Meet your knowledgeable guide at your centrally located Strasbourg hotel and set off on your walking tour. As you stroll, hear illuminating facts about Strasbourg’s complex past and German heritage.
The German influence left on this French city is apparent as you follow your guide deep into the UNESCO-listed Grande Ile to explore the lovely pedestrian-friendly streets around the cathedral. Admire the Maison Kammerzell, a medieval townhouse that now houses a hotel and restaurant, before you arrive at the statue of Johannes Gutenberg, the founder of printing, in Gutenberg Square. For more ornate architecture, stop outside the grand Palais Rohan, an 18th-century residence that once hosted Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Then make your way to Strasbourg’s centerpiece: the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Marvel at the soaring spire and stonework of this Gothic masterpiece and go inside to view its stained glass and rose windows, created between the 12th and 14th centuries. Please note that your guide will not be able to make any commentaries inside the Cathedral unless group is equipped with p/a system and headsets.
Your tour also takes you into La Petite France, where Strasbourg’s millers, tanners and fishermen once lived in the half-timbered houses that still remain along its many canals. Hear how the area was actually named for a local, 15th-century French hospital for syphilitics; a far less pleasant origin one would expect for such a sweet-sounding moniker. Explore the leafy cobbled lanes and stroll along the canals to snap photos of the Vauban Dam and Covered Bridges, and view other top Strasbourg attractions such as the Custom’s House, Old Butcher’s House and Saint Thomas Church.
After around two hours, your tour ends in the center of Strasbourg and you are free to continue exploring independently.