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Hotel & Spa REGENT PETITE FRANCE, Strasbourg

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Strasbourg

Updated 7 October 2026 · 16 things to do

Pictured: Hotel & Spa REGENT PETITE FRANCE

Strasbourg has changed hands between France and Germany so many times that it stopped choosing and kept the best of both. The result is a city of half-timbered houses and French pastry shops, where the menus offer sauerkraut and foie gras on the same page, and the street signs come in two languages. At its centre is an island ringed by the river Ill, and on that island is one of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe.

It is also a capital, of Alsace and in a sense of Europe, home to the European Parliament. Yet it never feels grand. Bicycles outnumber cars, the canals are lined with geraniums, and in December the whole city turns into a Christmas card.

Don't miss

  1. 1Strasbourg Cathedral
  2. 2Petite France
  3. 3Ponts Couverts and the Barrage Vauban
  4. 4The Christmas market
  5. 5Tarte flambée

The Grande Île

The historic island at the city's heart is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  1. Strasbourg Cathedral

    Landmark

    The cathedral of Notre-Dame in Strasbourg
    Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The cathedral of Notre-Dame rises from a tight medieval square in a mass of pink Vosges sandstone, its west front carved as finely as lace. For more than two centuries its single spire made it the tallest building in the world. Victor Hugo called it a gigantic and delicate marvel, and he was right.

    Inside, look for the stained glass and the astronomical clock, a Renaissance wonder whose procession of figures performs once a day. Then climb the stairs to the viewing platform for a view that stretches to the Black Forest.

    Tip: Queue early for the clock. People gather well before the figures move.

  2. Maison Kammerzell

    Landmark

    The carved timber facade of the Maison Kammerzell in Strasbourg
    Photo: Fabiuccio, Public domain

    On the corner of the cathedral square stands the most ornate house in the city: a late-medieval merchant's home with a stone ground floor and upper storeys of dark timber, every beam carved with figures and every window filled with bottle-glass panes. It is now a restaurant, so you can admire the frescoed interior over lunch.

  3. Palais Rohan

    Museum

    The river facade of the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg
    Photo: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Beside the cathedral, on the riverbank, the 18th-century palace of the prince-bishops brings a touch of Versailles to Alsace. Its state apartments are lavish, and the building houses three museums: fine arts, decorative arts and archaeology. The view of its river facade from the opposite bank is one of the city's most elegant.

  4. Musée Alsacien

    Museum

    Spread through a set of old houses linked by creaking wooden galleries, this museum recreates traditional Alsatian life: painted furniture, tiled stoves, costumes, toys and kitchen moulds. It is charming and unstuffy, and gives real context to the villages you will see on the Wine Route.

  5. The Christmas market

    Market

    The Christkindelsmärik Christmas market on Place Broglie in Strasbourg
    Photo: Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik dates back to 1570 and is among the oldest Christmas markets in Europe. From late November, hundreds of wooden chalets fill the squares of the Grande Île, selling decorations, gingerbread, bredele biscuits and mugs of hot spiced wine, beneath a towering decorated tree on Place Kléber. The streets are strung with lights and the smell of cinnamon follows you everywhere. It is hugely popular, so book accommodation early.

    Tip: Weekday mornings and early evenings are far calmer than weekends.

Canals and neighbourhoods

  1. Petite France

    Neighbourhood

    Half-timbered houses in the Petite France quarter of Strasbourg
    Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0

    At the western tip of the island the Ill splits into channels, and along them stands the prettiest quarter in Strasbourg. This was the district of tanners, millers and fishermen, and their tall half-timbered houses, with open lofts where hides once dried, lean over the water in rows of black, white, ochre and pink.

    It is every bit as photogenic as it sounds, and busy to match. Walk it early in the morning, or after dinner when the houses are lit and reflected in the canals.

  2. Ponts Couverts and the Barrage Vauban

    Landmark

    The Ponts Couverts and the cathedral seen from the Barrage Vauban
    Photo: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Guarding the entrance to Petite France are three bridges linked by four square medieval towers, the Ponts Couverts, which lost their wooden roofs long ago but kept the name. Just upstream is the Barrage Vauban, a 17th-century dam and defensive work.

    Climb to the grassy terrace on top of the dam. The panorama of towers, canals and the cathedral spire beyond is the best free view in the city.

  3. A boat trip on the Ill

    Activity

    Excursion boats on the Ill in front of the Palais Rohan
    Photo: JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Glass-topped boats circle the Grande Île from a landing stage near the Palais Rohan, passing through the locks of Petite France, under the Ponts Couverts and out to the European institutions. In an hour or so you get the layout of the whole city without taking a step. Good on a first morning, and in the rain.

