Strasbourg has a rich and complex history, influenced by its strategic location on the border between France and Germany.
Founded by the Romans in the first century BC under the name of “Argentoratum”, the city became an important commercial and political center in the Middle Ages.
The city repeatedly came under French and German control over the centuries, especially during the Franco-Prussian Wars and the two World Wars. After the First and Second World Wars it was definitively annexed to France.
Today, Strasbourg is a symbol of European reconciliation and is home to institutions such as the European Parliament (dedicated article) and the European Court of Human Rights.
The Strasbourg area is crossed by the River Ill, which branches off into several smaller canals near the city. These waterways have created a real island called “Grande Île”, Big Island, on which the historic center has developed.
The Grande Île of Strasbourg with the Gothic Cathedral (dedicated article) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
La Petite France is one of the most charming and picturesque neighborhoods in Strasbourg, located along the canals of the river Ill. Once the houses of tanners, millers and fishermen were located here but today it is one of the main tourist attractions of the city.
Featuring half-timbered houses with pitched roofs, cobbled streets and flower-filled bridges, the neighborhood offers an authentic glimpse of medieval Strasbourg.
The three bridges and the imposing medieval towers date back to the thirteenth century and were used to defend the city. The bridges were later covered with wooden roofs to protect the soldiers during battles. Today nothing remains of the ancient roof.
Not far away is another military work: it is the Vauban Dam, a dam-house that takes its name from the military engineer who designed it and had the idea of using the water to flood the entire southern part of Strasbourg in the event of an enemy attack.
Cathedral Square is the crossroads of Strasbourg’s historic centre overlooked by some of the city’s most important buildings.
Strasbourg is a city built entirely on water, so a boat ride is the best way to discover it from an unusual perspective.
