Strasbourg holidays

How to reach Strasbourg

• Flight time: Flights to Strasbourg take approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from London Heathrow. Other major UK airports, such as Manchester and Birmingham, offer similar flight durations.

• Transfer time: From Strasbourg’s Entzheim International Airport, 15km outside the city, the easiest way to reach the centre is by shuttle train, which makes the journey in just 8 minutes with around five trains per hour.

• Price: A single train ticket from the airport to Strasbourg station costs around €5. Taxis cost between €20 and €30, depending on traffic and time of day.

Best time to visit Strasbourg

Boasting summer festivals, Christmas markets, vineyard tours and all manner of cultural offerings, choosing a time to visit Strasbourg will depend on which attractions you most wish to visit and experience.

• March to May: This period offers mild weather, with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 18°C. Rainfall averages 40–60mm, and you can enjoy around 6–8 hours of sunshine per day.

• June to August: These are the warmest months, with temperatures between 18°C and 26°C. Summer is the high season for tourism and you’ll find plenty of festivals and outdoor events. Rainfall is about 60–80mm, with 8–10 hours of sunshine daily.

• September to November: Autumn in Strasbourg is lovely, with temperatures cooling down from 18°C in September to 8°C in November. It’s a quieter time, ideal for taking in the vineyards and sampling the local wines. Expect 40–70mm of rain and 5–7 hours of sunshine each day.

• December to February: Winter is cold but enchanting, especially with the city’s magical Christmas market. Temperatures range from 0°C to 5°C, with occasional snowfall. Rainfall is 30–50mm, and sunshine hours are limited to 3–5 per day.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: French is the primary language, but you’ll find many locals also speak German. English is commonly understood in tourist areas.

• Local habits and customs: A great source of confusion when meeting and greeting French people is the double kiss or bise; but when in doubt, hang back, copy what everyone else does, and go left for the first one.

• Health and safety: Strasbourg is a safe destination, but like any other city it’s wise to be mindful of your belongings in crowded areas. Emergency numbers are 112 for general emergencies and 15 for medical assistance.

• Currency: The Euro (€) is used. ATMs are widely available, and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere.

• Getting around: While the compact centre can easily be explored on foot, the city boasts an efficient public transport system, which includes six tramlines. A single tram or bus ticket costs around €1.80. Buy tickets from machines at tram stops or via the CTS mobile app.

• Electricity and plug types: Voltage is officially 230V, using plugs with two round pins. UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Strasbourg operates on Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT and observes Daylight Saving Time.

• Required travel documentation: UK travellers need a valid passport. No visa is required for short stays.

Best things to do in Strasbourg

Strasbourg is part medieval village, characterised by lovely half-timbered houses, a soaring Gothic cathedral and narrow winding streets, and part modern European powerhouse, with sleek, glassy buildings inhabited by important European Union bodies.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Cathedral Tower: It’s worth slogging up the 332 steps to the spire’s viewing platform for the superb view of the old town and, in the distance, the Vosges to the west and the Black Forest to the east.

• Barrage Vauban: A dam built by Vauban to protect the city from attack offers excellent views from its panoramic terrace.

The best districts

• La Petite France: Picturesque district where timber-framed houses and canals hark back to the city’s medieval trades of tanning and dyeing.

• Place du Marché-Gayot: Tucked away off rue des Frères behind the cathedral is a lively cobbled square lined with café-bars, one of the city’s top nightspots.

Museums

• Musée Alsacien: Celebrating all things Alsatian: reconstructed rooms – a kitchen, nursery, bedroom, even a winstub and a farmyard – paint a vivid picture of Alsatian life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

• Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain: First class collection which includes a small group of Impressionist paintings by the likes of Pissarro and Renoir, Kandinsky’s studies for the ceramic salon de musique, a couple of Picassos, and a good section on Surrealism.

Parks and gardens

• Parc de l’Orangerie: Strasbourg’s best bit of greenery, hosting a variety of exhibitions and free concerts, and home to a small zoo with monkeys and exotic birds.

• Jardin des Deux Rives: Spanning both sides of the Rhine River, this garden symbolises Franco-German friendship and offers lovely walking paths, sculptures and playgrounds.

Historical monuments

• Strasbourg Cathedral: This magnificent building’s highlights are The Pilier des Anges, a slender triple-tiered central column decorated with some of the most graceful and expressive statuary of the 13th century, and the huge astronomical clock, built by Schwilgué of Strasbourg in 1842.

• Palais Rohan: Designed for the immensely powerful Rohan family, this imposing edifice now contains three museums: the Museum of Fine Arts, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts.

Day trips in the area

• Colmar: A short train ride away, the Issenheim Altarpiece is a luridly expressive, early Renaissance masterpiece that alone makes quaint Colmar worth a visit.

