Un week-end féerique en Alsace
It’s funny how the best trips often have the most troublesome starts. My weekend journey to Strasbourg was no exception: imagine my panic when my train pulled away as I was reaching out to open the door. Thankfully my panic was short-lived thanks to a brusque but generous station agent exchanging my ticket for free without me having to do a thing. I ended up in a second-class seat on the next train—far from ideal given the extra hour of travel, the connection in Mulhouse, and the shared seating, but at least I didn’t have to wait four hours for the next direct trip. And I got to hang out with a very good Dalmatian, so I couldn’t really complain.
My train ride turned out to be uneventful and I made it to Strasbourg around 2pm, just in time for a downpour that made the short walk from the tram to my hotel feel much longer. By the time I’d settled into my tiny room with the great view of the cathedral, the rain had let up and I was left with a beautiful afternoon of wandering ahead of me. And what a city for wandering! With its network of tree-lined canals, picture-perfect timber-sided buildings, and fascinating mix of French and German culture, it was a feast for the senses. I made it a point to stop by Mireille Oster for her famous pain d'epice, which tasted like no gingerbread I’d ever had but really grew on me by about the fifth piece. I even had the foresight to make dinner reservations in advance, so Friday night was a fun meal at Le Tire-Bouchon—the food was fine, the wine was great, the service was excellent (my hilarious waiter helped me pick a white wine, gave me a taste of the one I didn’t pick, and even complimented my French). If it weren’t for my hotel room having only a single outlet nowhere near the bed, it would have been a perfect evening.
Saturday dawned rainy again, but by the time I’d finished my coffee and kuegelhopf at the cafe next door to my hotel, the sun had come out and it was time for more exploring. I took a closer look at La Petite France, climbed atop Barrage Vauban to take in the incredible view, and tried my first of many tarte flambées. The latter was a bit of a comic opera, since the first restaurant I tried left me waiting for a full half hour before telling me that they weren’t serving on the terrace (despite multiple tables filled when I sat down), and the next kept forgetting that I was even sitting there. All told, it took me over an hour to get my lunch, but boy was it worth it. Let’s just say there’s a good reason why Strasbourg is famous for its flatbread covered in onions, lardons, and cream—it’s absolutely delicious.
I spent the afternoon checking out the two museums steps from my hotel. The first, the Alsatian Museum, was a bit disappointing but still interesting for its glimpse at Alsatian life and the fact that it’s over 120 years old. The second, the Museum of Strasbourg History, was much more interesting. I learned a ton about this fascinating city, from ancient times through the Nazi occupation, and left with a much richer understanding of the area than ever before. Between the two, I would definitely recommend the latter (despite the fact that I got zero photos from it.)
It was raining again by dinnertime, and I wasn’t feeling up to a fancy dinner at La Cloche de Fromage as planned, so I ducked into some random cafe for another tarte flambée before turning in early to prepare for French daylight savings to start. Related: whoever thought of international daylight savings time should be tried in the Hague.
On Sunday, I made the relatively spur-of-the-moment decision to check out Colmar, a nearby village that had long been on my radar but that I’d thought to be too far from Strasbourg until I passed right through it on my train into the city. After a quick breakfast involving something called a “chocolat snail” that my waitress rightly thought I would love, I made the half hour journey and found myself in the pages of a storybook. Seriously, Colmar felt like Disneyland if it were real and historic: cobblestone streets lined with timber-sided medieval buildings painted in a rainbow of pastels and bisected by the prettiest little canals. Apart from the masses of tourists (not quite as crazy as the Viking river cruise groups in Strasbourg, but close), it was disgustingly charming and I could easily understand why Hiyao Miyazaki decided to base the village in Howl’s Moving Castle on this fairy tale town. I will definitely be going back to spend more time there, because three hours was not nearly enough.
A comparison between Vieux Colmar and the village from Howl’s Moving Castle:
Sadly, I only had about three hours to explore Colmar so I didn’t have time for a leisurely lunch—blame the ongoing train strikes, which drastically reduced my available trips back to Strasbourg—so I grabbed a disappointing pretzel for lunch and then headed back to Strasbourg by early afternoon, just in time for yet another rain storm. As soon as the rain let up, I ventured out for a pre-dinner stroll along the quai before my reservation at Maison Kammerzell. This historic restaurant overlooks the stunning cathedral, but sadly the tables with the best views are reserved for larger parties so I ended up with a window seat overlooking the gift shops instead. Once again, I found the main course to be the biggest disappointment: my wild boar stew was mostly dry meat and not enough stew for my liking, but the onion tart and salad appetizer was incredible and the floating island dessert with Madagascar vanilla and caramel was a delight. I would have preferred not to be ignored by the waitstaff for a full hour, but what can you do.
My 1pm train on Monday meant one last morning of exploring, so I grabbed a coffee to go and went for yet another walk along the canals. Took lots of photos, saw a mama duck with her two adorable ducklings, and found a gorgeous spot under a magnolia tree overlooking Église réformée Saint-Paul with its two beautiful towers across the water. A kind French girl offered to take my photo and I regret refusing because it was just such a gorgeous spot for a photo. I attempted to have a nice long lunch overlooking the canals of Petite France, but the restaurant I chose didn’t open their kitchen in time and my second choice didn’t notice me sitting there for what felt like ages, so it ended up being a bit hectic. I still got to share my last tarte flambée with an adorable little sparrow though, capping off my Strasbourg trip on a high note. I did make it to my train with time to spare and spent a lovely few hours riding backwards to Dijon, missing Alsace but more than ready to spend some dedicated time in bed.
All in all, Strasbourg was everything that I hoped it would be and more: stunningly gorgeous, brimming with unique culture and history, and filled with so many surprises that I know I’ll have to go back someday. Could not recommend it more.
