Strasbourg

With its extensive public transport network and numerous cycle paths, Strasbourg is an easy city to visit in just a few days. For a weekend or for more than a week, this Alsatian city is sure to win you over.

Museums, discovery areas or parks and gardens, Strasbourg has no shortage of cultural venues or places to relax. These include the ****Palais Rohan is as elegant as it is full of attractions. This former residence of the prince-bishops, built between 1732 and 1742, is home to the Archaeological Museum, the Fine Arts Museum and the Decorative Arts Museum.

Another place where the container is as interesting as the content, the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame plunges visitors into the midst of masterpieces of medieval sculpture, most of which come directly from Notre-Dame cathedral. Unsurprisingly, the latter is also well worth a visit, to admire its exterior facades, its impressive stained glass windows dating from the 12th to 14th centuries and the immense and magnificent ornamental rose window. Don't miss the monumental organ and the masterpieceRenaissance astronomical clock (whose mechanism dates back to 1842). Finally, don't forget to climb onto the roof terrace of the building to admire the panoramic view over Strasbourg.

But above all, Strasbourg is a city that can be visited as you wander around. With a historic centre, the Grande Île, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a rich architectural heritage, two eyes are not enough to see it all.

Popular with tourists from all over the world, Petite France is unsurprisingly the most picturesque district of old Strasbourg. Built flush with the water, this is where fishermen, tanners and millers once worked. Today, a visit here reveals some magnificent half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, with sloping roofs opening onto granaries where hides used to be dried.

Strasbourg is no stranger to green spaces. For a green break, the Jardin Botanique, located in the heart of the city just one kilometre east of the cathedral, is a veritable green lung covering 3.5 hectares, where you can discover almost 6,000 species of plants outdoors or in the tropical greenhouse.

On the outskirts of the city, on either side of the Rhine and symbolising Franco-German friendship, the Jardin des Deux-Rives regularly hosts plant exhibitions, concerts, events and shows (circus, dance).

For a number of years now, Strasbourg has been one of the leading cities for French gastronomy, with a dynamism that has made its reputation. Au Crocodile, Le 1741, Les Haras, La Casserole and Umami are just some of the exceptional restaurants proving the city's appeal to talented chefs.

But for a first stay in the Alsatian capital, many people want to discover the local gastronomy. Alsatian cuisine, which originated in the countryside, consists of dishes made from simple ingredients (potatoes, eggs, cabbage, etc.). So it's impossible to stay in the Alsatian capital without sampling the famous sauerkraut, baeckeoffe (a dish of potatoes, pork, beef and mutton simmered in white wine), flammekueche (a thin pie topped with cream, onions and bacon) or foie gras pâté. Among the most popular winstubs in the city centre are Chez Yvonne, Au Coin des Pucelles, Le Clou and Zuem Strissel, the oldest winstub in the city.

To take advantage of a central location and do most of your sightseeing on foot, choose accommodation close to Place de la Cathédrale or Place Kléber. Unsurprisingly, Petite France is also a very popular area for tourists, with higher prices than in the rest of the town.

For those with a smaller budget, the Esplanade and Krutenau student districts have the advantage of a friendly, lively nightlife, with many bars frequented by the people of Strasbourg.