How to Spend a Day in Strasbourg, France

STRASBOURG, FRANCE

A city blended with German and French influence.

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IS STRASBOURG WORTH VISITING

Why we think you should visit Strasbourg

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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT STRASBOURG

Good weather months and Christmas in Strasbourg

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HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO SEE STRASBOURG

A day or overnight trip to Strasbourg

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HOW TO SPEND A DAY IN STRASBOURG FRANCE

The best things to do in Strasbourg and how to enjoy a day in the city

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WHERE TO STAY IN STRASBOURG

Where we love staying in Strasbourg

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DAY TRIPS FROM STRASBOURG

Easy day trips (by train and car) from Strasbourg

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Bonjour! If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.

In January of 2022, my husband and I left our home in Atlanta, packed our bags and moved to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.

In this Strasbourg Travel Guide, we’re sharing everything you need to know about how to spend a day exploring Strasbourg, France.

strasbourg, france

Strasbourg is a city located in Eastern France, known as “the Grand Est” region, which is often referred to as the Alsace region of France.

The Grand Est region is truly as far east as you can go in France without hitting another country, with Strasbourg itself sits just 2 miles from the German border.

This proximity to Germany means that, according to FranceToday.com, Strasbourg has passed back and forth between Germany and France no fewer than five times since the late 17th century, most recently falling under German occupation during World War II. The city has been French since the end of 1944.

This passing back and forth, although likely unsettling for the people of Strasbourg, created a city that feels both French and German. As you wander through Strasbourg, especially through the old town and Petite-France, you’ll discover a Germanic style architecture of half-timbered houses, while eating cuisine you’ll find similarities to German cuisine such as Bretzels and pork, and at Christmas you’ll find a market similar to the ones found in Germany during the Holiday season.

IS STRASBOURG WORTH VISITING?

Strasbourg is absolutely worth visiting if you’re considering a visit. As you’ll find later in this post, the city has endless historical and cultural activities to discover and is truly unique in its French/German blend.

In addition, Strasbourg is a relatively easy city to explore and digest. It’s convenient from the train station, you won’t need a car (unless you want to explore some of the other towns in the Alsace region), and you can easily visit in a day or on an overnight trip.

If you’re considering whether to visit Strasbourg versus a different region of France, you can discover some of our other favorite regions of France here.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT STRASBOURG?

Strasbourg would be a lovely destination any time of year, but the best times to visit Strasbourg are Spring-Fall and at Christmas.

In Winter (apart from the Christmas markets), the region can become pretty cold and rainy/snowy, meaning it might be more challenging to enjoy strolling through the half-timbered streets.

After visiting both in December and August, I much preferred Strasbourg in August. It just seems to be a place made for enjoying the outdoors. In good weather, you can fully enjoy wandering through the city, sitting along the canals, being on the water and soaking up the bike paths throughout the region (more on this later).

However, in December, you’ll see Strasbourg turned into the “Capital of Christmas,” boasting all of her glory as she’s covered head to toe in Christmas lights and French Christmas markets.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED IN STRASBOURG?

As mentioned just above, Strasbourg is a convenient and easily digestible city, meaning you don’t need weeks to see everything the Alsatian capital has to offer.

You can easily see the main highlights of Strasbourg in a day. And if you time it right, you can make it a day trip from Paris, as the train between Paris and Strasbourg is under two hours.

Both times we’ve visited Strasbourg (both at Christmas and in August), we stayed one night, which was a perfect amount of time to walk through most areas of the old town.

HOW TO SPEND A DAY IN STRASBOURG

You can easily access Strasbourg by direct train from Paris, making it feasible to do in a day. The train usually takes under two hours, so you would need to leave Paris in the morning and then take a later train back to Paris. Book your train tickets from Paris Gare de l’Est to Strasbourg.

Regardless of whether you choose to visit Strasbourg as a day trip or as an overnight trip, here’s how we recommend spending a day in Strasbourg.

1) START AT PETITE-FRANCE

Petite-France is a small neighborhood of Strasbourg and is a great starting point for your day in Strasbourg. The neighborhood is built along the canals and is where you’ll discover some of the best examples of the half-timbered architecture in Strasbourg.

2) RENT A BOAT IN PETITE-FRANCE

If you enjoy being on the water for a bit, while you’re wandering around Petite-France in Strasbourg, you can find boat rentals at Marin D'Eau Douce Strasbourg. The great thing about the boats is that they are electric and don’t require a license, and you can rent them by the hour.

