Strasbourg Travelers Recommend

Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway or taking the family to the famous Christmas markets, Strasbourg has plenty to fill up a 3-day itinerary. You’ll have time to take in the city’s historic center, see its top sights, discover Alsatian cuisine, and explore the surrounding Alsace region. Here’s how to maximize 72 hours in Strasbourg.

Day 1: Tour the Grande Île

Strasbourg’s water-ringed Grande Île is the heart of the historic city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best way to get around is on foot, and a guided walking tour is the ideal way to get your bearings and take in the must-see attractions.

Begin in the atmospheric Petite France district, full of medieval half-timbered houses and winding canals, including the much-photographed Covered Bridges (Ponts Couverts) and Vauban Dam (Barrage Vauban). Continue to the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame and climb the tower for an impressive city view. Nearby, the grand Rohan Palace (Palais Rohan) houses three of Strasbourg’s most important museums: the Archaeological Museum (Musée Archéologique), Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts Décoratifs), and Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts).

Nineteenth-century Maison Kammerzell is a perfect dinner spot, serving traditional Alsatian cuisine and wines within one of Strasbourg’s most historical buildings. End the day with a nighttime city tour aboard a traditional pedicab and admire Strasbourg’s glittering illuminations.

Day 2: Explore the Alsace

With the Alsace wine region, Germany’s Black Forest, and the Rhine valley close by, you’re spoiled for choice for day trips from Strasbourg. Enjoy a half- or full-day tour of the Alsace Wine Route, visit traditional wineries, and sample the region’s celebrated wines. A popular choice is to combine wine tasting with a visit to regional highlights such as the mountaintop High Koenigsbourg Castle and the medieval town of Colmar, known for its picturesque canals and colorful buildings.

Alternatively, hop over the German border to explore the Black Forest’s historical villages and vineyards. A typical day trip itinerary includes the spa town of Baden Baden or medieval Freiburg, a scenic walk in the forest, and a stop at a local café for a requisite slice of Black Forest cake.

Day 3: Sightsee, Savor, and Shop

Get a different perspective on the sights with a boat ride along the Ill river. Cruise around the Grande Île, explore the city’s tranquil canals, and pass the Covered Bridges and other landmarks. Don’t forget your camera.

For lunch, tuck into typical Alsatian dishes like tarte flambée (German-style pizza) or choucroute (sauerkraut), then escape to the tranquil Jardin de l’Orangerie, a park with a network of walking trails, a boating lake, and even a small zoo. Bike or Segway tours are a popular way to explore the park as well as the nearby Neustadt district, known for its German-style architecture, and the European Quarter, home to the European Parliament headquarters.

Back on the Grande Île, browse the shops or enjoy a drink at one of the many bars around the cathedral. For holiday visitors, evening is the most atmospheric time to tour Strasbourg’s famous Christmas markets. The most popular are found on Place Kleber, Place Broglie, and outside the cathedral.

From cycling past lush vineyards to sipping vintage wines in traditional cellars, following the Alsace Wine Route is a quintessentially French experience. Here are a few ways to explore the route’s rolling vineyards, hilltop castles, and medieval towns as an excursion from nearby Strasbourg.

Half-Day Tours

On a half-day tour along the Alsace Wine Route, travel with a guide and stop in at two local wineries to sample the delicate wines in production. You’ll taste wines such as gewürztraminer, pinot gris, pinot blanc, and riesling; visit the traditional cellars; and gain insight into how wine is made in France and the Alsace.

Full-Day Tours

If you have a little more time to spend, full-day tours delve deeper into the Alsace region, and you can sample more of the diverse wines on offer. Follow the Alsace Wine Route to beautiful villages such as Dambach-la-Ville, Mittelbergheim, Ribeauvillé, and Riquewihr—hidden near the Vosges mountains near the border between France and Germany. En route, stop at various wineries to meet the winemakers and sample the wines for which the Alsace is famous. Alternatively, take a scenic route through the Alsatian countryside to the traditional towns of Colmar and Eguisheim, and the medieval village of Riquewihr. Taste local wines along the way, and visit the 12th-century High Koenigsbourg Castle, widely considered among the region’s top attractions.

Things to Know

• Morning and afternoon half-day tours along the Alsace Wine Route from Strasbourg typically last four hours.

• Full-day tours typically last eight to nine hours and offer the opportunity to purchase your own lunch.

• Tours usually include wine tastings and round-trip transportation, plus walking tours and entrance fees where applicable.

As the capital of France’s Alsace region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to the European Parliament, there’s plenty to see and do in Strasbourg. With two days you can cover a lot, including the city’s historic heart, its top sights, the nearby wine region, and, in December, the legendary Christmas markets. Here’s how.

Day 1: Discover the Grande Île

Morning: Start the day with a walking tour of Strasbourg’s historic center, including the atmospheric Petite France quarter. Highlights include the much-photographed Covered Bridges (Ponts Couverts) and Vauban Dam (Barrage Vauban), the beautiful Rohan Palace (Palais Rohan), and the striking 19th-century Maison Kammerzell. For lunch, pick up a slice of tarte flambée (German-style pizza).