  4. The Neustadt

    Neighbourhood

    North-east of the island, the German administration that ran the city after 1871 built a grand new town of wide avenues, monumental squares and imposing stone buildings. The Place de la République, with its palace, library and theatre, is its showpiece. Now part of the city's World Heritage listing, it makes a striking contrast with the timbered lanes a few minutes away.

  5. The European Quarter and Parc de l'Orangerie

    Landmark

    The Louise Weiss building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg
    Photo: FrDr, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A tram ride from the centre, the glass and steel buildings of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights line the river. The Parliament can be visited, and its vast curved facade is worth seeing from the water.

    Across the road, the Orangerie is the city's oldest and loveliest park, with a boating lake and storks, the emblem of Alsace, nesting in the trees.

Eat and drink

  1. Tarte flambée

    Food

    A tarte flambée, or flammekueche, from Alsace
    Photo: Lulu Durand, CC BY 2.0

    Known in Alsatian as flammekueche, this is the region's answer to pizza: a wafer-thin sheet of dough spread with crème fraîche, onions and smoked bacon, blasted in a wood-fired oven until the edges char. It arrives on a wooden board and is eaten with your fingers, traditionally one after another until the table gives up.

  2. Choucroute and the winstubs

    Food

    A plate of Alsatian choucroute garnie
    Photo: Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A winstub is an Alsatian wine tavern: wood panelling, checked tablecloths, close-packed tables and food built for cold weather. The signature dish is choucroute garnie, a mound of wine-braised sauerkraut topped with sausages, smoked pork and potatoes. Also look for baeckeoffe, a slow-baked casserole of meat and potatoes, and finish with a slice of kougelhopf, the fluted yeast cake.

  3. Alsace wine

    Food

    Alsace makes mostly white wine, sold in tall slim bottles and named after the grape, which makes ordering easy: crisp Riesling, spicy Gewurztraminer, rich Pinot Gris, light Sylvaner. Crémant d'Alsace is the local sparkling. Every winstub lists them by the glass or the jug, and they are made for the food.

Day trips

Vineyards, storybook villages and a castle, all within easy reach.

  1. Colmar

    Day trip

    The Little Venice quarter of Colmar
    Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A short train ride south, Colmar is Alsace at its most picture-book: crooked half-timbered houses in sweet-shop colours, flower-decked bridges and a canal quarter known as Little Venice. The Unterlinden Museum holds the Isenheim Altarpiece, one of the masterpieces of European painting.

  2. Obernai and the Alsace Wine Route

    Day trip

    The Route des Vins winds along the foot of the Vosges through vineyards and a string of fortified villages. Obernai, the closest to Strasbourg, has ramparts, a handsome market square and a belfry. Further south, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé and Eguisheim compete to be the prettiest.

    Stop at winemakers' cellars along the way for tastings. A car or a guided tour makes it easy to link several villages in a day.

  3. Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg

    Day trip

    The castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg in Alsace
    Photo: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Perched on a forested ridge high above the Alsace plain, this pink sandstone castle is the fortress of every child's imagination: drawbridge, towers, armoury and all. Medieval in origin, it was rebuilt in the early 1900s for the German emperor Wilhelm II. The views run across the vineyards to the Black Forest and, on a clear day, the Alps.

Where to stay in Strasbourg

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Strasbourg →

Getting around

The Grande Île is small and largely pedestrianised, so you will walk almost everywhere. An excellent tram network reaches the station, the European Quarter and the suburbs, and Strasbourg is one of the most bike-friendly cities in France. Trains run to Colmar and Obernai.

When to go

Late spring and summer bring warm weather, flowers on every bridge and long evenings on the terraces. Early autumn is harvest time in the vineyards. December is cold and magical for the Christmas market, and by far the busiest month. Winters are properly chilly, so pack accordingly.

Questions about visiting Strasbourg

What is Strasbourg best known for?
Its Gothic cathedral and astronomical clock, the half-timbered canal quarter of Petite France, one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, and its role as the seat of the European Parliament.
How many days do you need in Strasbourg?
Two days is enough for the Grande Île, Petite France and the museums. Add a third for Colmar or the villages of the Alsace Wine Route.
Is Strasbourg worth visiting outside Christmas?
Yes. Spring and summer are lovely, with flower-lined canals and outdoor terraces, and autumn brings the wine harvest. You will also find it much less crowded than in December.
What is there to do in Strasbourg with kids?
A boat trip on the Ill, the astronomical clock, the storks and boating lake at the Parc de l’Orangerie and a day at the castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg all go down well with children.

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