About Strasbourg

Situated on the Franco-German border, Strasbourg has been tossed back and forth between these two countries throughout its history. Annexed to France in 1681 after centuries of self-rule, Strasbourg was subject to German control from 1871 until the end of World War I and again between 1940 and 1944. The result is a city and people with a strong and distinctive local identity, combining the reputed efficiency and work ethic of the Germans with the lightness and sophistication of the French.

The name Strasbourg comes from Strateburgum, ‘the city of the roads’, because of its strategic geographical position on the west bank of the Rhine. Today, it could be called ‘the city of the trams’ due to an excellent and recently expanded network.

Strasbourg is far enough away from the capital to be truly independent on a cultural level, with its own opera, France’s only national theatre outside Paris, two international music festivals and Europe’s only bi-national TV station, Arte. Its international student population, some 50,000 strong, keeps the city lively and intellectually vibrant. Strasbourg is host to the permanent campus of the International Space University (ISU) and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), the prestigious French Grandes Ecoles that relocated to Strasbourg in 1992.

The Grande Ile (Big Island) is the heart of the city, encircled by the Ill River and Fossé du Faux-Rempart canal. The dominant landmark in Strasbourg is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in the Vieille Ville (Old Town), which has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages. Around the cathedral is clustered an impressive collection of museums.

Grande Ile’s southwestern corner, crossed by canals, is Strasbourg’s medieval quarter, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its square is Place Kléber – named after the brilliant Strasbourg-born military officer, Jean-Baptiste Kléber (1753–1800), who was singled out by Napoleon Bonaparte for high office in Egypt. The main streets (Rue des Grandes Arcades and the parallel Rue des Francs Bourgeois) are remarkably small and pedestrian friendly. The Petite France area in the half-timbered houses and narrow streets could not be more different from the ultra-modern City of Europe to the northeast of the city.

Strasbourg enjoys the semi-continental climate of the Alsace region, with sunny, warm and dry conditions. Nevertheless, because of the traditional Christmas market, the peak tourist season extends from May right through to the end of December.

Top Sights

• Council of Europe
• European Court of Human Rights
• European Parliament
• The Cathedral
• La Petite France
• Ponts Couverts
• Musée Zoologique

Learn More

• Strasbourg
• Welcome to Strasbourg
• Strasbourg info
• Alsace Region