Strasbourg is the seat of the European Parliament in the Grand Est region of France. It is very near to Germany and Switzerland, in the heart of the historic Alsace region. There are plenty of things to do in Strasbourg during a day trip contrary to what everybody says about the city.
Yes, Strasbourg is the head of the EU and there are a lot of bureaocrats but the architecture is stunning and there are pretty amazing parks and museums in Strasbourg which you should visit for at least one day.
Germany vs France
This part of France switched hands many times over the centuries between Germany and its current owner, France and therefore the architecture in Strasbourg is very mixed.
If you walk around any street in Strasbourg you will notice the many Germanic names that offer a glimpse into the city’s turbulent past.
Nowadays almost everybody speaks French, although a small proportion of the population still speaks the local dialect, which is a mix of German and French.
My Reason To Visit Strasbourg
I came to Strasbourg for one night and one morning for a fleeting visit in July 2017. It was my first visit and I wanted to cram as many sights as possible into the few hours I had in the city.
I stayed at the Apparthotel Montempo near the railway station. The hotel is a short walk away from the city center and it didn’t cost the earth. The bed was comfortable and the shower was also good.
Read my full review of the Apparthotel Montempo here
The railway station in Strasbourg is from before the First World War so it has many German features. This part of France was part of Germany until 1918 and so you will find many similarities between Strasbourg and other German cities.
Strasbourg WWII Memorial
The most sombre part of the station was the memorial plaque for the fallen soldiers during WWI and WWII: there were hundreds and hundreds of names, dying to fight for the Kaiser!
The old station facade is now hiding behind a huge glass frontage and it looks more like a modern airport than a train station.
I basically had a couple of hours until my train to Mulhouse departed so I went for a long walk around the city center of Strasbourg.
The city center is very easy to navigate as there are only a handful of main streets to remember. My favourite was the huge cathedral and the square that surrounds it, plus the park with the museums around it.
Whenever I spoke to people about Strasbourg they told me it was a boring place, but my impression was the complete opposite. Strasbourg has some very nice squares, the buildings are clean and looked-after and there were plenty of things to do during my two hours.
Main Sites In Strasbourg
If you come from the direction of the main train terminal, just head straight across the square towards McDonalds.
Carry on down that street and you will reach the river that surrounds the old town. From here, cross one of the bridges and walk towards the big spire which is the main cathedral of the city.
This is one of the main streets of Strasbourg that cuts through the old town. Before you are tempted by one of the fast food restaurants around the station just wait until you get here. There are many local bakeries here where you can eat some delicious Strasbourg favourites.
Unfortunately you will see a lot of soldiers walking around parts of the city of Strasbourg as a result of recent Islamist terrorist attacks around France.
The main cathedral is hundreds of years old and interestingly only one of the spires was completed. Sadly I arrived too early so I wasn’t able to look inside to check out the architecture but if you come after 9 you will be able to pop inside.
Architecture In Strasbourg
The houses nearby look fascinating, some of which date back to the 14-15 centuries. There are many narrow streets that lead out from the main square and I picked one randomly.
As I carried on walking around, I found another tiny square with lots of little café shops dotted around it.
I then arrived at the center of Place de la Republique, after which I made my way back to the train station.
Since I was only in Strasbourg for a few hours, I walked everywhere but if you decide to stick around longer, you can take advantage of the city’s extensive tram and bus network to discover more.
Other Things To Do In Strasbourg
There is a zoo, the botanical gardens and many museum which you can reach by tram if you’ve had enough of walking.
Instead of taking the tram I decided to walk back in a different direction from where I came. This time I went past the shoe shops and tailors and then down past another mid-sized square.
This part of town was slightly more modern and it also had various fountains. I imagine this might have been where the old mills stood as I could see water pumping from one location to another.
I really enjoyed the scenery in Strasbourg and I completely forgot about time, so after checking out the towers over the river I had to run back to the hotel.
In the end I only had enough time to just grab my rucksack and then run off to the train station quickly. I only had 10 minutes to catch my train to Mulhouse.
The train to Mulhouse was a modern regional train with all the usual amenities. The trip to Mulhouse from Strasbourg took about one hour through rolling hills and fields of corn and wheat.
If you are interested in what I did in Mulhouse please check out my article about Things to Do In Mulhouse and don’t forget to subscribe newsletter below! Thanks!