WUNDERBAR, SUPER, CHOUETTE! (Strasbourg)

Member Name: Mush

Product:	Strasbourg
Date:	23/07/01 (360 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful city, Steeped in history, Not too expensive

Disadvantages: Paris en route

'Let’s go on holiday’ said Ms. M.
‘Hmmm...OK’ I responded (I was probably watching TV)
‘Where shall we go?’ she asked.
‘Hmmm...wherever you want to go’
‘Would you like to go to Strasbourg?’
‘Hmmm...OK’

So there it was. We went on holiday to Strasbourg. We could probably have gone anywhere, had I diverted my attention away from the TV for just five minutes. But no, we were going on a touring holiday of Strasbourg.

Now you must understand that this was to be a new experience for me – other than the regular visits to my family in France all my previous holidays for the last 14 years had involved throwing myself down mountains with planks on my feet, or swimming underwater with bottles of air on my back. I have vitiligo, so sunny places are out. I had never been somewhere and just....been!

Word of warning to the purists. I am not going to regurgitate the Rough Guide to France for you. I am going to tell you about the holiday WE had. If you want all the options, all the facts, how to get there by boat, plane or tunnelling machine, the name and address of every hotel (including proprietor, number of rooms and whether they have French or English pillows) go to the tourist office. This is the more personal approach to go alongside the factual stuff. The Rough Guide is a good starting point (£12.99 from any bookshop)

Where to begin??

GETTING THERE
There are now many ways to get there. You can fly (there is an airport), you could drive (useful for visiting other places nearby), but we took the train. There was an offer in the Times newspaper which got us there for £70 each, an absolute bargain, and I am sure you’d be able to find similar bargains all over the place. We left London Waterloo at about 9am for the three hour Eurostar journey to Paris Nord, then it’s a further 5 hours by train from Paris Es
t to Strasbourg.

Once you’ve been on the British trains you will marvel at the luxury of the French rail system – efficient, comfortable and very fast (it really puts this country to shame). I slept almost all the way there, but remained awake for most of the return journey, and can honestly say that both were a pleasure (excepting a few annoying small children, who should have been caged at the rear of the train). I felt fresh as a daisy and ready to go upon arrival.

{PARIS
A quick note about Paris. Avoid it like the plague if you can. What was once the jewel of France is becoming a smelly, dirty, dangerous, nasty place to be. Within 10 minutes I had actually seen a British couple being pick pocketed by one of the hordes of immigrants that swamp Paris Nord. We walked to Paris Est from Paris Nord, and I actually felt unsafe with the dodgy people hanging around, and I’m usually OK about that sort of thing. The Metro is just as bad.
If you must hang around for longer than five seconds secrete any valuables somewhere REALLY safe, like back in England, and don’t go anywhere you don’t have to. Don’t go alone, remain vigilant and please be careful}


A BIT ABOUT STRASBOURG
After Paris, Strasbourg was just beautiful. Situated on the border of France and Germany, it has switched between the two countries a few times, and has been hotly contested in many wars. It is ideally placed for relatively easy access to many more countries, such as Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland.
As a result Strasbourg is both German AND French, indeed one local commented to us that they were not French but Alsacien (The city is in the region of Alsace). The locals speak French, German and the Alsacien dialect (and English in case of emergencies!). Its appearance and nature draw heavily from both cultures, and I think embodies the best characteristics of each. Perhaps as a result of the location and mul
ti-cultural environment Strasbourg houses one of the main locations for the European Council.
The town is built on the river Ill, and the old town is built on a large island in the river. It developed as a port town, but is located close to the Rhine, and developed as a major European transport artery. Indeed Strasbourg means ‘the city of the roads’.


WHERE TO STAY?
As you’d expect of a city which now has a major influx of tourists, there are loads of hotels to choose from. Check out the Rough Guide for more details, but I’d recommend the hotel ‘Patricia’ (1a rue du Puits). It’s right in the middle of the old town, and is ideally placed as a base for your activities. The rooms are basic, but adequate, and you can have a room with en suite shower/wc. The Patricia is one of the old buildings in the town, and you get a bit of a sense of history by staying there.


