The name of this city in France sounds somewhat with a German accent. The historical region of Alsace, the capital of which is Strasbourg, is located on the border with Germany, and the local Alsatian dialect is very similar in sound to the German language. The history of Strasbourg is rich in events, military battles, confrontations and sieges. The inventor of book printing in Europe, Johannes Gutenberg, lived and worked here. The architectural sights of the city are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and therefore the question of what to see in Strasbourg will be answered by art critics, guides and its residents, who are infinitely in love with streets and squares, temples and covered bridges, fortress walls and towers, in a word, in everything what is called the historical heritage of a small homeland.
TOP 10 attractions of Strasbourg
Cathedral of Notre Dame
The majestic Cathedral of Strasbourg amazes those who see it for the first time with its size, splendor of decoration, and an abundance of architectural elements. The records set by the building are impressive even for the modern traveler, and the figures and facts related to the cathedral are worthy of special mention:
- The temple was laid in 1015, but over the course of several centuries it was completed and altered.
- For 200 years after the completion of construction, the cathedral remained the tallest structure on the planet.
- Notre Dame of Strasbourg ranks first in the ratings of the largest cathedrals in the history of Old World architecture and the most grandiose in the world among those built of sandstone.
- The height of the north tower is 142 m, and its spire is entirely made of red Vosges sandstone.
- From the moment the work was completed until the end of the 19th century. the tower remained the tallest structure in the world, built of stone.
Long-term construction has traditionally influenced the choice of architectural style. As a result, the eastern parts of the cathedral and the southern portal are decorated in strict Romanesque, while the western facade is decorated with thousands of figures, as is customary among architects working in the Gothic direction.
An astronomical clock is installed in the cathedral. The first ones were designed in 1353, then the mechanism was improved many times, and its current version has been serving well since 1832.
Museum of Notre Dame de Strasbourg
The exposition of this Strasbourg museum is devoted to the history of the creation of the cathedral and the arts of the Upper Rhine region.
In the part about the construction and stages of the existence of the largest city temple, hundreds of exhibits are presented. You can look at old maps of Strasbourg, plans and drawings used in construction work, surviving structural elements and materials left after numerous alterations, and even sculptures that were thrown down from the walls of Notre Dame during the French Revolution.
The gem of the collection is the priceless collection of stained glass windows, the oldest of which date back to the 11th century. Glass rarities over the past millennium have not faded at all and retained the brightness of their colors. Among the antiquities on display, you will also see elements of church decor, utensils, a collection of paintings by local masters, painted for the churches of Strasbourg.
The building, where the exhibits are exhibited, is of considerable interest to fans of ancient architecture. In the XIV-XVI centuries. in two parts of it housed the workers building the temple, and their superiors.
Grand Ile
The island, formed by two branches of the Ile River, is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is the historic center of Strasbourg, where you can look at the residential areas that have preserved their medieval charm and enjoy the atmosphere of old Alsace. The most picturesque part of Grand Ile is Petite France, where many half-timbered houses, medieval towers, covered bridges and the Vauban dam are concentrated.
It will be especially pleasant to relax after a long excursion in Petite France. Its waterside restaurants with outdoor terraces offer traditional Alsatian menus and drinks and a friendly atmosphere to spend a couple of hours overlooking Strasbourg's historic center.
Kammerzel House
Each of the 75 windows of the half-timbered house on Cathedral Square is decorated with skillful carving, which is a highly artistic work. Wooden decor and stained glass adorned the Kammerzel House in the 16th century, although the mansion itself appeared in Strasbourg a century earlier, but at that time it did not stand out in any way. The new owner ordered finishing and reconstruction, and the building turned into a magnificent example of Gothic, half-timbered and Renaissance style at the same time.
The carvings depict characters from the Gospel and mythological creatures. You will find zodiac symbols and figures of fictional characters, reflections of reality and artistic allegories on the facades of the Kammerzel House. Inside, noteworthy are the spiral staircase, made back in the 15th century, and the wooden floor beams.
