Strasbourg

French Republic | République Française

France

English / French

Region:

Western Europe

Area:

551 695 km²

Ranked out of 195

Population:

65 274 000

Ranked 22 out of 235

Urbanization:

81 %

Ranked 41 out of 194

Capital:

Paris

Population: 13 025 000

Largest City:

Paris

Population: 13 025 000

Major Cities:

Paris
Lyon
Marseille
Toulouse
Bordeaux

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 26 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

Very High

Ranked 23 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

$46 184

Ranked 35 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Flawed Democracy

Ranked 22 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

90 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Satisfactory

Ranked 26 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

2nd Quartile

Ranked 50 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1792

Independence From:

Kingdom of France

National Day:

14th of July

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The 14th of July is also often called "Bastille Day" in English and it celebrates the 1789 Storming of the Bastille, a fortress, prison, and armory, in Paris during the French Revolution. The Bastille was seen as a symbol of the Royal powers and the Storming is symbolic of the fall of the Kingdom of France and the establishment of the Republic of France. On the same day one year later, in 1790, a massive festival was held throughout France in honor of the Revolution and the national day is commonly named "Fête de la Fédération" after that festival in France.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer Time: UTC +2 (CEST)

Country Calling Code:

+ 33

Country Code:

ISO 3166

French Region | Région Française

Grand Est

English / French

Großer Osten

German

Grossa Oschta

Alsatian

Region:

North-Eastern France

Area:

57 433 km²

Ranked 5 out of 13

Population:

5 550 000

Ranked 6 out of 13

Population Share:

9 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Strasbourg

Population: 790 000

Largest City:

Strasbourg

Population: 790 000

Major Cities:

Strasbourg
Reims
Metz
Mulhouse
Nancy

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

$34 250

Lower than national average

Climate:

Oceanic Climate

Köppen: Cfb

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer Time: UTC +2 (CEST)

Cultural Region

Alsace

English / French

Elsass

German

Alsatia

Latin

Region:

Eastern Grand Est

Area:

8 280 km²

Population:

1 896 000

Population Share:

3 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Strasbourg

Population: 790 000

Largest City:

Strasbourg

Population: 790 000

Major Cities:

Strasbourg
Mulhouse
Colmar
Haguenau
Schiltigheim

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

$37 900

Lower than national average

Climate:

Oceanic Climate

Köppen: Cfb

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer Time: UTC +2 (CEST)

English:

Strasbourg

French (Local):

Strasbourg

German (Local):

Straßburg

Alsatian (Local):

Strossburi

Swedish:

Strasbourg

Flag of Strasbourg

Strasbourg Coat of Arms

Meaning of the Name:

"Town (At The Crossing) Of Roads", which is of Germanic origin from its German name Straßburg.

Former Names:

Argantorati (Before the 5th century)

Nicknames:

"The Capital of Europe"

"The Crossroads of Europe"

Demonym(s):

Strasbourgeois

Petite France

Half-Timbered Houses

Notre-Dame de Strasbourg

Cathedral

Palais du Rhin

German Imperial Palace

Aéroport de Strasbourg

IATA Code:

SXB

ICAO Code:

LFST

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

10 km / 6 mi (SW)

Located In:

Entzheim

Named After:

Information:

A small regional airport and it will probably not be your port of entry into Strasbourg.

Transfer To/From:

The best way to get into town is by train from the Entzheim-Aéroport Station. The journey into Strasbourg Main Train Station (Gare de Strasbourg) takes seven to twelve minutes.

Alternatives:

It's usually better to try to get to Strasbourg by train or by car as the flight options are limited. Strasbourg-SXB is not a large and major airport. There are two main alternatives if you are so far away that you have to fly at least part of the distance. You can either fly to Frankfurt ( FRA | 170 km | 105 mi ) in Germany and take a train from there. This train journey takes between two to three hours depending on which service and route you want to use. A train leaves up to every 30 minutes in each direction. The second option is to fly to Paris ( CDG | 400 km | 248 mi ). There's a high-speed train route between Paris and Strasbourg which covers the distance in just 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

The Strasbourg tramway system is a network of six lines covering a distance of 65 km (40 mi). The current system was opened in 1994. A previous tram network existed between 1878 - 1960 in various forms. There's also a large network of buses, which works in co-operation with the tram network. Biking is another popular transport option of the city and bike paths are common and everywhere.