PEOPLE
The locals are by now very used to tourists. They are very friendly and helpful, and we only came across one unpleasant individual. They all speak German and French, and some speak English, but I would recommend that you put some effort into speaking their language. I think that you get a much better response if you only try to be less of a typical ‘tourist’ type – I saw one ‘stereotypical’ American tourist (white t-shirt over bulging gut, shorts, cap, camera and a loud voice trying to get information out of one of the locals – she didn’t understand English, so he just asked more loudly) gain a more brusque response than I had just been given, simply because I put in the effort. I’m sure you wouldn’t be impressed if someone came up to you and made no effort to speak your language when asking for directions!

There are loads and loads of tourists – sometimes you can’t get through the narrow streets due to all the tourists. There are all natio
nalities, but in particular lots of Germans in large groups (who behave not unlike the Americans). There is however a good-natured feel to the whole place though, as everyone is there to take in the beautiful city. On occasions you’ll bump into some English and exchange some idle chit-chat (like only the English can!), but there don’t seem to be many. The general feel is not as ‘touristy’ as you’d expect though – certainly not compared to somewhere like London.

I would also recommend Strasbourg for the single males out there. Now I am devoted to Ms. M, and would never dream of looking at another woman, but I did happen to ‘notice’ that there is the highest concentration of lovely ladies in Strasbourg than anywhere else I have ever been. There seems to be an endless supply of beautiful women to please the eye, of all types! I cannot, however, comment on the concentration of fit blokes – maybe some brave, selfless, intrepid Dooyooer will undertake the onerous task of checking out the Strasbourg males??


WHAT TO SEE?
Normally I would laugh if someone suggested that I spend 5 days in a place the size of Strasbourg without leaving the city. Surely there is not enough to see! Wrong.
Firstly I’d split the city into 3 pieces to see – the ‘new’ city, with all the modern shops and buildings, then the old city (on the island) with some newer shops and lots of museums and open squares. Finally the ‘historical’ part – ‘Petit France’ which has all the really old buildings, towers, and really feels like stepping into another era.
There are a few places you mustn’t miss:

The Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre Dame. Utterly stunning – one of the most beautiful in Europe, and massive with it. Well worth going in and marvelling at the feat of faith. You can also perform a feat of your own by climbing the steps all t
he way to the top (I lost count at a million billion steps), with which you will be rewarded with a superb view of the entire city. The cathedral also contains an astronomical clock, which is only open to the public from 12 to 12.45pm, and also worth checking out.

Just off from the Cathedral is Place Gutenberg, which will often have a book market or some form of street entertainment. Further up is the huge Place Kleber, which also has a market, as well as loads of shops and places to eat.

There are regular boat trips around the city. They take just over an hour, and you get a different view of the place. There is an audio guide via headphones, but only a brave person will be able to stand the awful whiny posh English voice for more than 5 minutes (surely we don’t sound like that!)

You can simply spend hours walking around all the different parts of the city – there is just so much beauty and history to check out. This includes more churches than you can shake a priest at, and loads of museums which often contain different exhibits – when we were there one museum was supposed to have a huge display of Catholic Iconoclasm, but was unfortunately closed for repairs. There is a new, massive, museum of modern art (if that is your thing).

It is possible to spend a day walking round the outside of the old town along the canals and river, by doing so you will see a wide range of different architectural styles from all ages and cultures (aided by the fact that the city changed nationalities a few times!). This culminates in the ultra modern home of the European Council – utterly out of place with all the old buildings, but nonetheless worth visiting across the river.

It might be worth pointing out that our holiday was a relaxed one – we spent time reading in parks, sleeping under trees and just watching the river, but nonetheless we never once got bored.


NIGHTLIFE
If you want
a hectic nightlife, go somewhere like Ibiza. I cannot imagine anything worse, so Strasbourg was great. There are loads of little bars in all styles, and a few nightclubs – if that is your sort of thing, I’m sure you’ll find what you are after.

There are a few cinemas, including some smaller ones that have films in English with subtitles in French.

