Tourists in Strasbourg, France

Although at first glance we may not appear to be the touristy types (fellow tourists have very mistakenly asked us for directions to major sights), we are indeed map-wielding, photo-snapping, coupon-redeeming travelers. We do, however, enjoy strolling to the monuments instead of racing and only consulting the map when absolutely necessary (and in the most discreet manner possible). When we have no local contacts to show us the local hot spots and don’t speak the local languages, we rely on the advice of the tourist office.

Over Easter/My B-day weekend, Isaiah and I took a road trip to Strasbourg, France, located in the Alsace region along the border with Germany. It was kind of a last minute decision, as we had been following the weather forecasts all week to find out which cities within a few hours driving distance would have warm weather. Yes, it was nice here in Switzerland, but we wanted to do a little getaway. Strasbourg did not disappoint.

Upon arrival, we purchased the Strasbourg Pass, coupons you can redeem for major tourist attractions. Overall, we saved about 20 Euros using these passes, and we still had coupons leftover!

Top 5 activities we enjoyed this weekend:

1. People-watching after dark, sitting on the edge of the Ill River, with a bottle of wine.
2. Relaxing on the boat tour (coupon).
3. Climbing to the platform of the cathedral for a view of the city (coupon) - photos below.
4. Admiring junk at the Saturday flea market.
5. Visiting the Museé Historique de la Ville de Strasbourg (coupon). This was one of my favorite museums ever. Recently renovated, you can try on costumes and armor as well as interact with the displays. The relief map from 1727 is impressive.

One more thing we enjoyed was renting bikes for a few hours (coupon) and riding to all the parks. Parc de l’Orangerie was my favorite, but I felt the Jardin Botanique we could have skipped altogether (it was totally run-down.)

As for food, I regret that because our trip was a bit on the spontaneous side, I didn’t get a chance to research the best places to eat. We ate mini “to-go” versions of tarte flambée (crème fraiche, white onions, and bacon on dough), which are like pizzas, but Alsatian style. Our one big dinner was at “Au Pont Saint Martin,” which we spotted on the boat tour. The building is typical Alsatian style with cuisine to match. I recommend the 1/2 Coquelet au Riesling et spätzle, one of the house suggestions.