A weekend in stunning Strasbourg

Allow France's Alsatian capital to captivate you with its cobblestoned, canal-side charm, where surprising dining and secret speakeasies reveal a special side you probably haven't heard about.

If your only association with Strasbourg is it being the home of the EU Parliament, then you may be excused for skipping it for seemingly more exciting French cities. But boy, are you missing out. Apart from the adorable half-timbered houses and cobblestoned streets making the place look like a fairy tale about to happen, Strasbourg’s serene veneer of France-meets-Germany medieval charm hides a secret side. 

Thanks to the thriving student population, there’s a startlingly lively bar scene, and a sophisticated one at that. So, after a day of cooing over the city’s historic treasures, don’t be surprised to find yourself caught up in a cocktail-crawl as night falls, taking in quirky gin bars or smouldering speakeasys.

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Aerial view of Strasbourg (Image: Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock)Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock

And while you might expect to dine on heartier food in this part of France, thanks to Strasbourg’s proximity to the German border, visions of stodgy dumplings and sauerkraut are not necessarily de rigueur. Yes, Alsatian delicacies abound (and when we say ‘delicacies’, you may wish to do some sightseeing by bike to help burn it all off), but you’ll also find Michelin-starred tasting menus matched with extraordinary local wines, elegant bistros, and even Nikkei (a combination of Japanese and Peruvian) cuisine.

Above all, this is a city for strolling amid medieval wonder and romantic canals, and it’s the perfect size for a weekend break.

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Friday

Check-in to: Hotel Hannong. Strasbourg has some gorgeous mid-range boutique hotels, but this one caught our eye for its Art Nouveau architecture (the hotel was founded in the 1920s by art collectors) and excellent central location. Oh, and it also has a wine bar…with Strasbourg’s first rooftop location, no less: Black & Wine.

The rooftop at Hotel Hannong (Image: Hotel Hannong/Facebook)Hotel Hannong/Facebook

Have lunch at: Le Bistrot d’Antoine. It’s everything you want in a classic French bistro: simple but elegant wooden décor, a welcoming atmosphere, an excellent wine list, and a short menu that’s an education in traditional local cuisine. This means kâseknepfle (cheese dumplings), riesling rooster with buttery Alsatian noodles, even frogs’ legs.

You could save room for cheese, including the local (and rather aromatic) Munster Farmer. Or – and this is an exquisite final touch we highly recommend – there’s fresh madeleines with acacia honey to take away, which you can munch on while you explore.

Cycle around like a local: with Vélhop, Strasbourg’s bike-sharing system, for as little as €1 for up to five hours’ hire. Strasbourg has the honour of being the French city where bicycles are used the most for daily transport, thanks to excellent infrastructure and a substantial car-free zone. If you’re really feeling ambitious (and fancy a bonus detour into Germany), there’s the 85km Forts Trail that takes in forest and countryside on either side of the Rhine.

Velhop bikes lined up (Image: Velhop Strasbourg/Facebook)Velhop Strasbourg/Facebook

Have a pre-dinner gin (and saucisson) at: Supertonic, the locals’ choice for quality G&Ts. This quirkily decorated bar offers over 40 different gins with a selection of ‘Supersaucisses’ (that’s sausages to you and me). We’re talking everything from currywurst to black pudding sausages. What’s not to like?

Dine at: ALMA, for more Strasbourg surprises. Offering Nikkei cuisine, you’ll find impeccable service and potentially some of the best ceviche of your life. Bonus: it’s right next to Hotel Hannong if you fancy an early night.

A dish of ceviche (Image: ALMA Strasbourg/Facebook)ALMA Strasbourg/Facebook

Have a nightcap: at a mysterious Strasbourg speakeasy. Once you track down the location of Secret Place, you’ll adore the velvet couches and chandeliers so much, you won’t want to leave. They deliberately market their cocktails as aphrodisiacs and it’s open until 4am on a Saturday morning. Consider that a warning.

