Strasbourg!! One of the most unique places I have been to. It isn’t French, nor is it German. The city is in the Alsace region of France. This region was constantly fought over in history. One century it is French and then another it is German. In the 1600s the territory was conquered by the French to keep it out of the hand of the Habsburg family that ruled much of Europe. In 1870 France and Prussia (present day Germany) were at war. The war ended in a loss for France, which also meant a loss of Alsace, one of the territories that they had to cede. Eventually France got Alsace back for a short while with the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. Then during World War II Germany once again occupied the territory. With the end of World War II, Alsace became an official part of France, where it remains today. Because of its history, Alsace has aspects of both French and German culture. Its architecture is a mix of both German and French styles, with its German timber houses and its French gothic towers and cathedrals. You will also find that although they are French, and French people really like their language, they also speak some German. Because of its mix of French and German influences, Strasbourg is one of the most unique cities in Europe. Here is what I did with my day in this beautiful city.
Strasbourg is about a 2 hour drive from Frankfurt. I thought that was so cool. In Europe you can drive 2 hours and end up in a different country. From my small town in Minnesota, a 2 hour drive would get me to Minneapolis. Anyway, I really enjoyed the drive. I got to see a lot of beautiful landscape. I also got to stop at a European gas station, which I hadn’t done since my first trip to Europe. I think European gas stations are really fun. First off, I think it is funny that you have to pay to use the bathroom. Second, I love seeing all the European candy, magazines, and drinks. Third, you get to see a lot of interesting, different people.
After the 2 hours of driving we arrived at the border. The border was just a river and a bridge. One side of the river Germany. The other side France. There was no border control.
This didn’t surprise me, because I encountered the same thing on my previous trip to Europe, in which I traveled between 5 different countries. During this trip I was surprised though. I was expecting to get a whole bunch of stamps in my passport. I was confused when our tour director informed us that we were in the Czech Republic, when I remember being in Germany. It was then that I learned that in the European Union you can travel between other EU countries without a passport. This is nice, because instead of spending time waiting to get into a country, I could spend more time actually enjoying that country. The downside is you don’t get a stamp for all the countries you have been to. This is kind of sad, because I could have a stamp for the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and France in my passport if it wasn’t for this. Its ok though, because I know that I have been to these countries and I have a bunch of amazing memories to prove it.
Once we crossed the border we found somewhere to park our tiny European Fiat. From there we walked the city. We spent most of the day walking around, looking at the beautiful buildings, and eating a lot of French food. It was the best day to be walking around a European city. It was spring, so all the flowers were in the bloom and the trees were a bright green. It also was a warm sunny day. All these aspects added the the cuteness of this European city.
Our first stop was for lunch, where we had a French version of a potato pancake.
It was served with sour cream and vegetables toped with a dressing. It was really good. The pancakes had a very yummy spice in them, that just made them so delicious. It is now one of my favorite French comfort foods. From here we explored the city.
I fell in love with the tiny streets and canals of Strasbourg. It felt like I was in a Disney Princess movie, like Beauty and the Beast or Sleeping Beauty. I could walk the cobblestone streets and the cute bridges forever. The streets were full with vendor selling crafts and the smell of baked goods. I love cities like this.
This part of the city we walked through was called Petite-France. From there we went to Grande Île. This part of the city definitely felt more French than German, because I have never seen anything like it in Germany. It had old gothic towers and bridges surrounded by orange and brown roofs.
I can’t explain this view, but I knew life wouldn’t get better than this. Here I was asked if I missed my family. I love my family, but with a view like this it was hard to answer that question. I knew I missed them, because it was my first trip by myself, but there was a part of me that was so proud of myself for being here without them. Taking in this view knowing that I made the decision to come here by myself just made it all that better. I did something I never had done before and I was rewarded with this. There really isn’t a better feeling. Of course I wish they were there to see the view too, but this was something I needed to do by myself.
From here we went to the old Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. This was the busiest part of the city, but it was worth it. I have a thing for old European churches. I don’t know if it is because I love history or because I am Catholic, but I just absolutely love them.
After exploring the old cathedral we did a little shopping. We stopped at cute little boutiques and at bakeries and food stalls to try some French food. Let me just say that I ate too much food in France. We bought macaroons, chocolate crossiants, and crepes and this was all before dinner, which we stopped to get on our way back to Frankfurt.
I don’t regret any of it though. It was all worth the extra calories and sugar. I also bought a nougat chocolate bar, because nougat was very popular here. There were so many vendors on the streets selling it, but of course it is really expensive, so I settled for a grocery store chocolate bar, which was still good. After some shopping and stopping for a coffee, our trip to Strasbourg came to an end. I wish I was able to spend more than just 6 hours in the city, but it was still an amazing 6 hours that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I hope someday I will be able to go back to Alsace. I love its different influences and its old European feel. If you find yourself in the region make sure to eat a lot of food and take a moment to walk around and take in the feeling, because you can’t get that feeling anywhere else.
The Journal of Wanderlust 