When in France: Strasbourg

France is not just about the Paris. A good way to appreciate the diversity of France is to move and check out other cities that also deserve the same spotlight as Paris. One of which is the quaint city of Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is the capital of the Grand Est region (France is divided into 13 regions), more popularly known as the Alsace region. It’s located northeast of France, and is less than 2 hours away from Paris by taking the TGV, France’s high-speed intercity train.

Besides accessibility, Strasbourg is a perfect side trip in France for its uniqueness. Since Strasbourg is at the tip of France that borders Germany, the city brings huge German influence especially in its buildings, cuisine, and culture: characteristics that spell a lot of difference from Paris. As a small city, Strasbourg is also very easy to explore and it’s less touristy. I felt like it was the right city for me after spending 4 days in the hustle and bustle of Paris.

Christmas and fairy tale feels

While the world is quick to relate Finland with Christmas, Strasbourg has also been gaining the popularity as a tourist destination of the holidays. Actually, Strasbourg is known as the Christmas capital of France for being the first and the oldest city that started the Christmas market tradition that dates back 12th century.

A Christmas market, also known as Christkindelsmärik, is usually set up outdoors selling different Christmas gift ideas from ornaments, wines, baking items, to Alsace-exclusive cookies and sweets. People more popularly visit the markets at night, who are after the display of lights that Strasbourg is also known for. The Christkindelsmärik runs from late November to December.

Regardless of the season, meanwhile, Strasbourg also brings a relaxed fairy tale-like atmosphere. Props to the traditional half-timbered houses scattered throughout the city and the cobblestone paths, Strasbourg is like a setting of your favorite fairy tale book that came to life. A visit to La Petite France completes the fairy tale story, which not only offers the most picturesque view in Strasbourg but is also a historic place. Back in the Middle Ages, La Petite France was once a quarter for millers, tanners (leather producers), and fishermen. Now, it stands as tourist attraction where the houses got converted into restaurants and shops.

Impressive cathedral

When you walk towards downtown passing through the narrow streets, a life-size Strasbourg Cathedral suddenly appears out of nowhere. It stands 142 meters tall, and in fact was once the tallest structure in Europe during the 1800s. It highly resembles the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which is why it’s also called the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg.

A must-see inside includes this beautiful circular rose window, a common design in Gothic architectures like this cathedral. Some also call this window a Catherine window, a term that originated from St. Catherine of Alexandria who was persecuted on a spiked circular wheel.

Another attraction is this 18-meter astronomical clock located at the right end of the church. What’s amazing is that even in the absence of modern technology back in 1800s, its innovation in astronomy was proven to compute leap years and equinoxes with high accuracy. Now, when the clock strikes at 12:30PM, it highlights a short story-telling through the sculpted figures that come out of the clock.

Bicycle-friendly

Similar to Amsterdam, the city of Strasbourg is in the top 10 most bicycle-friendly European cities in 2017. With the presence of bicycle lanes in majority of the streets and the affordability of either buying or monthly renting a bicycle in Strasbourg, residents more likely use a bicycle than a car.

As noticed, indoor and outdoor parking lots are surprisingly dominated by bicycles instead of cars. This biking culture doesn’t only saves parking space but also saves Earth since there’s less pollution in the city.

The same goes to tourists in Strasbourg who are encouraged to choose biking. Bike-sharing services, such as Velhop, are very popular among tourists. The idea is basically renting a bicycle that’s charged per hour. One can get any available bicycle at designated bicycle parking lots, then hop off and leave it when done.

Gifted by nature

Strasbourg is very relaxed city especially that 2 rivers flow within the area. The main channel of Ill River flows on one side of the city, which is actually a World Heritage Site named by UNESCO in 1988. Another river is the Canal du Faux-Rempart, which is a canal arm of Ill River.

This is why several bridges were constructed on the rivers. The Ponts Couverts consist of 3 bridges and 4 tall towers that served as towers of defense during the war in 13th century.

Different types and colorful flowers are also abundant, a characteristic that makes the picture perfect in Strasbourg. These flowers are usually planted on river banks and bridges. A neighboring city, called Colmar, has huge resemblance with Strasbourg in this aspect.

A stone’s throw away from Germany

France and Germany are only separated by the Rhine River. For the adventure seekers, an hour of biking passing through the Europe Bridge is only what it takes to cross from Strasbourg, France to Kehl, Germany. Another way is to take the tram from any downtown Strasbourg station to Kehl Bahnhof station, a shorter trip that only takes 20-30 minutes.

Public transportation is very easy in Strasbourg, and it extends up to Germany. With my experience, I bought a 24H Solo for EUR 4.50, a public transportation card / ticket that gave me unlimited rides on all the bus, tram, and coach lines within Strasbourg, but also includes the ride to Kehl (tram line D) in Germany.

Kehl is a small German village that can be explored in a day. There are a few interesting churches, parks, and buildings around. It may be far from the capital Berlin (6 hours away by train!), but it doesn’t make less of a visit to get a taste of German culture.

The Oktoberfest and their expertise in beer are 2 things that immediately remind me of the Germans. So aside from visiting tourist sites while in Kehl, I took the chance of trying a German beer (which tasted good!).