June 20 Strasbourg, France
June 20, 2023
Last updated on September 6th, 2023 at 03:44 pm
Photos from Strasbourg
Video Summary of the Day
We slept in a little the morning as we had an early day yesterday. We shared a breakfast table with Larry & Linda from Tucson. After breakfast we got ready for our Strasbourg Highlights tour. The weather forecast promises a hot day with a high of 89 degrees F.
The ship docked at the industrial port so we had a 10-15 minute bus ride into the city. The first part of our tour was a panoramic tour by bus. Strasbourg is on the Rhine River which is the border between France and Germany. Throughout history as territories change hands, Strasbourg has gone from French to German and back to French several times.
Strasbourg was chosen as the capital for the European Parliament because the city became a symbol of reconciliation after World War II. The Palais de l’Europe is used by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. There may have been some dignitaries present when we drove by as there was a heavy police presence. The police looked pretty relaxed, talking in groups and sitting and relaxing in their cars.
To the southeast of the Palais de l’Europe is the beautiful Parc de l’Orangerie, the oldest park in Strasbourg. The Orangerie Park was created in the early 19th century for Empress Joséphine. The Parc de l’Orangerie was created in the style of an English Garden, with its inspiration taken from nature and pastoral landscapes. Perfect for leisurely strolls and picnics, the park has an idyllic atmosphere complete with winding walking paths, a lake, fountains, footbridges, and a waterfall. Across the street from the park were lovely villas with large stork nests in the tops of the trees lining the street. We could see young storks and at least one parent in several of the nests. We had seen storks in the fields and flying around a lot since we left Zurich. A baby boom, maybe?
We then drove by the Synagogue de la Paix, built in 1954, to replace the historic synagogue that was destroyed by the Nazis in 1940. Next, we drove by the European Court of Human Rights set up in 1959. The court hears applications alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights provisions concerning civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights and its protocols.
It was now time for our walking tour. The first stop was, of course, the toilets. Same ol’ same ol’, long line for women, no waiting for men. Near the restrooms was the Ponts Couverts, a set of three bridges and four towers that make up a defensive work erected in the 13th century on the L’Ill river. The three bridges cross the four river channels of the river that flow through Strasbourg’s historic Petite France quarter.
On to the Petite France quarter, with its half-timbered houses, canals and flower filled squares, which sounds romanticized, but was actually a derogatory term. The area was a smelly tanner’s district where sick French soldiers returning from Italy were isolated. Many of the soldiers had syphilis. Today it is the city’s most picturesque quarter. It was pointed out that the houses with high dormer windows would have been the tanner’s because they needed the extra ventilation.
We walked past many half-timbered buildings dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Many were now shops for high end goods, tourist souvenirs, pastries, and even schools. There was also a small fountain and statue dedicated to the polymath (theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician) Albert Schweitzer, who was born in the Alsace region and went to school, and later ministered in Strasbourg.
We walked on to Place Gutenberg which is a square centered around a 19th-century statue dedicated to the famous Strasbourg resident Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the movable-type printing press around the decades of 1430 to 1450. The publication of the Gutenberg Bible in 1455 marks a momentous event in history; this bible was the first book to be printed by machine rather than copied by a scribe. Strasbourg was actually the place that Gutenberg escaped to to avoid the persecution he was receiving in his native Mainz. He used his time in Strasbourg to experiment with metals and casting individual letters.
On the southwest side of the square is the finest Neoclassical 16th-century building in the Alsace region of France, originally the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) and now occupied by the Chamber of Commerce.
The last stop on our walking tour was Strasbourg’s Cathedral of Notre Dame, built between 1015 and 1439, the highest extant building constructed entirely on the Middle Ages. It is breathtakingly beautiful with its lacy pink sandstone, intricate decorations, and exquisite sculptures, painting. And stained glass. The line to get in was quite long, and the square in front of the cathedral was very crowded, but there was a nice breeze that cooled us off.
Our guide shared the legend that the wind rustling is the exasperated Devil, whose vanity lured him inside the church to see his own artistic depictions, where he was trapped and is still held captive.
The outside and inside of the church is unbelievably beautiful on a grand massive scale. Inside the light hits the intricate stained glass windows, moving the observer almost to tears. We weren’t inside very long until our guide told us everyone was being asked to leave, so we were ushered out. The time was 11:45 am. At noon the chiming and movement of the astronomical clock was something you need a paid ticket to see. We were a little perturbed that they guide would have known that and yet took that moment for us to enter the cathedral. It was a good thing we had time in the afternoon.
‘We learned the Germans took all the stained glass windows from the church and hid them in a salt mine near Heilbronn, Germany. The windows were recovered and returned by the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archive section of the US military in 1945. (See “Monuments Men” movie reference below)
Our gathering spot at the end of the walking tour was the historic post office next to the cathedral square, so we walked the 15 minute walk back to the parked buses and returned to the ship. We decided to eat a more casual lunch outside on the Aquavit Terrace, sharing a table in the shade with Joanie and Frosty.
After lunch we took advantage of the shuttle bus Viking offered and returned to Strasbourg city for a longer visit to the cathedral, so Alan could take more artistic pictures and Joyce could sit and enjoy the awe-inspiring surroundings.
When things got a little rowdy, two times we heard “Messieurs, mademoiselles……shhhhhhh!” over the loud speakers, and things got quiet again. We were also able to witness the astronomical chime 3 o’clock. We did a little shopping and took the shuttle bus back to the ship.
We relaxed by watching the movie “The Monument Men” (a movie about Art history men saving art of all kinds from the Nazis, set in the area we’re traveling) from 2014 with George Clooney, until our mandatory safety drill, in which we were required to wear our life jacket (flotation device) to our muster station.
Our day finished with the Port talk for tomorrow, about our next port, Speyer, dinner, and blogging for Joyce.
Alan went to the lounge to listen to a local string quartet (stand up bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and violin) perform some traditional French folk music and some jazz. Alan sat with the sisters we met earlier, and they asked about the pictures we’ve taken. He showed them the blog and some of the pictures posted. One of the other women in the group decided that she was just going to delete her pictures and show people the ones we’ve taken. We’ve been to the same places, so that should work! Everyone has their own perspective on what we’ve seen, even though we’re walking along the same streets and riding the same buses.
Visit Strasbourg today, the cultural center of France’s Alsace region. Thanks to its location at the border of France and Germany, it boasts a convivial mix of cultural influences. See its well-preserved Old Town, or Petite France, enclosed on all sides by the little Ill River. Stroll the cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered houses and intersected by picturesque canals, pausing to visit the cathedral. Indulging in Alsatian café culture is central to any visit here. You might join an excursion to sample Alsatian wine.
Strasbourg Highlights
Get to know this delightful city steeped in equal parts French and German culture. Join your local guide for a drive through the German Imperial District and the European Quarter, home of many institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Continue past remarkable Renaissance architecture, then proceed to the city center for a walking tour of the picturesque Petite France area, the former Tanners’ District surrounded by the small Ill River and crisscrossed by charming canals. Here, you will see the Old Customs House and the covered bridges with their defensive towers. In Cathedral Square, view the magnificently restored Strasbourg Cathedral, towering above merchant houses. One of the finest of Europe’s great Gothic cathedrals, it was the world’s tallest building from 1647 to 1874. You will have time to admire the great Gothic rosette window, beautiful red sandstone portal and remarkable astronomical clock.
