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Travel guide
Strasbourg
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to June and September (December for the Christmas market)
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Welcome
Strasbourg, in a few days
Strasbourg stacks three cities into two kilometres: the medieval Grande Île with its pink sandstone cathedral, the monumental Neustadt built by the German Empire after 1871, and the glass European quarter to the north. The first two share a UNESCO listing, and the city's double history shows in its stone as much as in the way people talk.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Strasbourg Cathedral and its viewing platform · about 1 h 30Pink Vosges sandstone, a single 142-metre spire that made it the world's tallest building until 1874, and a west front carved like lace.
- Afternoon · The astronomical clock · about 1 hThe cathedral's third clock, built in 1842, shows solar time, planetary positions and eclipses, and works out the date of Easter.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Cathédrale€130 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Palais Rohan and its museums · about 2 hThree museums on three floors; the ground-floor state apartments, with the crimson King's Bedroom and Hannong faience, are the highlight.
- Afternoon · Batorama boat trip on the Ill · about 1 hThe fullest circuit takes in Petite France and its lock, the Ponts Couverts, the Neustadt and the European Parliament, all seen from the river.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Rohan€110 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Strasbourg Christmas market · half a dayWooden chalets spread across several squares in the centre, each with its own theme; go early, as late afternoons and Saturdays are packed.
- Afternoon · Petite France free · about 1 hThe Ill splits into four channels among 16th-century half-timbered tanners' houses; the name comes from a former hospice for syphilis patients.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel du Dragon€135 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Ponts Couverts and the Vauban Dam free · about 1 hThree square 14th-century watchtowers on the old western defences, and behind them a 13-arch dam built to flood the land against besiegers.
- Afternoon · The European quarter and Parliament free · about 1 h 30Airport-style security, then the public gallery over a chamber of more than 700 seats and the Parlamentarium's interactive screens in 24 languages.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Suisse€115 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €125 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to June and September (December for the Christmas market)
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/strasbourg
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.