Today I am taking you to the picturesque city of Strasbourg, France! Strasbourg is a small city in the region of Alsace in Northeastern France adjacent to the border of Germany. It is most known as the head of the European Parliament where diplomats meet monthly. It is also home to the Council of Europe and its Court of Human Rights.
The view from the apartment window.
Strasbourg has had many struggles with identity, especially during the World Wars, being annexed by Germany and then taken back by France multiple times. Today, the city and its people embrace the blend of cultures.
An artist frantically sketches a timber-framed house in the center of Place de la Cathédraleacross from the cathedral.
The architecture of the city consists of a blend of the traditional German timber-framed houses and elegant French buildings adorned with intricate ironwork. Its most majestic building, Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, is a grand example of Gothic architecture from the 1400s. Victor Hugo declared it a “gigantic and delicate marvel.”
The treasure of Strasbourg: During WWII when Strasbourg was under the Third Reich, Hitler wanted to turn it into a national monument, this involved dismantling the huge stained-glass windows for safekeeping. The windows disappeared until 1945 when the Americans found them tucked away in a salt mine in Germany.
The city, with an area of only 30.22 square miles, is the perfect place to walk or bike everywhere (It was voted most bike-friendly city in France!). On a beautiful spring day you can see people wave to tourists on boats, friends and family having picnics on the banks of the Rhine River, couples in embrace, and dressed-to-kill women walking their dogs.
The Alsatian region is rich in gastronomy. At every restaurant, the basics can be found: foie gras, escargot, and cordon bleu, but in Alsace, you can find the local cuisine to be a unique mix of German and French. My personal favorite, tarte flambée (Flammekueche) is a thinly rolled bread dough shaped into a rectangle and topped with local cheeses and meats. The Alsatian region is a famous for its production of wines, mostly white and dry with German influence.
Tart flambée (Flammekueche) with goat cheese and bacon, all locally sourced.
The Alsatian region, in addition to grapes for wine, is famous for their potatoes. French fries are served with every meal.
Just a sample of some of the wine served at dinner, bottled only a few kilometers away.
In conclusion, Strasbourg is a stunning city in Europe with a rich and tumultuous history. Here you can see a blending of cultures like none other, in its people, in its food, and in its architecture. It is a city that has something to offer for everybody.
