- Strasbourg
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France
Arts et Collections d'Alsace, at 4 place du Marché aux Poissons, sells beautiful linens, pottery, glass and small pieces of furniture designed, painted and embroided copied from original pieces in Alsatian museums or private collections.
Tablecloths, napkins and lampshades are made from locally-woven linen with embroidered monograms reflecting traditional motifs. Red, white or écru throws and cushions in top quality cotton often feature heart shaped "relief" pattern embroiderery. Glassware and pottery is also attractively hand painted with local, traditional motifs. A souvenir shop for people who never buy souvenirs.
Une Fleur des Champs is an organic and vegetarian restaurant in Strasbourg providing daily menus using fresh produce from the local area.
The atmosphere in the restaurant is friendly and family orientated. Superb food at very appealing prices. 4 rue des Charpentiers, Strasbourg.
Go to the Volerie Des Aigles for an amazing experience with demonstrations of different birds of prey. Eagles, buzzards, owls, you name it, they've got it.
As well as seeing the usual sights, you must visit the Orangerie, a park or more accurately, pleasure garden just north east of the city centre.
There are beautiful gardens, stately buildings,a small zoo, an aviary,a boating lake, an unusual outdoor planetarium and a stylish cafe and restaurant.
A lovely place to spend an afternoon away from the busy city centre.
Strasbourg is set among waterways. Arrive on a canal boat.
Hire from just up the canal (Saverne or Lutzelbourg) and stay moored free just before the Rhine lock gates.
Five minutes from the centre by bike (hired with the boat) and you get to see the Alsatian countryside.
Try a night moored at Saverne, looking up at the Bishop's Palace where Cagliostro studied and Cardinal Rohan welcomed Marie Antoinette as she arrived to make a doomed marriage. Beats a static hotel room any day.
The best place to stay in Strasbourg for travellers on a shoe-string budget is Ciarus.
It offers clean, comfortable en-suite hostel accommodation, which is often booked up by MEPs.
For the best tarte flambees go to Les Trois Brasseurs at 22 Rue des Veaux. It often has special deals on tarteflambee and beers.
For great beers, go to Academie de la Biere on Rue Adolphe Seyboth. It is a great place to have a few drinks after wondering around beautiful Petite France.
Restuarant Gurtlerhoft, is situated directly opposite the Cathedral in the main square. The restaurant is a quieter, more relaxed alternative to the more popular terraced restaurants that are in abundance.
Passing through a passage opposite the Cathedral you will find the restaurant, situated in an immense arched cellar.
The ambiance in the restaurant is excellent - dimly, atmospherically lit, and decorated with dark wooden furniture. The restaurant offers all the local specialities, wonderfully cooked, and despite the excellent location the prices are reasonable.
Top restaurant to enjoy tarte flambee - Les Trois Brasseurs, 22 rue des Veaux
Walk from Ribeauville to Kaysersberg and back - about an hour each way. Take a picnic and eat it in a field on the way back or eat in one of the restaurants in Kaysersberg.
This offers a nice gentle walk, it is well sign-posted and you can see the Rhine in the distance.
Try and avoid visiting in the one week in four when the European Parliament is sitting - it means there are hardly any hotel rooms available!
A bar you have to visit is L'Epicerie. Located in rue du Vieux Seigle, a narrow street in the centre of the city, its authentic fifties decor and ambience is worth a visit alone.
If you're recovering from the night before, try the vast breakfast, served with steaming bowls of hot chocolate/coffee.
Beware though - this place is extremely popular with the locals and its wooden benches fill up quickly.
On a sunny summer's day there is nothing better than tea on the terrace of the Orangerie restaurant with its views over the beautiful park and gardens.
The city is designed for public transport and biking. To get around you can rent them at Velocation. It is bike rental service managed by the community. Get a bike and get local.
Wander around Strasbourg and experience the local culture and cuisine.
August is the best time to visit for cultural events and street theatre.
As to getting familiar with the local cuisine, I came unstuck at trying their famous Alsace sauerkraut. They say you've got to try anything once, in the case of sauerkraut, once is enough in my lifetime no matter how many Michelin chefs prepare it.
Apart from that little hiccup I will recommend Strasbourg to anyone who'd like to experience the French/German melting pot.
Climb the Cathedral spire to achieve excellent views over the city and the Vosges mountains.
Visit the European Court of Justice, and end your day with an aperitif and meal at the Petite France Hotel on the balcony by the river.
It may not be the first Eurostar city that you associate with cutting edge European culture, but in fact Strasbourg is the home of television channel Arte – a station that many would assume is broadcast from Paris or even Amsterdam.
The ‘Channel 4’ of the European world, they bring ambitious, cultural programming to France and surrounding countries.
Check out their website in advance to see if there is a themed evening of films and discussions showing when you are in town. If you are lucky you may even catch a live opera broadcast!
Visit Tante Lisel restaurant in the historic centre "Petit France" for some great duck and cabagge (confit de canard & choucroute).
Go hiking in the Black Forest - just a short distance away over the Rhine from Strasbourg.
No need for a car – there’s excellent public transport on tram-trains via Baden-Baden and Karlsruhe to Freudenstadt on a cheap day ticket or ‘Tageskarte’ that can also be used on regional German trains and rural buses.
Karlsruhe is worth a visit in its own right, for the Stats Baden-Wuerttemburg museum.
While in Germany, enjoy a reasonably-priced ‘Kaffe und Kuchen’ mid-afternoon, perhaps including a real Black Forest Gateau, quite different from what we get here.
Visit the astronomical clock at the right hand side of the Cathedral at 12.30pm when there is a show of automata.
The 12 apostles parade in front of Christ at the top level of the clock and a cock spreads its wings and crows.
Cherubs turn an hour glass and hit a gong and there are automata that represent the four ages of man.
Hotels in Strasbourg can be expensive and in short supply when the EU Parliament is sitting.
Try booking a hotel in just over the border in Germany. Make contact with your EU Member of Parliament and arrange a free private tour around the parliament.
Get to know them before you travel and who knows you might get them to take you to lunch or dinner.
Is this your business?Search Been there
