Half-timbered buildings, stunning church and a lot of rain, explore Strasbourg!
Alsace is a region of western modern day France that sits across the Rhine River from modern day Germany. Over the centuries, the region has passed between French and Germanic rulers. Until WWIIish, the area had a local Germanic dialect, but today, they speak mainly French.
Alsace is well known for its half-timbered buildings, like that found in Germany. Half-timbered buildings were once very common around France. However, these have a more German influence.
Strasbourg is the largest city in Alsace. Not much of its Alsatian style half-timbered buildings remain because of development. There are pockets of random half-timbered buildings throughout the historic center. Strasbourg is still awesome though, even in the pouring rain.
I arrived in Strasbourg later than I would have liked. I was supposed to arrive by 11 but because of train route canceling, I didn’t arrive until late afternoon. I made the best of it. Even though I had only a day and a couple of hours visit, this is going to be a long one. I don’t feel like splitting it in half.
Jana Irving A grand shopping street in the middle of the historic center of Strasbourg. Looking a little like Bern, Switzerland here.
Jana Irving Buildings don’t have to be half-timbered to fit in here.
Jana Irving Heading to the cathedral. Stunning isn’t it.
Jana Irving Got to check out some half-timbered buildings on the way.
Jana Irving The Cathedral of Strasbourg’s unique coloring is due to being made of local sandstone. It’s one of the best examples of French High Gothic, built between 1015 until 1439.
Jana Irving High Gothic churches similar to this can be found all over Europe. Regional styles were common.
Jana Irving I went into the cathedral twice. The afternoon I arrived in Strasbourg and the next morning.
Jana Irving Not many people there in the morning at opening. I may have done this on purpose.
Jana Irving The cathedral’s third astronomical clock. This thing is huge, 59 ft (18 m) tall.
Jana Irving This pulpit is beyond ridiculous.
Jana Irving The whole cathedral is ridiculous. I love it.
Jana Irving Another ridiculous half-timbered building. I love it.
Jana Irving Very cute.
Jana Irving A massive half-timbered building.
Jana Irving The Ill River and a sight-seeing boat.
Jana Irving Very, very cute.
Jana Irving Strasbourg is great. I just had horrible weather for it so it looks so gloomy.
Jana Irving Just a giant barrel. I don’t remember if it was for beer or wine.
Jana Irving I think this might be in the wrong country.
Now on my second day, after visiting the cathedral.
Jana Irving Église Saint-Thomas, known as the “Protestant Cathedral.”
Jana Irving It’s a blend of Romanesque and Gothic since it took a few hundred years to finish.
Jana Irving Back at the River Ill looking toward La Petite France.
La Petite France is one of Strasbourg’s biggest attractions. It was once the home to the city’s tanners, millers, and fishermen. It was once the worst parts of town. It would have smelled terrible. The residents were very poor, so their houses and buildings were half-timbered to lower the cost.
Jana Irving Hard to believe this was the gross part of town.
Jana Irving Like seriously.
Jana Irving Due to the horribly cold and rainy weather, I had the streets mostly to myself.
Jana Irving It was worth it even though I couldn’t feel my fingers. My time in Alsace was the coldest weather of my entire trip.
Jana Irving Very cute.
Jana Irving La Petite France is very compact.
Jana Irving Coming up to the Ponts Couvert.
Jana Irving The Ponts Couvert are a set of four towers and three bridges that make up some of the 13th century defensive works. As seen from the Barrage Vauban.
Jana Irving The Barrage Vauban (left) is a defensive work built across the River Ill parallel to the Ponts Couvert in the the 17th century. It worked like a dam. It was to block up water south of the city (or up river) creating massive flooding aiding in defense of the city.
Jana Irving La Petite France is worth the hype.
Jana Irving Buildings right next to the river.
Jana Irving Found this. I just think it’s cute.
Jana Irving One of the Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune churches. There another one in Strasbourg with the same name. This one is Protestant and the other one is Catholic.
Jana Irving It’s a Gothic church built over a much older church. It got a renovation around 1900, but seems to need another one.
Jana Irving Some good old 19th century neo-Gothic.
Jana Irving I love that woodwork.
Jana Irving Skipping very ahead to the Palais Rohan, next to the cathedral. Today it hosts several museums. I visited three, but it was the first one that was fancy enough to share. There are more city museums spread across town.
Jana Irving The Musée des Arts décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Art) is the apartments of the Prince-Bishops from the Rohan family, the owners of the palace. Here is the Synod Hall.
Jana Irving There’s late-Baroque, Rococo and Empire styled rooms.
Jana Irving The palace hosted visits by several French monarchs. Got to have a fancy bedroom just in case.
Jana Irving The dining room/library? It was probably just a library, but now it serves both purposes.
Jana Irving An Empire style room. This style was popular during the rule of Napoleon.
Jana Irving Small museum, but it was very stunning.
I could go on and on about Strasbourg. I skipped a bunch of what I saw and this post is already long. It has a ton of reasonably priced museums (which you can get a city wide pass for). The cathedral is stunning. I love it. I’m definitely coming back some time in the future.
Check out my next update where I explore more of the adorable Alsace.
or
Start at the beginning of this European adventure!
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