Walking
tours
Strasbourg is an ideal size
to be covered by foot and a trip around the Cathedral especially
at night, and Petite France district is essential for the visitor.
The lush, grassy banks of the Ill and the Fossé
du Faux-Rempart canal afford views of the major sights.
Audio-guided visits lasting 90 minutes are available in French,
English, German, Italian and Spanish and represent by far the best
way of exploring the city. Equipment is available for hire for €6
from the Office du Tourisme, 17 place d la Cathédrale
(telephone number: (03) 8852 2828, fax number: (03) 8852 2829),
between 0900 hrs and 1900 hrs for a period of 24 hours. A deposit
of €30 or ID is required. This form of walking tour is highly
recommended for independent travellers who prefer to sightsee at
their own pace. The Office du Tourisme also organises French-language
guided tours that cover the Cathedral and Petite France, also lasting
approximately 90 minutes and costing €6.
Pedestrians need to be aware, that the access to some parking areas
means that cars have to drive along the pavement to reach them,
cycle lanes form part of the pavement rather than the road and,
even when crossing at a road junction with a ‘green’
light, cars turning into the road continue to approach and they
are obliged to give way to pedestrians on a crossing but the experience
can come as a surprise.
Boat
Tours
The Service
touristique du Port Autonome de Strasbourg, 15 rue de Nantes
(telephone number: (03) 8884 1313, fax number: (03) 8884 3313),
organises a two-and-a-half-hour cruise, departing from the place
de l’Etoile daily at 1430 hrs (July-August). The
tour travels along the Ill and Rhine
rivers and costs €8. In addition, it also offers daytime and
night-time cruises on the Ill River, with commentary in English,
departing daily from the Palais Rohan pier, Place du Marché
aux Poissons, all year round. These tours take 75 minutes and cost
approx €7.00.
Other Tours
CTS
(telephone number: (03) 8877 7070) operates a mini train sightseeing
service, with multilingual commentary. The 50-minute tours run every
30 minutes, daily 1000-1700 hrs. It departs from the place du Château,
passing the La Petite France district and the Cathedral. Fare is
€4.60 for adults and €2.30 for children.
Excursions
for Half a Day
Colmar
The capital of the Haut-Rhin, 70km (43 miles) south of Strasbourg,
is known for its quaint Old Town and dry wines and celebrated in
the annual wine festival, Foire aux Vins. It is
also home to the Rétable d’Issenheim
(Issenheim Altarpiece), painted by Mathias Grünewald, between
1512 and 1516, for St Anthony’s monastery and displayed at
the Musée d’Unterlinden, 1 rue d’Unterlinden
(telephone number: (03) 8920 1558; e-mail: info@musee-unterlinden.com,
website: www.musee-unterlinden.com
), The museum is open daily 0900-1800 hrs (May-October) and Wednesday
to Monday 0900-1200 hrs and 1400-1700 hrs (November-April). Admission
is €7.
Colmar is a 40-minute train journey from Strasbourg.
Colmar Tourist
Office, 4 rue des Unterlinden (telephone number: (03) 8920 6892,
fax: (03) 8941 3413, e-mail: info@ot-colmar.fr)
can provide further information.
For
a Whole Day
Molsheim
and the Route des Vins
The Route des Vins extends from Marlenheim, west of Strasbourg,
to Thann, close to Mulhouse, offering opportunities for free dégustations
(tastings) and summer wine festivals. Molsheim
is one of the largest towns on the itinerary, less than 30km (19
miles) southwest of Strasbourg, a 30-minute train journey. Its attractions,
in addition to wine, include the medieval fortifications, the Porte
des Forgerons (Blacksmiths’ Gate), the 16th-century Metzig
and the Eglise des Jésuites, an impressive Gothic church.
Molsheim
Tourist Office, 19 place de l’Hôtel de Ville (telephone
number: (03) 8838 1161, fax number: (03) 8849 8040, e-mail: infos@ot-molsheim-mutzig.com),
can provide further information.
La
Route des Vins d’Alsace and the Black Forest
Tourisme
Fleury, 15 Rue du Kirchbert (telephone number: (06) 0726 6815,
e-mail: info@tourisme-fleury.fr)
operates 2 tours on these routes, departing Strasbourg at 0930/1000
hrs in air-conditioned mini-buses. The excursions visit the vineyards
north of Colmar (Circuit A) or up to the Black Forest and Baden-Baden
in Germany (Circuit B), both arrive back in Strasbourg around 1600
hrs. There is a minimum of 2 people and the tours cost €69.
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