Top Alsace hotels
Notre-Dame Cathedral Strasbourg
119 Reviews You will be attracted like a magnet to the cathedral. It's huge, and dominates the city. The little streets are quaint, full of people in the best of time and pleasant for a stroll, maybe with an ice...
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Old Town Colmar
55 Reviews In the square you can pick up an easy 4-mile English tour through the Old Town. We understand that the train does not stop, so you will have to return to take photos unless you have a fast camera. We...
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La Petite France Strasbourg
51 Reviews The Maison des Tanneurs in Petite France is today actually a restaurant. On our visit to Petite France we didn`t dine here, nevertheless, the building is worth a visit, if only to see from the...
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Petite Venise Colmar
20 Reviews This is certainly the most popular photograph of Colmar. A must for every visitor. It is taken from the bridge of the Turenne street on the Lauch River. The half-timbered houses which form the...
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Boat trip on the river Strasbourg
18 Reviews The River Ill winds its way around the old city of Strasbourg. So a great way to see and learn all about this city is to take a boat ride around it. Boat tours can be just for sightseeing, or for...
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Museums Colmar
32 Reviews Here's my journal entry for the museum: "Followed signs through ancient sculpture, a very dark Alsatian wine cellar (no doubt authentic), XV and XVI century painting . . . and really...
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Place Gutenberg Strasbourg
9 Reviews Place Gutenberg is two blocks west of the Cathedral. At its center is the excellent statue to the town's most famous citizen created by David d'Angers in 1840. Along one side of the square is the...
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Churches Colmar
25 Reviews St. Martin's Collegiate church as we see now was built in the 13th century and is in Alsace a major example of Gothic architecture. The foundations go back to the year 1000. The bulb-shaped dome that...
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The European Parliament Strasbourg
13 Reviews The European Parliament represents, in the words of the 1957 Treaty of Rome, 'the peoples of the States brought together in the European Community'. The Parliament has got 626 Members (30.04.2003) of...
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House of Heads Colmar
10 Reviews Each time I passed in front of the Maison des Têtes (House of the Heads); I wondered what had inspired the merchant Anton Burger in 1609 to build this manor in German Renaissance with its 111...
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Les Ponts Couverts Strasbourg
10 Reviews The three watch towers at the end of La Petite France were rebuilt in the 19C to maintain the watch tower appearance and the neighborhood remains as it was along the district but without the tanning...
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Fountains/ Statues Colmar
11 Reviews "A military ground for Execises was developed on the premises in 1793 , and was named "Champ-de-Mars". It was developed into a public park in 1808 in its southern part, while the Place Rapp area...
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Palais des Rohan- Museums Strasbourg
8 Reviews The "palais des Rohan" was built for the infamous Rohan family who detained the town's bishopship during several decades. The palace presents the architectural specificity to be the only 'historical'...
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Barrage Vauban Strasbourg
5 Reviews The Barrage (dam) Vauban (aka the great lock) was built around 1690, using the plans from the king's Louis XiV architect Vauban (thus the name). It was intended to reinforce the town's security : the...
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The Council of Europe Strasbourg
5 Reviews Strasbourg is a host for several European institutions. One of them is Council of Europe. It is the oldest international organization working towards European integration, founded in 1949. It is...
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Église Saint Pierre le Vieux Strasbourg
4 Reviews Église Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune (Church Saint Peter the New) stands at the end of Petite rue de l'Église/Klein Krichgass. Three churches have been built one after the other on the same place. There...
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Pont Saint Martin Strasbourg
2 Reviews Point Saint Martin is second most famous bridge in Petite France. From the bridge is great view of canal and half timbered houses. Under the bridge is great restaurant with gallery which was washing...
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Musee de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame Strasbourg
1 Review Visit the Musee de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame. This museum dedicated to art of the Strasbourg and upper Rhine region is set in a magnificent group of ancient buildings, the oldest being from the 14th...
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The Modern Art Museum Strasbourg
1 Review This strange masqued horse (signed by Mimmo Paladino) stands on the entrance roof of the "Musee d'Art Moderne et Contemporain". The new glass and pink sandstone building hosts since 1998 works from...
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Church of Saint Paul Strasbourg
2 Reviews At the convergence of the rivers Ill and Aar is Le pont d'Auvergne. Sitting in this place is another magnificent church, L'eglise Saint Paul. Rather spectacular views of the church is afforded...
