Strasbourg

This picturesque little city was not on my original itinerary, but, as I said in my previous post, we improvise. I am so glad that I ended up in this town and to be honest I am not sure why I hadn’t thought of going before.

Strasbourg was and still is a strategic point on the European stage. It’s life as a city began as a Roman fort called Argentoratum which is the cause of the cities small streets and condensed atmosphere. It was then taken into the Holy Roman Empire, then annexed to France under Louis XV, then annexed to Germany after the Franco-Prussian war, then annexed back to France after World War I , then taken over again by Germany in World War II, and finally given back to France at the conclusion fo World War II where it remains to this day. This back and forth between being German and French has given this city a unique characteristic not found many other places. It boasts the colorful and cute architecture of the French countryside while maintaining a cuisine that is more Germanic than it is French. Everyone there speaks French and yet there is a sense of discipline in everyone which harkens back to the time under German rule. Walking down the streets of this cultural crossroad one is able to see how differing cultures combine to make something truly beautiful. The Germans and the French were enemies for the better part of their history and yet Strasbourg is a testament to the ability of differing cultures, waring cultures, to assimilate into one hybrid society.

Surrounding this cultural harmony stands representations of arguably the greatest cultural unification in the world: The European Union. Strasbourg became known throughout Europe as a symbol of peace and cultural integration and so Strasbourg was chosen to be one of the cities to house several European Union institutions including the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights. If you ever have a chance to visit this city I implore you to do so. The history of this place is as rich as it’s food and the future of Europe will be dictated there… How cool is that?!

Museums and Sites:

Alsatian Museum

If you want to explore how people lived throughout the ages in the Alsatian region this is the place to go. Home to thousands of relics it is easy to find understand the lives of the Alsatian people because you can see the products of their lives. This museum takes you into what people did for a living, their religious pursuits, how they dressed, how they played, what they ate, and even where they slept. I loved it.

European Parliament

Touring this building may have been my favorite part of my stay in Strasbourg. It is the home of democracy in the European Union. A place where those elected by the people debate and pass laws for the people of the European Union. It is a place where history has been made and the future comes to form. So yeah, walking through the rooms and the hallways of this grand building was pretty amazing.

Strasbourg Museum of Fine Arts

The Strasbourg museum of fine arts is actually three museum combined into one… they really like doing that in Europe… it houses the fine arts museum, the artifacts museum, and the decor museum each which go into depth about the palace that this museum used to be. With that being said, not many of the pieces are genuine and it is more of a duplicate than anything else. It is still very informational and a beautiful place to visit, but you won’t get the same sense of awe that one may get when seeing an original painting or artifact.

Strasbourg’s Notre Dame Cathedral

This Cathedral was an amazing achievement for it’s time. Built in 1015 this place of worship is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture. In 1439 the structures spire was built making it the tallest building in the Christian world for nearly 400 years. If you want to venture up the spire it will cost you a few Euros but if you want to just enter the church it’s free. What struck me most about this colossus however was the delicacy it had. It is covered in some of the most magnificent stained glass windows I have ever seen.

Self-guided tour of European Institutions

I stumbled upon this by accident on my way to the European Parliament. Throughout the city of Strasbourg there are informational signs that tell you about the European institutions and other landmarks in the city while also giving you directions to the next sign. This route takes you around Strasbourg so you not only get to learn a lot about the European Union you also get to see a lot of the city.

Food and Restaurants:

Tarte Flambée

I know, I know, it looks like pizza. It’s not though! It uses a extremely thin flat bread, cream, cheese, and usually Canadian bacon to make this delicious dish. It might be better than pizza if I’m being honest. You’re gonna find this dish at most of the places you go, but just in case you want to be certain it’ll be good get a reservation at Binchstub Broglie.

Kouglof

I mean come on this is France of course we’re going to be eating pastries. Kouglof is a bunt cake shaped bread with raisins and almonds and is delicious 🙂 they usually come in sizes about three times this size, but some pastry shops you go to will have the smaller versions.

Bouchée á la reine

If you ever get to try this I envy you because I don’t remember what is called. In the center of the creamy, chive, chicken sauce is a puff pastry! On the side is a skillet full of Alsatian pasta and when you mix these two delicacies together what you get is one obesity but two delicious, rich, warm, loving, food.