Saturday

Explore Grande-Île: Strasbourg’s largest island and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, encircled by the River Ill. The best way to burn off yesterday’s carbs/cocktails and kickstart your Saturday is to head straight for the Gothically grand Cathédrale de Notre-Dame and take the 332 spiral steps up to its viewing platform.

Cathedrale de Notre Dame (Image: Sergey Kelin/Shutterstock)Sergey Kelin/Shutterstock

Apart from blowing away the cobwebs and getting your bearings, there’s bonus views out to the Black Forest and Vosges mountains on a clear day. Don’t worry if you’ve had a lazy start to your morning: the cathedral’s astronomical clock doesn’t trot out its little animated figures for viewing until 12.30pm.

Top tip: if you’re visiting in July or August, return to the cathedral at night for the sound and light show to see the beauty of the façade illuminated in greater detail.

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Stroll around: Petite France, an historical neighbourhood of half-timbered houses built right on the canals, once home to butchers and tanners who plied their trade in the Middle Ages and needed easy access to water. It’s now the most picturesque part of Strasbourg: a photographer’s paradise of quaint Alsatian architecture, riverside parks and tumbling flowerboxes of geraniums in summer. There are no cars on Petite France, just wistful wanderers and cyclists.

Petit France (Image: MarinaD_37/Shutterstock)MarinaD_37/Shutterstock

Lunch at: Binchstub, to experience the Alsatian speciality Flammkuchen. Or you may know it better as tarte flambée. Similar looking to a pizza, thin bread dough is covered with cheese or crème fraiche, thinly sliced onions and lardons, and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Purists prefer as few toppings as possible (traditionnelle), but there are many options, including dessert Flammkuchen with apples, cinnamon and Calvados.

Flammkuchen (Image: NoirChocolate/Shutterstock)NoirChocolate/Shutterstock

Get your culture on: at the museums. The Palais Rohan looks like a mini-me version of Paris’ Versailles, except here you can spend time in three museums within the splendid 18th-century residence: Musée Archéologique in the basement, Musée des Arts Décoratifs on the ground floor and Musée des Beaux-Arts on the 1st floor. 

Take a boat: on the River Ill with Batorama (temporarily closed but expected to open soon), embarking at the quay at the foot of Palais Rohan, you can put your feet up after all that museum wandering. On a trip that takes just over an hour, you’ll cross two locks and head towards the European Quarter (yes, home of the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe) via the historical Neustadt district (built between 1871 and 1918, during Germany’s annexation of Alsace-Moselle). Architecture fans will be enthralled at the contrasts between buildings old and new.

Eu building from the river (Image: olrat/Shutterstock)olrat/Shutterstock

Dine at: Les Funambules for a memorable final meal in one of Strasbourg’s more affordable Michelin-starred restaurants.

Sunday

Enjoy local street art: with a self-guided tour using an online interactive map. You may find a lot of restaurants are closed on Sunday, so eat up at the hotel breakfast buffet before choosing from itineraries covering the Strasbourg Station district, Krutenau district or Schiltigheim (Strasbourg’s largest suburb and its beer capital).

For something extra niche for your Instagram, select the ‘conteneur’ part of the site to tour the art exclusively painted on recycling bins.

Unwind at a spa: to truly feel relaxed at the end of your weekend. The Régent Petite France spa is open from 10.30am on Sundays for day guests, and we recommend relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi for one last lingering look over the half-timbered beauty of Petite France in ultimate luxury.

Getting there and around

When travel restrictions are lifted, it's easy to get to Strasbourg. There are trains from London St Pancras station (changing at Paris or Lille) right into the centre of Strasbourg. Ryanair and easyJet usually fly from Britain to Strasbourg. There’s a shuttle train that runs every 15 minutes from Strasbourg’s airport into the city centre: a nine-minute journey.

Strasbourg itself is easily explored by foot or bicycle, but it’s also well-served by six tram lines and 30 bus routes.

For more information, see Visit Strasbourg.

Main image: Pajor Pawel/Shutterstock

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