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STRASBOURG: THE CROSSROADS OF EUROPE
Traditional Alsatian culture
Thanks to its strategic geographical position, Strasbourg, the “city of the roads”, has become one of the pillars of the European Community in its role as the official seat of the European Parliament. Yet despite having a modern and European outlook, Strasbourg has remained unmistakably Alsatian and traditional in many ways.
The city is famous for its Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, its picturesque half-timbered houses, and the festive Christmas markets where you can sample the huge array of somewhat unpronounceable culinary specialties, such as kougelhopf, fleischnacka, flammekueche, and of course, sauerkraut. The Alsace region is very famous for its wines, with varieties such as Gewürztraminer and Riesling.
A historic intersection
Founded in 12 BC, Argentoratum, a Roman military camp, later became Strateburgum (“city of the roads”) during the barbarian invasions.
Under German rule between 1870 and 1918 and then again from 1940 to 1944, Strasbourg was liberated by Leclerc on 23rd November 1944. Leclerc had pledged his famous “oath of Kufra”, now a French symbol of resistance, in which he vowed to keep fighting until the French flag flew once again over Strasbourg Cathedral. Since 1949 Strasbourg has been the seat of the Council of Europe, and many other international bodies.
Architectural gems, old and new
Since 1988 the whole of the historic town centre has been classed as a UNESCO world heritage monument including the “grande île”, the ponts couverts or covered bridges, the Vauban dam, the Petite-France quarter with its canals and the towering pink sandstone cathedral.
Strasbourg is dominated by its famed Cathedral of Notre-Dame. This is a fine example of High Gothic architecture, a "prodigious example of the gigantic and delicate", according to Victor Hugo. The cathedral is a stunning construction, in particular for its rose hue which changes with the light, its tall spires and the intricate, sculpted detail of its facade. It also contains a Renaissance era astronomical clock.
In the European quarter you will find many European administrational institutions including the Council of Europe, European Parliament, and the impressive European Court of Human Rights, which, along with the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, is one of the city’s finest examples of contemporary architecture.
NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL IN STRASBOURG
Gothic masterpiece.
A gothic masterpiece, Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg has contributed to the Grande Ile in Strasbourg's status as a Unesco world heritage site. The cathedral itself is "gigantic and delicate" according to Victor Hugo. The spire at 142 metres tall is a masterpiece of lightness and elegance. Covered in sculptures and reliefs, the facade is a marvel, playing on light and shadow. Depending on the light and the height of the sun, the sandstone reveals it full palette of pink tones.
Inside, the height of the vaults is breathtaking and light filters through the stained glass windows. These windows, sculptures, a monumental organ and the famous Renaissance era astronomical clock are all part of the refined artistic achievements that you will discover during your visit.
Visits are not permitted during religious services
Accessible to people with reduced mobility through the North entrance
Opening hours :
From Friday 1 January 2010 to Saturday 31 December 2011 :
- Every day, from 07:00 to 11:20
- Every day, from 12:35 to 19:00
Place :
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg
Place de la Cathédrale
67000 Strasbourg
+33 388 52 28 28
For more information :
www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 885 228 28
EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS IN STRASBOURG
Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, European Parliament
Strasbourg, European Capital
New-York, Geneva and Strasbourg: these are the only cities in the world that host international institutions despite not being state capitals. The choice of Strasbourg as European capital after the Second World War was a symbol of reconciliation between European peoples and the future of Europe. Immerse yourself in Europe and at the same time take the opportunity to discover the jewels of contemporary architecture.
Strasbourg invites you to explore its European quarters: the Council of Europe, of which 47 democratic countries are members, the European Court of Human Rights, built according to plans by Sir Richard Rogers, co-architect of the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the European Parliament building, constructed in the shape of an ellipse which hosts monthly sessions.
Council of Europe: by reservation only, on +33 388 41 20 29
European Court of Human Rights: you can attend conferences or hearings before the European Court of Human Rights, arrive 1/2 hour before Check calendar of hearings on the website
European Parliament: visits allowed for groups by written request only, write to: Antenne du Parlement Européen, allée du Printemps - B.P. 1024 F, 67070 Strasbourg Cedex
Council of Europe and European Parliament are accessible to persons of reduced mobility
Place :
European Quarter in Strasbourg
avenue de l'Europe
67000 Strasbourg
For more information :
Website of the Information Centre for the European Institution: www.strasbourg-europe.eu
European Parliament website: www.europarl.europa.eu
Council of Europe website: www.coe.int
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 388 52 28 28
ALSACE MUSEUM, STRASBOURG
Discovering popular art from the Alsace region.
