If you have ever thought to yourself, “I’d really love to go see what ‘Old Europe’ looked like,” then spending three days in Strasbourg might just be what you need! As we focus on slow travel, three days in Strasbourg is plenty of time to see all the major sites with time to still sit back and admire the city for what it is – an important hub and an architectural beauty.
Day 1 – Three Days in Strasbourg
There are plenty of wonderful places to stay in Strasbourg, ranging from affordable to very not. However, one of the best features of Strasbourg is that despite its size (approximately 300,000 people), it is very easily navigable by foot.
To kick start your first day, we recommend heading into old Strasbourg. Here is where you’ll find the heart of the city, at least as far as history and architecture is concerned. Your first day’s activity will revolve around the stunningly beautiful Cathedral Notre Dame.
Cathedral Notre Dame
The importance of the land this gorgeous Gothic cathedral sits on dates back to the pre-Christian era (before 313 CE). There have been several different structures on the site, with the current one starting its construction around the late 12th century, with different additions and renovations happening several times over the next 800 or so years.
When visiting, you’ll have plenty of options for experiencing all this cathedral offers. To enter the cathedral is absolutely free and absolutely worth it. There will likely be a line, but it moves pretty quickly and is quite manageable. The inside of the cathedral is stunning. If you don’t believe us, check out below.
The Cathedral boasts an impressive Rose Window and a fascinating astronomical clock. The clock is draped in liturgical meaning from the rooster, symbolizing Christ’s passion to the stars identified by Ptolemy as viewed from Strasbourg. You can purchase tickets to see the clock turn and spin for about €5. You’ll need to buy the day of, however, as there is no pre-purchase. We recommend, however, to just enter the church for free and view the clock on your own, though purchasing it is less crowded, and you’ll get to see all the workings.
The last part worth checking out in the Cathedral Notre Dame is the bell towers and the top of the church. The top viewing deck stands 66 meters tall and will take 330 steps to get there. It can be, like other European cathedrals, a difficult trek up, but it’s well worth it! The views across the city are remarkable! You can also find viewfinders that point to specific areas and a companion app that visualizes what the city would have looked like during different eras. Personally, we found the background information on the clock and bells to be fascinating as well. The cost to go up is €8 per person, but we feel this is a worthwhile cost.
After descending from the cathedral, you can wander about the area, taking in the wonderful architecture and feeling like you’re in a fairy tale, or you can head to Palais Rohan.
Palais Rohan
Palais Rohan is the former palace of the House of Rohan, whose lineage can be traced back over 900 years. Today, however, it serves as a wonderful museum! In this sprawling palace, you can find three distinct areas:
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Museum of Decorative Arts
- Archeological Museum
Museum of Fine Arts
This museum houses European artwork from the 13th century to the late 19th century. It features works by artists like Botticelli, Jacob Jordaens, Hans Memling, and more!
Museum of Decorative Art
This particular museum houses furniture from the history of Strasbourg, though a considerable portion of it was lost during the bombings in World War II. You can also find items relating to the astronomical clock in the Cathedral Notre Dame.
Archeological Museum
While much of what was once in here was destroyed, today, it still houses a nice collection. The archeology heavily on Argenentoratum, or what was ancient Strasbourg in the years before the first millennium (12 BCE), as it was a Roman outpost. It also houses artifacts from the Paleolithic era through the Merovingian Dynasty (5th to 8th century).
The Palais Rohan costs approximately €7.50 to enter and is a great way to spend an afternoon!
Wrapping Up Day 1 & Notre Dame Light Show
We feel this is enough for one day. Again, we focus on slow travel! However, there is one more item to see!
The Notre Dame Cathedral puts on a light show each night at 10 p.m., or around there, the Cathedral is lit up with a wonderful light show. It is set to music, and the surrounding area is dimmed so the effect is amplified. It is free of charge (standing room outside the cathedral only) and runs in loops, so if you miss one, you’ll see another one not long after.
The colors and designs chosen for the light show are truly magnificent. The cathedral is transformed from fantasy colors (think Lord of the Rings) to Fairy Tales (think Sleeping Beauty). It was, perhaps, our favorite moment in Strasbourg, or at least Cam’s, as it really struck a chord with his imagination.
Day Two – Three Days in Strasbourg
After enjoying the main square and cathedral in Strasbourg for day two, we set off for the Parisian Quarters, but first, we want you to get your bearings in the city.
