strasbourg, one of the biggest cities in France. BTW every town we have seen in France has a crowded Irish pub. The Irish sure get around.
Like Amsterdam, Strasbourg is a bike city. Above is a bike garage to park your bike.
A bike hotel
Because of the traffic and crowds of people, locals prefer to travel en velo (on bike) or . . .
. . . en moto (on motorbike). “Get your “motos” running . . .”
More Alsatian kitsch
What a great idea, to buy a mini tomato plant in a basket as a gift
Once again, Alsace region pays tribute to European antiquity and . . .
. . . embraces modern technology at the same time.
Strasbourg is a city where Art Nouveau meets . . .
. . . stainless steel, where . . .
. . . the old meets the new. This window pretty much sums up the ethos of the area. Inside the window, an image of the past is reflected.
The highly modern L’Homme de Fer metro station
We wandered through the quaint shopping areas.
The food in the widows made our mouths water.
French pâte and savory gateaux
German meats
It is really difficult to select a restaurant here; they all look so inviting.
Town square near Notre Dame de Strasbourg
Mostly German architectural influence in this area
A view of the very gothic Notre Dame de Strasbourg down one of the streets
More pointed arches
We were treated to a rehearsal for a concert that was to take place. The booming sound that echoed throughout the cathedral was indescribable.
A poster for the upcoming concert.
The famous astronomical clock in the cathedral . . .
. . . puts on quite a show throughout the day.
Aesthetics are important in this town. Look at how dishes are hidden.
The Rhineland
A group of little inlets make up Strasbourg’s area known as Little France.
Tourists click their cameras continuously here.
Sauerkraut and Foie Gras. Tums, please.
We found a petit café called “Suspenders” to eat breakfast.
The place makes its own yogurt & granola.
Flower pots line the canals.
Canal houses
Old meets new again
We walked past these lovers, had breakfast, toured Little France and walked back to the hotel past the same couple again, still at it. What endurance!
À plus tard,
P&J
8 Comments
I love Alsace. No wonder the lovers are enjoying themselves. I want to see you two on a park bench in the next shot.
Enjoy all the charm.
Fleaster
Great pics, if I was blindly looking at these pics, I’d assume you were in DE.
Unlike Felice, I will pass on seeing my parents going at it on a park bench for hours 😉
Prost!!!
Same goes for you!
Jill, remember your Crestor. All of the food looks divine. The architecture is is so fabulous, and the way it goes back and forth between the ages and the nationalities is head-spinning. Everything is so beautiful!
The food has been great and the sights a joy to behold. So far our picture count is 3416 with 778 from Paris alone. We hope to publish our first Paris blog entry tonight.
Ah yes…Gutenberg and the printing press!
Dear Pete and Jill ,My dear friend Mary Meyer passed on Day 21-Strasbourg of your recent trip to France. I loved travelling along with you and thought I was the only American who sought out Irish pubs in France . I felt as if I was joining the folks at the Dubliners for a pint. Your photos and commentary are just fantastic. I especially thought the shot of the canal with the beautiful flowers in the foreground was just delightful. Thank you for the way you captured that day in your lives and for sharing.
Thanks for your reply. Sláinte!