The Musée Alsacien (Alsace Museum) in Strasbourg is to be found in a series of old houses typical of Strasbourg. It serves as a museum of arts and popular traditions, and presents a valuable testimony to traditional life in Alsace of the 18th and 19th centuries. With its collection of furniture, costumes, ceramics, toys, religious imagery and other items you will gain fascinating insights into everyday life in the region throughout the ages. The museum also features reconstructions of the interiors of the different kinds of houses typical of the area of Alsace and craftsmen's workshops (carpenters, blacksmiths etc).
Opening hours :
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12:00 to 18:00
- Saturday, Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00
Closed on Good Friday
Closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December
Admission prices :
- Full price : 5 €
- Until 18 years : Free
Place :
Alsace Museum
23 /25 quai Saint-Nicolas
67000 Strasbourg
+33 388 52 50 01
For more information :
www.musees-strasbourg.org
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 388 52 28 28
MUSEUM OF THE SECRETS OF CHOCOLATE, GEISPOLSHEIM
Choco heaven
This 100% cocoa museum reveals all the secrets of making chocolate from cocoa growing to the packaging process of this most universal of gourmet pleasures.
On arrival, take a seat in the auditorium of the museum, which will treat you to a film about cocoa and chocolate. You will then have the opportunity to follow three trails of discovery. Go back to the origins of chocolate from the Aztecs and the arrival of cocoa in Europe at the Spanish Court, then through video screens and machines, learn how chocolate is made from raw cocoa beans. The third stage of your visit is centered on the rise of the brand Marquise de Sévigné an international ambassador of chocolate which has partnered with artisan creators such as Castelbajac.
The final part of the Museum of the Secrets of Chocolate ends in style with a workshop demonstrating chocolate-making.
Chocoholics, prepare to enjoy!
A free gift (chocolates) will be presented to each paid entry
Activities for children from 7 to 14 years during the school holidays, 6€
Opening hours :
Special opening hours in January: Full calendar of opening days of the museum
From Friday 1 January 2010 to Saturday 31 December 2011 :
- From Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00
- Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00
Closed on 1 January and 25 December
Admission prices :
- Full price : 8 €
- From 5 to 15 years : 6 €
- Until 5 years : Free
Place :
Museum of the Secrets of Chocolate (Musée les Secrets du Chocolat)
rue du Pont-du-Péage
Parc de la Porte Sud
67400 Geispolsheim
+ 33 388 55 04 90
Getting there : From Strasbourg, Tram A, stop: Baggersee, then bus n° 62 or 66, stop: Pont du Péage
For more information :
The Mairie
6 rue Maire François Nuss
67400 GEISPOLSHEIM
TOUR OF THE GINGERBREAD AND POPULAR ART MUSEUM
A delectable museum!
This museum features a mouthwatering collection of 10,000 items displayed in the old Gertwiller barn. The Gingerbread and Popular Arts Museum will inform you about the history of gingerbread, or pain d'épices, which is so dear to the people of Alsace. Discover the collection of archaic utensils and tools used for agriculture, everyday life, religion, and, of course - cooking. In particular, you will learn everything there is to know about making biscuits and gingerbread.
The Maison Lips is one of the two factories where gingerbread is still made (of the nice factories which were active in Gertwiller at the turn of the last century.
Michel Habsiger, the owner, has been a passionate collector of items connected with artisan production of gingerbread: clay molds, advertising images, Hannong earthenware, tools, and so on.
More generally, objects related to folk art and Alsatian peasant life of the past are also on display.
Museum visit and tasting session
You can visit the gingerbread-making workshop together with the museum during the week outside of production hours
Opening hours :
From Wednesday 1 to Friday 31 December 2010 :
- Every day, from 09:00 to 12:00
- Every day, from 14:00 to 18:00
From Monday 1 February to Tuesday 30 November 2010 :
- Monday from 14:00 to 18:00
- From Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00
- From Tuesday to Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00
- Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00
From Tuesday 1 February to Wednesday 30 November 2011 :
- Monday from 14:00 to 18:00
- From Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00
- From Tuesday to Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00
- Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00
- Every day, from 09:00 to 12:00
- Every day, from 14:00 to 18:00
Closed on 25 December
Admission prices :
- 2.7 €
- Up to 13 years : Free
Place :
Gingerbread and Popular Arts Museum (Musée du pain d'épices et de l'art populaire)
110 place de la mairie
67140 Gertwiller
+33 388 60 22 23
> Email
Getting there: Gertwiller (TER) station
For more information :
In French : http://www.paindepices-lips.com/
The Mairie
20 rue Principale
67140 GERTWILLER
+33 388 08 96 34
STRASBOURG CHRISTMAS MARKET
441st edition
From Saturday, November 27 2010 to Friday, December 31 2010
Strasbourg lit up with Christmas lights!