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Sélestat, that means culture (library), exciting historical architecture, best wine and everywhere you look Gourmet restaurants. Never I have eaten again so well (and so much) like in this town. One must not search, even in the smallest restaurant one is spoiled with good food and service. Another memory are the storks, on the roofs of many houses.
Maginot casemates are under earth defence system along the whole France border to Germany.Since more than half a century the bunkers of the Maginot casemates shapes the scenery of northern Alsace. "Four à Chaux" and the second small one ("Werk") near Lembach were built between 1930 and 1935 and were intended to secure the German French border. After bombed in June, 1940 massively. From 1940 to 1944 the Lembach line is taken by the armed forces. Since 1983 both are public.May, 1th - June, 30th 10 am,2 pm, 3 pm, 4pmJuli - September, 30th:10 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pmOktober - November, 15th and on November, 3th: 10 am, 2 pm, 3 pm
The ruins of castles and fortresses are counted in the hundreds in Alsace. In some of them only a couple of stones stand. In others the romantic reconstructions of the XIX century have made them lose their true significance. Finally, others like the one in Katzenthal, have been consolidated without adding any superfluous element.
Haguenau is the fourth largest town in Alsace. Here you find a great shopping mile in the centre with a lot of tiny stores. Just sit down in a cafe and enjoy the atmosphere of this charming town.
Bishwiller is a little town near Haguenau in the Alsace region. It was founded in 12th century and developed to an industrial town in the 17th century when Huguenots started to produce textiles here.The town attracts with beautiful half-timbered houses and small alleys. My favorite building here was the old town hall that was built in the 17th century. The little bell tower was added in 1665. Today it isn't used as town hall but as museum. Inside you find a museum of town's history and local artists as well as an exhibition of the textile industry in town.
We wondered why there was a plaza and statue called Gutenburg in Strasbourg and discovered that he lived here for a time. I think it was before the invention of the printing press, but the locals seem to think that maybe he had the idea here, so some of the credit for his creativity has its source in Strasbourg. Whatever. At any rate, sometime after this evidently Strasbourg was a printing center.
Is this the capiol of Europe? It is where the representatives sit and now legislate matters effecting the whole of the EU. The Parliament dates its beginning to the 1957 Treaty of Rome but now represents the countries (how many?) of the EU and well over half a billion people. The Treaties of Maastrict (1992) and Amsterdam (1997) gave it full legislative power. I find it a great symbol of people attempting to work together for greater freedom and economic success. If you haven't read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, you should. Here is Article 1: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." Louise Weiss was an early advocate of European unity and women's rights.
One of the main features of Strasbourg's Cathedral is its Astronomical Clock, a mid-19th Century version of the original 14th Century one. Try to arrive around noon when the clock is in action. There are stories indicating the month and year, the time by the sun and GMT while angels turn over hour glasses. The 12 apostles parade before Christ and pause to pay homage. When Peter appears a cock crows thee times. It is an amazing and wonderful show.
I have a theory that every city and town in France has a Notre Dame and Strasbourg is no exception. This magnificent churchwas begun in 1015 but most of what you see is 13th Century Gothic and Romanesque in the red sandstone. There were some later 15th Century additions and refinements. The stonemasons who built the great Chartres Cathedral also worked on this one.
French poet Paul Claudel described this Cathedral as being like "a pinky-red angel hovering over the city." This 15th Century spire is the symbol of the proud and independent city of Strasbourg. It stands 142 m highand at one time was the tallest building in Christendom. Some in the past have wondered why it stood so alone without a twin and this one was almost destroyed - during the French Revolution it was set for destruction and I don't know why it was spared but am very glad.
Hotel Gutenberg Strasbourg
1 Review and 183 Opinions I toured Alsace by bicycle in mid-September, 2008. After the group ride was over, I stayed for 3...
Saint-Martin Hotel Colmar Colmar
4 Reviews and 76 Opinions We stayed 2 nights in 2004. When we arrived we were given keys to a small attic room which was...
Citotel Hotel d'Alsace Wissembourg Wissembourg
7 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Alsace attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Alsace sightseeing.
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Q: My daughter 22 and I will be going to Alsace next April. We will travel from Paris.We will stay three nights. What's the cheapest...
A: Where you stay depends on what you want to see and do and also your transportation. We drive so we stay in one of the wine villages. We've stayed in Barr many times and...
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