Afternoon: Prebook skip-the-line tickets for Strasbourg’s magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame, timing your visit for 12:30pm to watch the automated display of the Astronomical Clock. The views from the cathedral tower span the whole city, but for a closer look, hop aboard one of the Batorama sightseeing boats for a cruise around the city’s canals.

Night: Continue sightseeing into the evening and experience Strasbourg’s magical illuminations. Take a scenic pedicab ride around the Grande Île, then head to one of the traditional winstubs (pubs) to sample Alsatian cuisine accompanied by regional wines.

Day 2: Explore the Alsace

Morning: The Alsace is one of France’s most unique wine regions, and a half-day tour is a great way to explore the famous Alsace Wine Route. Learn about the winemaking process as you visit two different wineries and sample regional varietals such as gewürztraminer and riesling during guided wine tastings.

Afternoon: Back in Strasbourg, take a bike or Segway tour of the European Quarter, home to the official headquarters of the European parliament. On the way, stop off to admire the German-style architecture of the Neustadt district and spot storks—the symbol of the Alsace—in the Jardin de l’Orangerie park.

Night: If you’re visiting during the festive holiday season, spend the evening hours browsing Strasbourg’s renowned Christmas markets—the largest are on Place Kleber and Place Broglie. Alternatively, the city’s best bars, restaurants, and nightclubs are located around the cathedral.

Germany’s bucolic Black Forest—a popular destination for hikers, campers, cyclists, and Grimm fairy-tale fans—makes for an ideal day trip from Strasbourg, the capital of France’s historic Alsace region. Here are a few ways to make the most of a daylong journey into the beautiful, culturally diverse Black Forest.

Highlights

• Visit the Roman spa town of Baden-Baden, located on the border between France and Germany, and known for attractions including the Art Nouveau villas, the Lichtentaler Allee gardens, and the 2,000-year-old Roman baths.

• Gaze out over the shimmering waters of the Mummelsee, Schluchsee, and Titisee lakes.

• Take the German Wine Route through the region’s rolling hillsides and discover lush vineyards, grand castles, and pretty villages.

• Explore key sights such as the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Maulbronn Monastery and the medieval town of Freiburg.

• Follow the German Clock Trail, which links the region’s many clock-making factories and workshops.

Things to Know

• Baden-Baden is located in the Rhine Valley, 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Strasbourg—a journey of about 45 minutes by road.

• Freiburg lies 55 miles (90 kilometers) south of Strasbourg, about an hour’s drive.

• Full-day Black Forest tours from Strasbourg typically last about nine hours and include hotel pickup and drop-off, transport by air-conditioned vehicle, and a tour guide.

• Tours tend to involve quite a lot of walking; comfortable shoes are recommended.

Whether visiting Strasbourg’s famous Christmas markets or exploring its UNESCO World Heritage–listed center, one day is just enough time to hit the highlights. Maximize your time by planning ahead, booking skip-the-line tickets for top attractions, or hiring a local guide to show you around. Here’s how to spend a perfect day in Strasbourg.

Morning: Explore the Grande Île

Ringed by canals, Strasbourg’s traffic-free central island—the Grande Île—is the historic heart of the city and the obvious place to start your day. The best way to explore is on foot, so join a walking tour and make a beeline for the star attraction, the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame. Prebooking skip-the-line tickets is recommended, especially in high season; barring that, the views from the top are worth waiting for.

Stop to admire the nearby Rohan Palace (Palais Rohan) and Maison Kammerzell before heading into the picturesque Petite France district, where you can stroll along the waterfront and admire views of the much-photographed Covered Bridges (Ponts Couverts) and Vauban Dam (Barrage Vauban).

Afternoon: Journey to Europe

Leave the island to explore the European Quarter, home to the European Parliament headquarters. Trams run the short distance from the city, but a much more scenic option is to join a bike or Segway tour. On the way, pass through the Neustadt district, known for its German-style architecture, and visit the beautiful Jardin de l’Orangerie park, home to a large population of storks—the symbol of the Alsace.

Afterwards, head back to the Grande Île to browse the shops along Rue des Orfèvres and Rue des Grandes Arcades. If visiting over the festive season, this is the ideal time to explore Strasbourg’s Christmas markets, the largest of which are on Place Kleber and Place Broglie.

Night: Admire the Illuminations

Strasbourg is stunning at night, when the plazas and riversides are dramatically lit up. A pedicab tour is a fun way to admire the glittering illuminations, passing around La Petite France, Place de la République, and Place du Château.

For dinner, grab a table at one of the traditional winstubs (German-style pub-restaurants), where you can sample typical Alsatian dishes such as spätzle (noodles) or baeckeoffe (casserole) accompanied by regional wines.