Strasbourg, France (Last Stop on our Road Trip)
We left Paris early and got in my SUV and headed towards Strasbourg for one night in another airbnb apartment (a few minutes outside the city, great stay). Since we were headed from Paris to Germany we wanted to make one more stop on the border of France and Germany to get one last look in France and to break up the driving. I'm glad I chose to see what Strasbourg had to offer because besides my flea trip to Tongeren, Belgium, Strasbourg was my favorite destination on our road trip. It's beautiful.
It's not surprising that you see so many German style buildings in Strasbourg. Not only because it borders Germany but because it had also been considered part of Germany. It is a city with a complicated history between Germany and France but ultimately serves as an area where both the French and Germans call home and we heard people speaking German just as much if not more than French.
I really liked Strasbourg because it looks like a perpetual Christmas town, very much like the German "Christmas Town" of Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber, which I had the pleasure of visiting during Christmas last year. You can check out the town and see the similarities here. (It is the last town in the post). I would love to come back to Strasbourg during Christmas.
We decided to tackle the beauty of Strasbourg by simply walking through the city of Le Petite France. It was very comical because there were tourists EVERYWHERE taking pictures. Everywhere we walked there were cameras and people flashing away. I obviously was doing the same thing, but you'd think Michael Jackson had risen from the dead with the vigor in which these people were flashing away. It's not hard to see why. This is a storybook town.
Fun Fact: I thought this town was called Le Petite France because it looked like a small France. It is called Le Petite France because of the hospice for people with Syphilis that was built there in the fifteenth century. Syphilis was otherwise known as the "French Disease." Interesting.
Strasbourg is situated on the Rhine and a big attraction is taking a boat cruise down the river.
As we walked closer to the Strasbourg Cathedral (of our Lady), there were many cute little tourist shops. This shop featured some local pottery from the Alsace region. So pretty! And so different from the look of Polish pottery.
Carousel ride anyone?
Here it is, the cathedral. It was hard to get a good shot because it was right in the middle of the town. And you can see all the touristy shops near the cathedral. The cathedral was built in the middle ages as you can see with the gothic/romanesque architecture.
Inside the church and all it's glory! Speaking of touristy, this cathedral even had a souvenir shop inside of it (gasp!) I mean come on...
Below is the astronomical clock inside the church. You can see more astronomical clocks at my posts on Prague and Venice. Though the clock no longer works and hasn't for some time, it is still pleasing to the eye and a big draw to visitors.
Outside of the cathedral, the cobblestone streets are lined with cafes, so we sat down at an Italian restaurant for dinner. Don't ask why we chose Italian instead of French. Decisions are hasty when made in hunger.
I enjoyed another goat cheese and honey salad with tomato bisque and some Alsace region wine. Very good!
So I thought Strasbourg was only this quaint little town but as we walked around more, we realized it was huge and it went way beyond all the timber housing. It had a very metro feel to it too with modern shops and restaurants. Strasbourg just kept on surprising me.
Snapped a shot of these lovelies. The store was closed.
Before we left, we decided to see if we could grab a drink before we headed back to our home-stay for the night. We saw a Tapas bar and sat down for a drink. I ordered a 7 euro margarita. Why they gave it to me in a martini glass, I will never know, but it literally looked and tasted like they dunked the glass straight in the toilet and sprinkled some table salt into it. Why I thought there would be some semblance of a decent Mexican drink in Europe, I don't know and I still haven't found a good Mexican restaurant anywhere in Europe. I usually don't complain about my food or drinks, because I don't want people to F*** with my stuff but this was the worse margarita I've ever had so I told the waiter I didn't like it and gave it back and he still charged me anyways... go figure.
But besides the horrendous margarita, Strasbourg was absolutely fantastic. It was my favorite stop on the trip and hopefully you guys can get a feel for Strasbourg yourself. We only spent a day there and it was enough but if you can spend two days there then don't hesitate because there is plenty to do. I imagine going during Christmas time would be stunning.
This brings my family and I to the end of our fabulous extreme Euro road trip (tear). But I had a great time at all of these places and hope you guys enjoyed reading along.
Favorite Thing About Strasbourg:
Taking pictures of the picturesque town
Out of all of the places we went on our road trip, Arlon/Bastogne, Luxembourg, Tongeren, Trier, Paris, and Strasbourg, what was your favorite?
Linking up at:
No Minimalist Here
Dagmar's Home
Ivy and Elephants
Budget Traveler's Sandbox
Mom on Time Out
Sunday View
From My Front Porch To Yours
Pret-A-Vivre
Common Ground
Rooted in Thyme
The Brambleberry Cottage
The Tablescaper
The Dedicated House (Anything Blue Friday)
Twigg Studios
Dwellings
Travel Photo Discovery'
The Dedicated House (Make it Pretty Monday)
A Stroll Thru Life
Kathe With An E
Knick of Time
Savvy Southern Style
God's Growing Garden
Lost in Travels
A Dose Of Paige