• The Alsace Wine Route: Surrounded by a sea of vines, Alsace’s picturesque wine villages are overlooked by a wealth of ruined castles, perched on pine-clad fringes of the Vosges.

Activities for families in Strasbourg

Strasbourg caters well to families, from theme parks and trips out on the water to an excellent cross-section of interactive museums.

• Boat rides: What family doesn’t love a trip out on the water? Batorama runs cruises on the river Ill, which depart from in front of the Palais Rohan. The most popular itinerary takes in La Petite France, the Vauban Dam, the European Parliament and the Palais de l’Europe.

• Theme and adventure parks: Located just across the border in Germany, Europa Park is an excellent option for a day trip, offering an exhaustive range of thrill-a-minute rides and attractions for all ages.

• Parks and gardens: There’s a good day’s worth of family activities at the Parc de l’Orangerie, not least playgrounds, a car track and mini-zoo.

• Interactive museums: The Le Vaisseau science museum offers hands-on exhibits that engage young minds with science and technology, while the Planetarium is an immersive projection hall featuring a dome display in a spectacular space where everyone can learn about astronomy.

Free things to do in Strasbourg

There are many ways in which you can save money on your Strasbourg holidays if you just use a little imagination.

• Festivals: There are theatre, dance and musical festivals throughout the summer - many with free shows - but if you happen to be in town in July, August or September, don’t miss the impressive daily illumination of the cathedral facade, accompanied by music.

• Get political: As well as admiring the architecture of the headquarters of three major European institutions, you can arrange to visit the European Parliament during plenary sessions for free, while the European Court of Human Rights has free public court hearings.

• Christmas Market: During the Marché de Noël (last weekend in Nov to 30th Dec), central Strasbourg is taken over by wooden stalls selling mulled wine, crafts of varying quality and spicy Christmas cookies known as bredele.

• Tourist Pass: Although not free, it may be worth investing in a Strasbourg Pass, which entitles you to one free museum entry, one half-price museum entry, a free boat tour, free access to the cathedral tower and clock and many more reductions.

###Nature and outdoor activities Whether it’s a gentle ride around the city or more vigorous activity in the Alsace countryside, there are all kinds of possibilities for getting out and about on your holidays to Strasbourg.

• Hiking: Just a short drive from Strasbourg, the magnificent Vosges Mountains provide numerous hiking trails that range from easy walks to challenging hikes, such as the long-distance GR5 route.

• Cycling: Strasbourg is one of France’s best cycling cities, and its 560km of cycle tracks and routes make bike rental a tempting option. Velhop is at the train station and 3 rue d’Or, with rental stations open 24/7. More adventurous riders may prefer the challenge of the EuroVelo 15 route.

• Birdwatching: The pancake-flat Ried wetlands, located east of Strasbourg, offer marvellous birdwatching, including some truly world-class species such as the white-tailed eagle.

• Fishing: The Rhine and its tributaries provide excellent fishing opportunities, whether that’s fly fishing or traditional angling.

Local dishes in Strasbourg

Alsatians are hearty eaters, with their local cuisine characterised by generous helpings of pork, potatoes and spaetzle (a type of pasta usually fried in butter).

Some typical dishes

• Choucroute: Aromatic pickled cabbage known in German as sauerkraut, it’s traditionally served with smoked pork, ham and sausages.

Meat dishes

• Baeckeoffe: A three-meat hotpot comprising layers of potato, pork, mutton and beef marinated in wine and baked for several hours is a speciality.

• Coq au Riesling: A local twist on the classic coq au vin, this dish uses Riesling wine, which is abundant in the region, to create a lighter, aromatic flavour.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Matelote: A fish stew made with river fish, often pike or eel, and cooked in Alsatian white wine with mushrooms and onions.

• Truite aux amandes: Fresh trout from the Vosges, delicately cooked and garnished with almonds, is a simple yet delicious meal.

Street Food

• Flammekueche: Akin to a very thin pizza covered with cheese, lardons and onions, this Alsatian staple is a great snack for those on the go.

Sweets and desserts

In almost every patisserie you’ll find a mouthwatering array of fruit tarts, with yellow mirabelle plums a speciality, as well as delicacies such as torche aux marrons, a meringue base topped with chestnut puree. Cake lovers should try kugelhopf, a dome-shaped cake with a hollow in the middle made with raisins and almonds.

Local drinks

• Alsace wines: The region is famous for its white wines, such as Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer, Alsace’s most aromatic grape, featuring flavours of roses, lychees, honey and spices among others.

• Beer: Strasbourg’s beer culture is strong, with local brews like Kronenbourg and Meteor among the most popular. Try a refreshing pint at one of the city’s many biergartens.

• Eaux-de-vie: A popular digestif in Alsace, these fruit brandies - typically pear, plum and cherry - provide a perfect end to a meal.