We really enjoyed renting from them and being on the water during our day in August. They even let us bring our dog, Boo, with us!

3) WALK ACROSS BARRAGE VAUBAN IN PETITE-FRANCE

As you’re wandering through Petite-France in Strasbourg, you’ll likely catch sight of a long bridge hovering over the water. This bridge, Barrage Vauban, was built in the 17th century and is now a pedestrian bridge offering amazing views over Petite-France.

4) DISCOVER ALSATIAN CUISINE IN PETITE-FRANCE

If you find yourself hungry while discovering Petite-France, stop to discover some of the delicious Alsatian dishes at either Au Pont Saint-Martin or Chez l’Oncle Freddy. Au Pont Saint-Martin has a patio hanging over the water and a beautiful facade, whereas Chez l’Oncle Freddy has better rated cuisine. Either way, Bon Appétit.

5) BEHOLD THE DRAMA OF THE STRASBOURG CATHEDRAL

After your time exploring Petite-France, make your way over to the striking building of Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg. The cathedral dates from the 1200s and is a gothic masterpiece, with pink sandstone exterior and a 142 meters (466 FT) high spire.

During your time at the cathedral, you can climb 330 steps to the cathedral platform to discover panoramic views over Strasbourg below. Find all your cathedral visit details here.

6) RENT BIKES

I have to say, I’m not your usual “let’s rent bikes” gal. Especially living in a city like Paris where I think riding bikes is incredibly unsafe. However, if there’s a French city to rent bikes in, it’s Strasbourg.

In fact, according to Visitstrasbourg.fr, Strasbourg is the most bike-friendly city in France and the fourth most bike-friendly city in Europe! The city has 600km (373 miles) of bike paths, both in the city and in the surrounding Alsatian countryside, making it a great way to explore.

We rented bikes from our hotel, Hotel Tandem, which was an effortless and easy process. They even let us use the kid-carrier for our dog! We wanted to get out of the city and took the Bruche Canal path, which runs along a canal and alongside Alsatian villages and countryside. This path can actually take you all the way to Molsheim if you’re up for it!

7) WALK ALONG THE QUAI

The historic part of Strasbourg sits on an island with the canal surrounding it, and alongside the canal are quai, or paths, perfect for an enjoyable stroll around the city. You can walk the entirety of the center of Strasbourg around the quai which is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and enjoy more views of the city.

8) VISIT THE WORLD FAMOUS STRASBOURG CHRISTMAS MARKETS

I can’t write a guide to spending a day in Strasbourg without mentioning the Strasbourg Christmas markets. Of course, this is only applicable if you are visiting during the holiday season, but the markets are a sight to behold and shouldn’t be missed.

Beginning towards the end of November and running through Christmas Eve, you can discover Strasbourg’s 12 Christmas markets scattered throughout the city, as well as the city’s amazing light display.

If you’re planning to visit Strasbourg at Christmas, you can still do most of the things listed above, just maybe not the boat rental or bike ride.

If you’re planning a Strasbourg Christmas market trip, you can find all the details in our Alsace Christmas Market Guide.

WHERE TO STAY IN STRASBOURG

If you do choose to stay a night or two in Strasbourg, you’ll discover there is no shortage of beautiful hotels and Airbnb rentals within the city. We’ve rounded up all of our favorites in this post, however, we do recommend staying at Hotel Tandem near the train station. It’s pet-friendly, convenient and offers bike rentals!

DAY TRIPS FROM STRASBOURG

If you’re visiting Strasbourg as part of a larger trip through the Alsace region of France, you can easily access many destinations in under an hour from the city. You can access some by train and for some you would need to rent a car.

Popular Day Trips from Strasbourg by train:

• Strasbourg to Colmar (24-minutes by train)

• Strasbourg to Basel, Switzerland (1h 17 minutes by train)

You can find all the destinations reachable by train from Strasbourg here.

Day Trips from Strasbourg by car:

• Strasbourg to Colmar (57-minute drive)

• Strasbourg to Basel, Switzerland (1h 30 minute drive)

• Strasbourg to Eguisheim (1h 6 minute drive)

• Strasbourg to Heidelberg, Germany (1h 30 minute drive)

• Strasbourg to Baden-Baden, Germany (50 minute drive)

• Strasbourg to Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (1h 5 minute drive)

STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE

Looking for other great regions to explore in France?

Check out our Complete Guide to Paris, our Normandy Road Trip Itinerary, our Provence Travel Guide, or find all of our France content here.

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