The Capital of Alsace
I say goodbye to Germany and just as I cross the Rhine, the natural border between France and Germany, I am already in Strasbourg. The city is so close to the border that it can even be crossed by taking the city tram. In fact, the spoken and native language of this region, Alsace or Elsass in Alsatian, is of Germanic origin, so it is much more similar to German than French. Many streets have signs in both languages, but I have to admit that you won't hear much Alsatian on the streets. Unfortunately, the regional language has been lost a lot, which is a shame and a lesson for languages like Catalan to take better care of. Here are some examples of posters that I find in Strasbourg, which in Alsatian is called: "Strossburi".
From the moment I enter the city, my jaw dropped to the ground. It seems that Strasbourg as a whole is an enormous old town, where all houses are colourful and half-timbered or as they are locally called "maisons à colombages". I have no words to describe the feeling of walking throughout such a beautiful city. Specifically, I start my Strasbourg adventure at Place Kléber, where there is a small market not allowing me to show how beautiful the square is.
There I visit the famous Galeries Lafayette, our Spanish Corte Inglés equivalent. I continue walking along the amazing streets until I reach the huge cathedral. The pictures down below make it really smaller, for more than 200 years it was in fact the tallest building in the world, and it doesn't surprise me at all, given its almost 150 meters high. On a plaque I find the following citation written by Edgar Quinet that sums up quite well the grandiosity felt in front of this colossal cathedral:
J’aime cette cathédrale si près de moi, j’aime surtout le voisinage du Rhin. Il me fait penser à tout ce qu’il y a d’illimité dans l’histoire.
In that same square, apart from beautiful half-timbered houses that have already become the norm throughout the route, there is also the Palais Rohan, which houses three different museums inside and imports a rather Parisian style to the area.
From there I approach the River Ill, a direct Rhine’s tributary, to walk alongside. All the bridges are decorated with flowers, it's magnificent. In fact, the centre of the city is a large island surrounded by this river and it was even declared a World Heritage Site because of its beauty. Every street gets prettier, and I also love that Strasbourg is a city with such a rich and tangible history. In fact, I have lunch next to an antique market and try the Alsatian dish par excellence: Flammekueche, a kind of salty pizza or Catalan coca that was delicious.
Then, I head to the Petite France neighbourhood, a complex of barrages and canals surrounded by the oldest and most authentic half-timbered houses in the Strasburg region. It is undoubtedly the main attraction of the Alsatian capital and a symbol for the city. From le Barrage Vauban, there are incredible views over the quais along with its three towers over the trifurcation of the river, an impressive sight that cannot leave anyone with eyes and soul indifferent.
After that, I cross again through the whole island in order to get to its other side. Despite having already walked many of these streets, it is impossible for me not to find new details and monuments to take pictures of. I arrive at Place Broglie, where the opera house and the town hall are located. La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France, was sung for the first time here. Right there across the river, there is the huge Place de la République which is rather a small park given its greenery, surrounded by five monumental buildings, such as the Rhine Palace, the university library, and the great theatre. This whole area is called Neustadt (new city in German), since it was built in the period when Strasbourg was part of the German empire.
[ From here, the platform says that I have reached the limit of pictures that I can upload and that I should pay them monthly, so in the following link, there are the rest and many more pictures of Strasburg for you to enjoy! : https://online.fliphtml5.com/gcicy/mxwn/ ]
I carry on my tour by walking along the Canal du Faux-Rempart, obviously all the scenery and landscape are still wonderful, but it doesn't even surprise me anymore. I must say that I love the French concept of "quais", which translated in this case would be like the platforms of a river or canal and that throughout my whole trip throughout the city I see full of people enhancing the atmosphere. It reminds me of the Parisian quais near the Seine.
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Once I had finished seeing what I had in mind, I let myself get lost in the Strasbourg alleys and, specifically, I started buying Christmas decorations. There are many shops dedicated to this festivity and the city’s environment itself already invites you to do so despite being in the middle of August. I couldn't be surer that coming to Strasbourg in December must be an even more magical experience, in fact, one of the first Christmas markets in history was set up in its cathedral square during the sixteenth century, thus making Strasburg a pioneering city in the subject and a highly recognized European capital of Christmas.
I end my stay in Strasbourg at Place de Gutenberg near its famous carousel and eating an Alsatian speciality deeply rooted in the region: the Kougelhopf. I had been seeing them all day in the bakeries and in any store moulds to cook them were sold. I also have to admit that I'm just going to eat a small one, as the traditional ones I saw could easily be twice my head.
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The next day, before leaving for Colmar and Basel, I had the chance to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg. I have already mentioned that the capital of Alsace had been under German rule and, in fact, for many centuries the entire region was disputed between the two countries and their predecessors, so the fact that the Parliament of Europe is located in this city is a symbol of peace between both nations, as well as the continent as a whole. I have often heard German spoken through its medieval alleys and the architecture is a good testimony of this cultural crossroads, which also consolidate the city as a European capital, housing one of the main institutions and others such as the Council of Europe or the European Court of Human Rights. In fact, it is a whole neighbourhood dedicated to many supranational headquarters.
As for the parliament itself that I am lucky enough to visit inside, it is huge with many floors and corridors, and where I would easily get lost. I had never been in a building, where the elevator had more than 15 buttons. There are quite a few exhibitions, and it is very curious to be able to see where our leaders wander every day, especially the very large hemicycle that we always see on the news. In addition, visitors can enjoy the views from the panoramic terrace at the top of the building and I really appreciate that the access to the entire complex is free and very well guided in any Union’s language.
[ Remember that the pictures are here ! : https://online.fliphtml5.com/gcicy/mxwn/ ]
After this wonderful visit, I continue downwards the Rhine. I keep very good memories of Strasbourg and coming back during the Christmas season has become a new need. I know I get repetitive, but all the pictures I can put on this blog don't do justice to a city as beautiful and well-made as this one, you really have to go and experience the atmosphere in person to understand it. See you soon, Strasburg!
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