Walkability:

Strasbourg is very walkable and the center of the city, Grande Île, is mostly pedestrianized to even further enhance the walkability of the city. The island isn't very large and can easily be crossed in a few minutes if you walk fast. The main areas outside of the Grand Île are all surrounding the island and easily explored on foot. The only major sight that is further away and requires you to make use of the tram network is the European Parliament.

Currency:

Euro

Code:

EUR

Subunit:

Cent

Symbol:

€

Cash Or Credit:

Either works fine.

Good To Know:

Local Language:

French

Language Family:

Romance (Indo-European)

Writing System:

Latin Alphabet

What About English?

Strasbourg is one of the most international cities in Europe since it hosts the European Parliament and several other international institutions, combined with its history as a border city between France and Germany. I had no problem at all with the language in the city. From my experience, both young and old were often able to speak and help out in English and no one seemed annoyed at my lack of French knowledge.

Other Common Languages:

German and Alsatian are also spoken in Strasbourg. German is traditionally the main language of this city, which is located just a few kilometers from the German border.

Grand Rue

Pedestrianized

Partly

Built

District

Grande île

Strasbourg doesn't have a main street in the sense that many other cities have in which there's one street that is larger and more active than all other streets. Grand Rue on Grande Île is the best candidate for the main street in Strasbourg, but it is in no way a street that you will undoubtely end up on by just walking around. I would rather say that Strasbourg has a main square which fills the position that main streets usually do, and that is Place Kléber. Grand Rue will take you from Place Kléber to Petite France and like most of Grande Île, it is pedestrianized.

Anywhere on Grande Île would be considered as central and a good location for your accomodation. If you really want to be as central as possible then look for a hotel near Place Kléber, Place Gutenberg, and the Cathedral. I was happy with the location of my hotel in Poincaré, just north of Grande Île. As long as you are close to the river you will be central if both Poincaré and Krutenau to the south of Grande Île.

Strasbourg is not a destination you go to and eat fast food. If you do want a quick lunch I can recommend trying Fresh Burritos, but in reality, you should be able to find a local restaurant instead as there are a lot of them.

Fresh Burritos

Origin:

Founded:

2011

Type of Food:

Burritos

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

3 / 5

About:

A smaller chain with 39 stores across France (as of July 2021). It's like a Subway but for Burritos. You customize all the ingredients and how you want your Burrito. So you will have an endless amount of possibilities, as long as you enjoy Burritos!

Comment:

You'll find it on Rue des Grandes Arcades in the city center on Grande Île. The food was very good and the location was clean but cramped.

No Images Available

Colmar

Destination Guide

Distance:

70 km / 43 mi

Travel Time:

60 Minutes

How To Get There:

Driving if you have a car. If you don't have a car, there are several organized tours from Strasbourg that you can choose from. The distance is 70 km (43 mi), and it takes about an hour to drive.

Sights:

The half-timbered houses are what Colmar is best known for. La Petite Venise is a canal lined with half-timbered houses. The city is not that large so you won't miss it.

Do I Recommend It:

Yes. Strasbourg has lots of half-timbered houses, but Colmar is the place where you can truly see and appreciate this beautiful architectural style.

Freiburg im Breisgau

Destination Guide

Distance:

86 km / 53 mi

Travel Time:

60 Minutes

How To Get There:

By car is the easiest. There are no direct trains. If you want to go by train you will have to change in either Offenburg or Basel. The distance is 86 km (53 mi), and it takes about an hour to drive.

Sights:

The two remaning city gates: Martinstor and Schwabentor. Freiburg Bächle in the Old Town is a unique sight. It's small canals that run along most streets.

Do I Recommend It:

Not as a day trip actually. It's close enough to be a day trip and you can do it as such. But I would rather recommend that you go to Freiburg for at least a night instead. If you have a car it's a perfect next stop on your road trip.

Before I visited Strasbourg I had this, ungrounded, view that the city was a boring bureaucratic city due to the presence of the European Union and the European Parliament. I have never been so wrong! Strasbourg is a strong contender for the title of the most beautiful city in Europe! I truly loved my visit to this gorgeous city!

Do I Recommend You To Visit?

Definitely!

Will I Come Back Again?

It is a typical city that you would visit once and then be done with, but I liked it so much that I can't rule out another visit later in life.

Weather During My Stay:

Sunny, blue skies, and temperatures around 25°C (77°F).

Best:

The half-timbered houses everywhere! The architecture in Strasbourg is so beautiful!

Not As Good:

The city has some horrible areas outside of the traditional core. Stay close to Grande Île.