Covered bridges and Vauban dam
For the former and still the border area of Alsace, defensive fortifications have always been of particular importance. The military engineer and Marshal Sebastian Vauban, who proved himself to be a skillful builder of fortifications, created a project for a dam that made it possible to instantly flood the southern territories and thus stop the enemy forces advancing in this direction. The Vauban dam had a unique system of locks, arranged in 13 arches. It was built in 1681 and has survived to this day in the old center of Strasbourg.
The dam is a bridge supported by arches with galleries built on top. It is in the premises on the Vauban dam that the sculptural compositions thrown by the revolutionaries from the walls of the cathedral are kept.
Other covered city bridges connect watchtowers, which at the time of the appearance of the engineer in the city had not only a long history, but also their own names. Vauban's project, which strengthened the towers and bridges of the 13th century, allowed them to be turned into a complex of functioning defensive structures.
Rogan Palace
Located, as it should be, on Palace Square, the Rogan Palace in Strasbourg was built in the first half of the 18th century. in the baroque style. The customer was Cardinal de Rogan-Soubiza, who at that time concentrated all power in the city. The project was implemented by the court architect de Cott, who took the Parisian residences of royal persons as a model.
At the entrance to the mansion, guests are greeted by Corinthian columns that mark the portal. The facade is made of yellow sandstone, sculptures adorn the portico, and the balustrade is the courtyard.
In the interior of the Rogan Palace, there are expositions of several city museums:
- The Museum of Fine Arts has collected a collection of paintings by European artists who worked from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century. Among the exhibits are works by Raphael, El Greco, Rubens and Goya.
- In the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts, you can see a collection of ceramics, jewelry, watches, exquisite furniture and antique dolls.
- The exposition of the Archaeological Museum has several thousand exhibits, the oldest of which date back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras.
A gorgeous view of the palace opens from the opposite bank of the Il River, where you can go over the bridge located nearby.
Archaeological Museum
The second most important among its kind in the country, the Strasbourg Museum collected its collection back in the 18th century. It covers the period from 6000 to. BC NS. before the early Middle Ages.
The most ancient rarities date back to the Paleolithic era. You will see stone tools, animal bones, weapons of ancient people. Many of the artifacts found in the burial mounds date from the Celtic period. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the five centuries of the rule of the Roman Empire.
Museum of Fine Arts
Thundered at the end of the 18th century. The Great French Revolution caused the appearance of museums on the territory of the country, where works of art expropriated from the wealthy aristocracy and churches were exhibited. The Museum of Fine Arts in Strasbourg arose on the same wave, and in 1801 the first visitors from the people timidly stepped over its threshold.
The collection contains hundreds of priceless paintings, among which the most famous is Raphael's "Portrait of a Young Woman". Fans of Rubens' creativity will be delighted to meet the canvases of their favorite painter, those who love the Spaniards - the work of Goya and El Greco. Flemish still lifes and the golden age of Flemish painting are richly represented.
Church of Saint-Pierre-les-Gennes
In terms of historical value and architectural significance, this Strasbourg church is outstanding, despite being called the "youngest" Protestant church in the city.
The temple was built in the 7th century. and it was to that era that its oldest part was dated, used in past centuries for the burials of especially influential and wealthy citizens of Strasbourg. The main nave was built much later, in the 14th century.
A striking monument in the Gothic style, the temple has preserved many unique frescoes, monumental tables and altar paintings, which art critics call one of the most outstanding in all of Alsace.
Another gem of the Saint-Pierre-les-Gennes temple is the organ, created in the first half of the 18th century, and regularly serving at the temple since 1762.
Alsace Museum
The Alsatian Museum of Folk Art in Strasbourg has existed for almost a hundred years, and all this time it has been called distinctive, cozy and inviting in all respects. Looking into the complex of ancient buildings on the embankment of the Ile River, you will find a huge collection of objects and things without which the indigenous Alsatians cannot imagine themselves. The halls display furniture and kitchen utensils, toys and textiles, paintings and icons, chests and national costumes, fireplaces decorated with tiles, and charms that protect against the evil eye.
Most of the exhibits belong to the period of the 18th-19th centuries. It was then that regional administrative changes took place, Alsace was divided and annexed by Germany. Neighborhood with her has left a special imprint on absolutely all spheres of life of the inhabitants of Strasbourg - from clothing to recipes for local cuisine, and the museum's exposition allows you to see and study in detail.
