Strasbourg - so far and yet so near!

Visiting Strasbourg is not just immersing yourself in an incredible picture-postcard decor, it is also establishing friendly relations with inhabitants who are much more mischievous and open than you might expect! As recounted by illustrator Tomi Ungerer, born in Strasbourg in 1931, the inhabitants of Alsace have been marked by several centuries of invasions and have, in the process, developed a special sense of humour, very close to Jewish humour, that reflects both a horror of violence and a search for identity. When asking for directions or chatting with the boss of a winstub (wine bar), you will feel the inhabitants' love for their city and their pleasure in sharing its hidden treasures! At the same time (spare the rod and spoil the child!) the people of Strasbourg have a sharp tongue and consider that their city, belatedly linked up to the TGV network, has been manifestly "lethargic" and "withdrawn", while Brussels and Luxembourg were reinforcing their status as European capitals.   

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic centre located on the "Grande Île" (Great Island) is the jewel of Strasbourg. A stroll around it (a good hour's walk), and even a trip around it by boat (departure from the jetty of the Palais Rohan), is an absolute must: it will give you two different perceptions of the embankments, bridges and medieval panorama.

Anyone entering the historic centre inevitably gravitates - consciously or not - towards the cathedral, whose 142-metre-high spire constitutes a permanent landmark, wherever you may be in the city! To discover its sublime façade, built by Erwin de Steinbach in the 13th century, we recommend taking rue Mercière, which is laid out in the axis of the monument. It has the same impact every time! The pink sandstone of the Vosges gleams in the sunshine and the Vierges Sages ("wise virgins") and Vierges Folles ("foolish virgins") of the great door on the right seem as alive as when they were created! Although Notre-Dame cathedral is one of the greatest masterpieces of Gothic architecture, it also has touches of the profane: it is amusing to find the traces of humour and impertinent gestures peculiar to artists of the Middle Ages, such as the small sleeping dog sculpted at the foot of the immense marble pulpit from 1485! The Pilier des Anges (Pillar of Angels, whose statues, arranged over three floors, make a marvellously harmonious group) and Horloge Astronomique (Astronomical Clock, whose 12 apostles parade before Christ every day at 12.30pm) are also must-see masterpieces.

The Grande Île is as charming for its half-timbered houses, its canals and its cobbled courtyards covered with Virginia creeper as for the names of its streets which evoke bygone times: rue du Vieux-Marché-aux-Poissons ("old fish market street", where Goethe lived in 1770), pont du Corbeau ("crow's bridge"), pont des Moulins ("bridge of the mills"), rue du Fossé des Tanneurs ("tanners' moat street"), rue du Bain aux Plantes ("herb bath street"), rue des Dentelles ("lace street")... Here, Strasbourg reveals its wonders to those who know how to take the time to look at them... and not just take photographs! Thus the gigantic Maison Kammerzell, built in 1589 opposite the cathedral, seems to have come straight out of a drawing by Victor Hugo, with its arcade, woodcarvings and forward-leaning façade.

 

300 metres from there you will cross Place Gutenberg, which was once the centre of political and social life in the city, as indicated by the old Hôtel de Ville (town hall) built in 1585. Around the statue by David d'Angers, dedicated to the inventor of printing (who lived in Strasbourg from 1434 to 1444), you will come across a traditional book market that is a pleasant place for bargain hunting.

But the quintessence of the "Grande Île" is of course Petite France! This district, which would have fascinated Walt Disney, was named after a hospital set up in the 16^th century to treat the soldiers of François I who came back from Italy with smallpox... But Petite France was mainly occupied by fishermen, millers and tanners. The half-timbered houses reflected in the water of the canal date back to the late 16th or 17th centuries. The most famous one is the "Maison des Tanneurs" (tanners' house), built in 1572. All are built with overhangs and their roofs are pierced with galleries, beneath which the tanners put their skins out to dry after scraping them in water from the canal. One interesting sight: the incredibly narrow rue des Cheveux!

 

After visiting the Lutheran Church ofSt-Thomas, the largest church in the city after the cathedral, which houses one of the major works of French Baroque sculpture (the mausoleum of Maréchal de Saxe by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, dating from 1777), all that remains is for you to enjoy the city's most beautiful panorama... For that, you will have to go up to the panoramic terrace of the Vauban Dam: built by Vauban after Strasbourg's union with France in 1681, this strange structure of 13 arches was intended to reinforce the medieval fortifications. The view of the three bridges spanning the arms of the river Ill, each guarded by a medieval square tower, is captivating at sunset!

It was in Strasbourg that the most famous organ makers in Europe, the Silbermanns - organ builders from father to son - lived in the 17th and 18th centuries; their instruments, dear to the great Johann Sebastian Bach, are even today considered to be perfection itself, just as Stradivariuses are for the violin... You can admire one of their creations (from 1741) at the church of St-Thomas.  

But the organ tradition lives on in Strasbourg! Enthusiasts absolutely must visit the Cité de la Musiqueet de la Danse (city of music and dance) inaugurated in May 2006, which houses a brand new organ, 11 metres high and weighing 7 tonnes, made by the Strasbourg factory Mühleisen. Set in an 18-metre-high cone-shaped room, lined with anthracite stone for acoustic reasons, this instrument belongs to the Conservatoire National de Région de Strasbourg (CNR). The organ chest designed by architect Henri Gaudin is fascinating for its pure lines and contains no less than 26 organ stops for all repertoires. Of remarkable construction and harmonisation, this modern organ - one of the finest in France - delights the 35 students of the CNR and also the greatest guest organists, such as Martin Gester, a Bach specialist, and composer Thierry Escaich.

 

* One euro is worth approximately GBP0.68.