Strasbourg: more than France’s Christmas market town

Posted by Jul on 7 March 2007

I don’t have anything particularly profound to say about Strasbourg, since I only spent about 6 hours there this time around. It was nice to see it without the massive crowds that were there for the Christmas market. Strasbourg definitely has its charming side, and I wouldn’t mind going back another time.

We attempted to hit a casual vegetarian restaurant called Adan (6 rue Sedillot) for lunch, but alas it was closed for a week of vacation. That left us scrambling to find a suitable lunch place that was still serving (eating lunch after 1 PM = bad idea in France). We were turned away from a couple places which couldn’t be bothered to take our money in exchange for food before coming across the restaurant Le Fossile. Not only were they still serving, but the place was packed and had a great vibe. The menu (which the waitress took time to translate for us) basically consisted of steak and more steak. I had a yummy-but-not-so-filling salad and a bunch of Ali’s French fries (blech). But I still came away liking the place. Perhaps it was the wine?

We basically spent the day wandering around, window-shopping and admiring the views. Like Colmar, Strasbourg also has its share of adorable half-timbered houses. Its cute waterside neighborhood is called Petite France (I was expecting a miniature Eiffel Tower, but no), and makes for some good strolling. Overall I’m giving Strasbourg 3 out of 5 stars. (I don’t know, I just felt like giving it a rating.)

Tags: France, restaurants, travel

Comments (5)

• 
  R. Duckie

  March 7th, 2007

  It’s really pretty!! It does suck trying to find Vegi food sometimes. Wherever I go I just carry around an apple in case I find myself starving to death!
  It looks a bit like Venice, or Amsterdam

• 
  Rob

  March 8th, 2007

  Your posts about the Alsace are making me very unhappy indeed!
  I adore the Alsace.

  The drive from Stuttgart to Strassbourg takes 40 Minutes and when I lived in Stuttgart I spent almost every second weekend in the Alsace.

  I now have to drive almost 4 hours, which puts every second weekend in France out of question!

  Perhaps I shall have to consider using trains after all – the problem is, the best restaurants and vinyards are so remote, that I would have to rent a car once I got there anyway …

  … thanks for the memories!

• 
  Mark Reynolds

  March 9th, 2007

  I’d only recently seen the Fossile myself and was intrigued – glad to know it’s good. My history-geekery compels me to inform you that “Petit France” gets its name from the hospital that used to be there to treat all the German soldiers who had contracted what they called “the French disease” – syphillis.
  If you come back this way, I’ll give you a tour that will bore you with those and thousands of other facts.

• 
  CanadianSwiss

  March 10th, 2007

  I really love Strassbourg (and Colmar), but I can understand that it’s difficult to find vegetarian food. The French love their meat!

• 
  Jul

  March 12th, 2007

  Mark – very useful info indeed! Can’t wait to come back for the tour.