A Taste of Alsace - 36h in Strasbourg and Colmar
In August 2022 I attended a workshop for a startup founded by a couple that have become very good friends of mine (check it out, especially if you have young kids trying to learn reading: https://alphaben.app/de/) in the south western corner of Germany. Of course, I had to take the opportunity to jump over into the nearby Alsace region and visit Strasbourg and Colmar, two of the more famous cities in the area.
The Grande Île of Strasbourg
The most famous district is its Unesco World Heritage site area; in fact Strasbourg was the first city to have its entire city center be listed as a World Heritage Site. The city is over 2000 years old and was first mentioned in Roman times. Its position on the banks of the Rhine and on the borders of what is now France and Germany meant it was heavily disputed during its existence.
Street Scenes
The Strasbourg Cathedral
Unknowingly I happened to stay in one of the city’s most famous buildings - Maison Kammerzell - directly on the main square and one of the best preserved medieval gothic housings in existence. It also had the benefit of being able to visit the cathedral early morning before the crowds rolled in.
Views from Above
The views from the viewing platform of the cathedral provide a special look at the gothic architecture in the city, and its tilted roofs. On completion, the church was the tallest building in the world for a while, at 142m. In fact, it was meant to have a second identical tower, the preparations for which can be spotted on the empty roof foundation and by the fact the church has the same massive pillars inside to support it. Either way, it made the ascent quite a stair climbing marathon at 332 stairs.
Colmar - The Little Venice
There was definitely a lot more to see in Strasbourg, for example the largest mosque in France, and the seat of the European Parliament, but I took a train to Colmar for a few hours instead, before having to leave the Alsace region for my trip to Iceland. It was worth it to catch a glimpse of one of the regions most picturesque villages with its well-preserved old town.
And that was a little excursion to a small corner of south eastern France! As usual, follow along on my Instagram, where I also have a story highlight with some clips from this trip.