Strasbourg's Christmas Market or "Christkindelsmärik" is the oldest market of its kind in France, whose origins can be traced back as far as 1570. The range and variety of Christmas decorations is simply astounding, probably the most extensive in the country. Baubles in all imaginable colours, decorated in a thousand and one styles, traditional and modern ornaments, wood carvings, garlands, tinsel, bells… In addition there is a large choice of Christmas trees (quality pines from the Vosges), artisan products (candles, and original photophores) and of course toys! Try the delicous spiced vin chaud and a Bredele (Alsace cookie) which will warm the cockles of your heart as the city's Christmas lights twinkle all around you.
On the programme this year:
From mid-November: The Great Christmas Tree will be a focal point at the centre of Strasbourg in Place Kléber
From 27th November to 31st December: open air ice rink at the Place du Château
From 27th November to 24th December: the Village du Partage ("Village of Sharing") in Place Kléber with more than 60 associations who will invite you to discover their work
From 1st to 31st December: Les Contes d'Hiver ("Winter Tales") at the vault of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Le Noël du Livre ("Book Christmas") invites you to discover the best books dedicated to Strasbourg, Alsace and the Christmas tradition
The Village des Enfants offers workshops and games for young children
The Christmas concerts will echo throughout the cathedral as well as in other churches and chapels of Strasbourg
Place :
Strasbourg City Centre
Place de l'Etoile
67000 Strasbourg
For more information :
www.noel.strasbourg.eu
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 388 52 28 28
BOAT RIDE ON THE ILL, STRASBOURG
All year long
Strasbourg along the water's edge.
To explore picturesque Strasbourg in a fun way, why not take a boat trip on the river Ill, a major tributary of the Rhine. Along the water with its locks, legendary sites in Strasbourg, both ancient and modern, will unforld before your eyes: the half-timbered houses of the Petite France quarter (the old quarter of Strasbourg), the Ponts Couverts ("covered bridges"), the Vauban barrage, the European institutions (European Council, Court of Human Rights, European Parliament)...
At cruising speed you will discover all of Strasbourg, preparing you for a more detailed exploration on foot of the many different places you will hear about on this instructive and delightful tour.
Couples will find the boat trip down the Ill is one of the most romantic excursions in Strasbourg.
In 2011, rates may change, Check the website (in French)
Trip lasts: 1h10
April to October leaving every half hour
Extra boats in high season, May to September: extra trips at 9.30pm and 10pm
Disabled persons: reservation in advance recommended
Audioguides in 11 languages, paper in braille
Opening hours :
From Tuesday 2 to Friday 26 November 2010 :
- Every day, from 10:30 to 11:40
- Every day, from 13:00 to 14:10
- Every day, from 14:30 to 15:40
- Every day, from 16:00 to 17:10
From Saturday 27 November to Friday 31 December 2010 :
- Every day, from 09:30 to 18:00
From Saturday 1 to Wednesday 26 January 2011 :
- Every day, from 10:30 to 11:40
- Every day, from 13:00 to 14:10
- Every day, from 14:30 to 15:40
- Every day, from 16:00 to 17:10
From Sunday 27 March to Saturday 30 April 2011 :
- Every day, from 09:30 to 21:00
From Sunday 1 May to Sunday 2 October 2011 :
- Every day, from 09:30 to 22:00
From Monday 3 October to Tuesday 1 November 2011 :
- Every day, from 09:30 to 21:00
From Wednesday 2 to Saturday 26 November 2011 :
- Every day, from 10:30 to 11:40
- Every day, from 13:00 to 14:10
- Every day, from 14:30 to 15:40
- Every day, from 16:00 to 17:10
From Sunday 27 November to Saturday 31 December 2011 :
- Everyday, from 09:30 to 18:00
Admission prices :
- Full price : 8.4 €
- Up to 18 years : 4.2 €
- Up to 3 years : Free
- Students up to 25 years : 4.2 €
Place :
The Pier at the Palais Rohan (Embarcadère du Palais Rohan)
Place du Château
67000 Strasbourg
For more information :
In French : www.batorama.fr
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 388 52 28 28
GUIDED TOUR AROUND THE VINEYARDS IN INGERSHEIM
From Thursday, December 1 2011 to Saturday, December 31 2011
Alsace wine route getaway.
Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat… at the origins of production of three Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées in Alsace (AOC Alsace, AOC Alsace Grand Cru and AOC Crémant d'Alsace), the great white wines produced in Alsace are extremely well known. On the wine trail of Alsace, the domaine Fleith opens its doors for a guided tour around the vineyard and cellars in Ingersheim, near Colmar.
And since the visit will no doubt make you want to taste some of the wine proiduced here, a wine tasting session is included in the visit, and you can taste a range of local food as well if you wish: a selection of organically produced food which complements the texture of the wine.
Wine tasting included in ticket price. A supplement will cover cheese, bread, kougelhof and pretzels
Tour lasts an hour and a half
Reservation on +33 389 27 24 19 or by email
Opening hours :
From Wednesday 1 to Friday 31 December 2010 :
- Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00
Admission prices :
- Full price : 3 €
Getting there: Ingersheim station (TER)
Place :
Domaine Fleith Eschard
8 Lange Matten
68040 Ingersheim
+33 089 27 24 19
For more information :
In French : http://vins.fleith.over-blog.com
The Mairie
42 rue République
68040 INGERSHEIM
INDEPENDENT WINEMAKERS' FAIR IN STRASBOURG
From Friday, February 18th 2011 to Monday, February 21st 2011
Celebrating wine.
Come discover a wide range of French wines directly from the source. Meet wine-producers from all over the country, take a virtual tour of the vineyards and taste their finest vintages.
Independent vintners are a dying breed; these are the producers who really take care to respect tradition and produce wine as it has been done for centuries, avoiding the modern day shortcuts that devalue the product and the vineyards themselves. For the consumer, the logo on the bottle will tell you if you are drinking wine made by an independent producer.
In each French region you'll find winemakers who cultivate the earth, harvest the grapes, do all the fermenting themselves and handle the commecial side as well.
Free tasting glass of Inao on entry
Opening hours :
On Friday 18 February 2011 :
- Friday from 15:00 to 21:00
From Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 February 2011 :
- Saturday, Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00
On Monday 21 February 2011 :
- Monday from 10:00 to 18:00
Admission prices :
- Full price : 6 €
- Reduced price : 3 €
- Up to 15 years : Free
Place :
Strasbourg Wacken Exhibition Centre (Parc des expositions de Strasbourg Wacken)
7 place du Wacken
Hall 20
67000 Strasbourg
For more information :
In French : www.vigneron-independant.com
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 388 52 28 28
OF THEIR TIME (3) - EXHIBITION
From Saturday, November 6 2010 to Sunday, February 13 2011
10 ans de création en France : le Prix Marcel Duchamp
Retrospective of 10 years of the Marcel Duchamp Prize.
Discover the third part in a series of exhibitions (following the Museum of Tourcoing in 2004 and the Museum of Grenoble in 2007) initiated by the ADIAF (Association for the International Diffusion of French Art) entitles De leur temps or Of their Time (3), 10 years of creation in France: the Marcel Duchamp Prize at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Strasbourg.
The exhibition offers the opportunity to see past winners as well as those nominated for this year's Prix Marcel Duchamp: 40 contemporary artists.
You will see painting (Adam Adach, Carole Benzaken, Bernard Frize...), sculpture (Didier Marcel, Xavier Veilhan, Wang Du...), photography (Valérie Belin, Eric Poitevin, Philippe Ramette...), not forgetting video art (Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Laurent Grasso...), and installations (Thomas Hirschhorn, Michel Blazy, Tatiana Trouvé, Claude Lévêque...).
Opening hours :
From Saturday 6 November 2010 to Sunday 13 February 2011 :
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 to 19:00
- Thursday from 12:00 to 21:00
- Saturday, Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00
Closed on 1 January, 11 November and 25 December
Admission prices :
- Full price : 6 €
- Reduced price : 3 €
Place :
Musée d'Art moderne et contemporain de Strasbourg
1 place Hans-Jean-Arp
67000 Strasbourg
+33 388 23 31 31
Getting There : Tramway stop: Laiterie or Musée d'Art Moderne
For more information :
www.musees-strasbourg.org
Tourist Office
17, place de la Cathédrale
67000 STRASBOURG
+33 388 52 28 28
From Wednesday 1 to Friday 31 December 2010 :
- Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00
Admission prices :
- Full price : 3 €
Getting there: Ingersheim station (TER)
Place :
Domaine Fleith Eschard
8 Lange Matten
68040 Ingersheim
+33 089 27 24 19
For more information :
In French : http://vins.fleith.over-blog.com
The Mairie
42 rue République
68040 INGERSHEIM
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