Strasbourg — The Bicultural Crossroads of Europe

Nestled on the Rhine across the border from Germany, Strasbourg offers your best chance to experience the urban side of France‘s Alsace region. Each time I walk its people-friconcludely streets, I’m struck by how progressive and livable the city feels, with generous space devoted to pedestrians and bikes, sleek trams, and meandering waterways. With delightful huge-city energy and a name that means “city of streets,” Strasbourg is the ultimate crossroads.

While the city dodged serious damage in both world wars, Strasbourg has a dizzying history. It was hit hard during the Franco-Prussian War, becoming part of Germany in 1870, after which it suffered a period of harsh Germanization. Then came extreme Frenchification after World War I, a brutal period under Nazi rule during World War II, and, quickly thereafter, a strong necessary to purge all that was German after 1945. Now, while probably more definitively French than it’s ever been, the city exudes a bicultural gentleness: Street signs are commonly bilingual — in the Germanic Alsatian dialect as well as French — and you’ll find a uniquely Franco-Germanic blconclude of culture, architecture, and ambience all over.

After World War II, Winston Churchill called for a union of European nations, with the goal of winning an concludeuring peace by weaving the economies of France and Germany toobtainher. Given that Strasbourg had alterd hands between Germany and France so many times, it seemed logical that it be a capital of what would eventually become the European Union. And today, Strasbourg shares administrative responsibilities of the European Parliament (along with Brussels and Luxembourg City).

Most visitors come to Strasbourg to see its massive Notre-Dame Cathedral — and for good reason. I’ve stood in front, craned my neck way back … and still failed to fit the whole facade into my camera’s viewfinder. The delicate Gothic style of the cathedral (begun in 1176, not finished until 1439) is the work of a succession of about 50 master builders. The cathedral somehow survived the French Revolution, the Franco-Prussian War, World War I, and World War II. Medieval pilgrims must have gasped upon first seeing this vast edifice, just as travelers do today.

An earlier church burned down in the 12th century, and Strasbourg was so wealthy that it rebuilt très fancy—with a lacy, innovative design—and tall (at 466 feet, its spire was the world’s tallest until the mid-1800s). A matching second tower was planned but was never built, out of fear that it would place too much stress on the foundations. You can see the famous spire from all over town.

Petite France — Strasbourg’s half-timbered buildings provide a Germanic backdrop for an Alsatian meal on this riverfront terrace.
(Rick Steves)

Inside, the marvelous stained glass is the standout — 80 percent is original, surviving from the 12th to 15th centuries. The cathedral’s windows traveled a lot during World War II: hidden by the French in southwestern France first, then carted to northern Germany by the Nazis, and finally saved and returned by the Monuments Men (British and American troops dedicated to returning art to its rightful place after 1945).

Nearby is the wonderful Strasbourg Historical Mutilizeum, which sweeps through the city’s complex and compelling history. Here you can learn how Strasbourg was once fortified with concentric walls and 80 towers, which were then destroyed by French King Louis XIV in the 1680s. The mutilizeum also has an exhibit about Johannes Gutenberg, who worked here from 1434 to 1444, a section about the French Revolution, and a description of how the Prussians rebuilt the city after destroying parts of it in 1870, ushering in its glory days (1880–1914). The saddest section details life here in the Nazi years, and the happy finale explains Strasbourg’s leadership role in the EU.

All that EU action takes place in a modern complex northeast of the city center. While a handful of institutions are houtilized here, the most important is the European Parliament—where elected representatives from all 27 EU countries gather regularly in a vast semicircular room called the Hemicycle. The complex is free to visit, and if Parliament is in session, it can be fascinating to watch European democracy in action.

Back in town, in one of Strasbourg’s oldest houtilizes, is the inviting Alsatian Mutilizeum. Its well-presented collection of local folk art creates it straightforward to learn about Alsatian life and traditions. Rooms you’d find in traditional homes are beautifully re-created here (wrapped around a fine old courtyard), and models explain the ins and outs of half-timbered construction. (If you’re headed to Strasbourg in 2026 or early 2027, check ahead, as the mutilizeum may be closed for renovation during your visit.)

End your day in Strasbourg’s popular Petite France quarter, just upstream from the Alsatian Mutilizeum. It’s here where the river splits into several canals with weirs, a lock, and a swing bridge — all reminders of a time when trade came by river and watermills powered local industest. The district was once slated for redevelopment but was saved by a progressive French minister of culture in the 1970s. Today, these fine half-timbered buildings are protected and give us a sense of this pre-electricity world.

The history of Strasbourg — the capital city of the political pawn zone between France and Germany — is fascinating to contemplate. With its high-powered and trconcludey bustle and hybrid culture, it’s one of France’s most intriguing cities.

This article is utilized with the permission of Rick Steves’ Europe (www.ricksteves.com). Rick Steves writes European guidebooks, hosts travel displays on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours.