A Guide to Strasbourg & Fairy-Tale Alsace

Best day trips from Strasbourg

• About an hour’s drive (or a half-hour train ride) from Strasbourg is the town of Colmar. It has all the charms of Strasbourg, but on a smaller scale. You can get a good sense of the town in just one day of exploring. Don’t miss La Petite Venise.

• If you’re looking for vineyard views and Riesling tastings, head to Domaine Weinbach. It’s just a 15-minute drive from Colmar, so you can easily visit both in one day. Be sure to call and make an appointment before you show up.

• Various day trip providers can take you to Alsace’s many quaint chocolate-box villages. The tour guide picks you up in a car or van and drives you from village to village. You don’t have to worry about train or bus schedules. You get plenty of time to independently explore each village and a knowledgeable tour guide to tell you about the history of each. My favorites of these are Eguisheim, Ribeauville, Riquewihr, and Kaysersberg. You can visit all four in one day.

Where to shop

Strasbourg Flea Market: On Wednesdays and Saturdays only, the centrally located Place Des Tripiers turns into a flea market full of vintage and antique treasures:

• Renouard: quality handbags and leather goods

• Galeries Lafayette: Strasbourg outpost of the famous Paris department store

• Rue des Juifs: Literally translated to “Street of Jews.” (European travel hack: Any street or neighborhood named for Jews is usually where the Jewish population lived in the Middle Ages, and, usually, it was the hub of commerce and trade in the city. Very often, it’s where the best shopping can be found today.

Instagrammable spots

• Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg: Gothic church dating to 1439. Endure the line. Go inside. Try to pick your jaw up off the floor for the rest of the day.

• Palais Rohan: A grand former palace, now a museum.

• Petite-France: This neighborhood is Strasbourg at its Strasbourgiest. Very picturesque.

• Barrage Vauban: Climb the steps to the roof of this covered bridge for a great view of the city.

• Boat tour: I will typically steer you away from double-decker bus tours and boat tours. (There are so many better ways to experience a city.) But, in Strasbourg, do the boat tour. You’ll ride by historic and modern Strasbourg, including the European Parliament, Saint Paul’s Church, and Conseil de l’Europe.

• Tarte flambée is what would happen if crepes and pizza were combined. It has a very thin crust, traditionally topped with crème fraîche, onions, and bacon. But there are plenty of variations for vegetarians. My favorite place for this dish is La Fignette.

• Riesling: Have lots and lots of Riesling in Alsace. Once in a while, have some Pinot Blanc to mix things up a little. But Riesling is the play. My favorite wine bar in Strasbourg is Jaja—it’s close to the university, so expect a young, hip crowd.

• If you’re a beer person, you also have to drink some Meteor. It’s readily available everywhere, but I recommend a stop at a proper beer hall like Académie de la Bière to chug with the pros.

• Munster cheese comes from Alsace—and it has nothing to do with the sliced, low-flavor stuff we get in American supermarkets. Try some at La Cloche à Fromage, an entire restaurant dedicated to cheese (because of course there is). I keep telling you that Strasbourg is heaven. What more evidence do you need?