Canal Cruise
While we aren’t advocates of overly touristy attractions, we can’t deny we don’t love a short river cruise!
Like other European cities such as Bruges, Strasbourg offers wonderful little river cruises. These generally start near the Place de Corbeau. Batorama offers a few different boat tour options:
- Strasbourg – A History: This tour lasts an hour and 15 minutes and covers essentially the entire history of the city, going back two millennia. It cruises through three different districts: Grande Île, Neustadt, and the European Quarter.
- Cost: €14.90 Full Fare for Adults
- European Parliament: This 17-minute cruise runs by the cathedral and around the European Parliament. Unlike its longer counterpart, it will not give you a great idea of the city’s layout but can be great if you don’t want to spend an hour on a boat.
- Cost: €14.50 Full Fare for Adults
- Phare Citadel: This boat tour, lasting 45 minutes, runs from the Cathedral Area (Place de Corbeau) to the Phare Citadel, where you’ll find great restaurants, bars, and fun (they hold concerts, activities like Yoga and outdoor films, live shows or performances, and more!) Note that, unlike the other two cruises, the Phare Citadel cruise does not offer a return trip.
- Cost: €3.50 Full Fare for Adults
All three of these cruises offer something of value, but we recommend the History cruise to get a good idea of the history and layout of the city. The Phare Citadel is a great way to end the day and head somewhere to find good food and drink!
Parisian Quarter
To me, the Parisian Quarter in Strasbourg wasn’t nearly as interesting as the main square by the cathedral, but it was nonetheless beautiful. Like the other parts of Strasbourg, the Parisian quarter is filled with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, and places to step in and sight-see. One of the highlights is the covered bridges scattered throughout this area. Much like the rest of Strasbourg, the Parisian Quarter is quaint and a wonderful area to simply stroll through and enjoy.
Musee Alsacien
Near the Cathedral Notre Dame is a fantastic little museum called the Musee Alsacien. This museum is comprised of what was once several Renaissance-era buildings that now make up the museum. The Musee Alsacien goes over the history of the 18th and 19th centuries in Alsace. It houses over 5,000 pieces and gives a solid historical perspective of the Alsace region. It costs 7,50€ per person to get in and, if you love history, it is a great museum. If you’re out in the cold or rainy, it’s a great way to escape the weather!
Rounding Out Day 2 In Strasbourg
Depending on the cruise, you might want to just hit the Parisian Quarter, the Musee Alsacien, or neither. There are plenty of chances for strolling on your second day in the wonderful city of Strasbourg.
Day Three – Three Days in Strasbourg
For day three in Strasbourg, we recommend making your way to the Parc de l’Orangerie. If the weather is nice, we highly recommend walking. From the Notre Dame Cathedral, it’s about 2.5 km. It’s a chance to see parts of the city you may not have expected,
Parc de l’Orangerie
The park itself is not overly large, but it is well-maintained and beautiful! The park itself has plenty to walk around and see. You can rent a small boat and row around the pond in the park. An interesting fact about the park and the pond is that they are home to a stork reintroduction center, one of the first in Europe. You’ll be able to see storks and stork chicks if you’re there at the right time of year.
Also located in the park is a wonderful (seemingly, as we did not eat there) restaurant. In 1895, Strasbourg hosted an industrial and craft exhibition. What’s left of this exhibition is a farmhouse, originally dating back to the early 17th century. It now houses a Michelin-starred restaurant: Buerehiesel. Again, we did not eat there, but its menu looks lovely, so if you’re looking for a scenic and fancy day out, this could be the place for you! Reservations would definitely be recommended.
St. Paul’s Church
This church certainly plays second fiddle to Notre Dame, but in all honesty, the views of this church along the quay are stunning, particularly at dusk.
This church was built in the late 19th century and, according to Wikipedia, is a major Gothic Revival architecture. It resembles the Cathedral Notre Dame in the center of the city. While we did not get to go inside, it was, in many ways, more beautiful to admire than Notre Dame. Being along the water and with far fewer people, though smaller, was a chance to take in similar architecture without the throngs of people.
Final Thoughts – Three Days in Strasbourg
Our guide is designed to help you slow travel as you enjoy all that Strasbourg has to offer while still being able to explore the city and get off the beaten path.
Strasbourg is one of the prettiest cities we have visited in Europe, one of the prettiest in the world, and easily one of the most walkable. While we have not visited there during the winter holidays (the Christmas Markets are generally considered some of the best in the world), it is worth a visit at all times of the year.
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