Strasbourg struck a really nice balance for us — big enough to feel like a proper city, but with all the half-timbered, canal-laced charm of Alsace. It’s a lovely place to slow down, shop a little, and eat very well.
Where we stayed
Our Marriott was in a perfect location, which made a real difference — we could walk out the door and be in the thick of it. In a city this walkable, a central base is worth prioritizing.
The sights
The Strasbourg Cathedral is stunning and worth lingering at — the detail on the facade is something else. From there, La Petite France with its canals and the Ponts Couverts is the prettiest stretch to wander, and Place Kléber and the Palais Rohan round out the classics.
We also did the Batorama canal boat tour: I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it as much as some of the others we’d done — but the rest of my group said it was their favorite, so it’s clearly a your-mileage-may-vary thing and worth doing.
Eat, drink, and reserve ahead
The food was a highlight — the frittatas were well worth trying, and the region’s wines are genuinely excellent. We had lunch at La Corde à Linge, and my tip is simple: you can reserve, so do it. It saves you standing around at the busiest time of day.
One more must for skincare lovers
If you love a good skincare find, save some time (and suitcase space) for a French pharmacy. I did a proper haul at the Pharmacie de l’Homme de Fer right in the center of Strasbourg — the sunscreen alone was worth it. It turned into enough of a thing that I gave it its own post: my full French pharmacy haul, and how to shop one carry-on-friendly.
Next up: French Pharmacy Haul →
Part of A Summer Grand Tour of Belgium, Luxembourg, Alsace & Switzerland.