Every evening during the summer there is a light show at the Cathedral at nightfall - for about 15 minutes the exterior of the building is lit up with many colours and lights, in time to music, and it is something else! We went to see it three nights running. Also on a Friday evening the cathedral hosts a beautiful music recital (usually two organs with one other instrument) – I am not a catholic (fell from grace years ago), but on Friday night I was closer than I have been for a long time.

It’s worth wandering the streets in the evenings. There are lots of street entertainers and things going on, and it felt relatively safe (especially after Paris).


FEED ME!
What are the French famous for? No, not berets, but food! The food there is just superb, and there is EVERYTHING and every style you could wish for (except fish and chips…. sorry!). Every other commercial outlet is a patisserie, café, restaurant or some other food seller. In particular you should try ‘Choucroutte’ or sauerkraut. If you don’t know what it is, I’m not going to tell you, but it’s a nice delicious surprise. Also try to find somewhere that has the local delicacy of Flammekueche, a sort of pizza made from unleavened bread, cheese and toppings including ‘lardons’ or bits of bacon.

Our practice was to have a light lunch of fresh French bread (which is so nice it can be eaten plain, which isn’t the same as the dry English stuff…) with cheese and some cake, eaten by the river, before a proper evening meal in
a restaurant.

The following come with a Mush burp of approval:

Flam’s: (1 rue de l’Epine, near the Patricia) A restaurant dedicated to Flammekueche. Always busy, but deservedly so. It’s cheap and friendly, the service is great and the food is top. For the same price as a MacDreadful’s you can have a proper meal, and it’s quick too. Just right for a meal before a movie.

Au Vieux Strasbourg: (5, Rue de Maroquin) Near Petit France, and in an area that is usually crowded with tourists (but very picturesque), this is one of about eight restaurants all next to each other. With seating both indoors and outdoors, it serves local cuisine and has a nice ‘old’ feel to it. It’s a nice place to sit and watch people, and the chicken in white wine with ‘Spatzle’ (sort of doughy noodles which I can’t get enough of) is recommended.

I would suggest that at for at least a couple of meals you don’t take a dessert, instead pop down to Glacier Toscani (4 Rue de la Lanterne, near Place Gutenberg). This place has more varieties of Ice cream than you could shake another priest at, and is very well priced. Grab an Ice cream (‘Marrons Glace’ (Glace Chestnuts) for me!) and go for a walk around town with your pud. Chat up the girl behind the counter for extra large helpings – yum!


SHOPPING
Strasbourg is a shopper’s dream. Everything and anything can be bought somewhere in the city (including some of the more eclectic items on my list), and even the tightest of skinflints will be hard pressed to keep the purse strings tight. Check out the markets, but also have a look in the major stores (there is a Virgin Megastore in the old town!) and little independents, because most things are cheaper over there – I picked up 3 new DVDs for £34. (NB. You can change languages with DVDs, but not videos!). CD’s, clothes, etc. can be foun
d at bargain prices compared to rip off Britain. With the pound being rather strong at the moment do you need a better excuse?

There are tons of clothes shops, bookshops, tourist shops, antique shops and shops that sell anything you can think of. At least a day or two of shopping to be done!


NEARBY
Near Strasbourg you can find a castle called Haut Koenigsbourg. It looks really nice and day trips leave from the city, but unfortunately not on the days we were there. Nancy is nearby, as well as other areas that were relevant in the wars. And a place called Germany. These places are much, much easier to get to if you go by car, but pop into the tourist office opposite the cathedral for more info.

But quite frankly you could quite happily stay in the city for the whole time.


GENERAL STUFF
For those who can’t live without Dooyoo, there are umpteen Cyber cafés, one round the corner from Patricia!

If you want an active holiday, Strasbourg isn’t for you. If you want sun, sand, sea, sex and sangria, then stay well away from Strasbourg. Please. If you want a relatively cheap holiday (we spent £500 odd for everything for 2 people, including shopping), want to chill, read a good book or two (or in my case three!) and amble around at your own pace for a relaxing week of culture and history, then I’d recommend you look towards Strasbourg.

Ms. M and I have already discussed moving out there.

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