We did several day trips from Colmar – one to the smaller Alsace towns for Christmas markets (https://chrisandheathertraveltheworld.com/alsace-christmas-markets-riquewihr-ribeauville-and-equishem/), one to Strasbourg, and one to Basel (Switzerland). It was pretty nice to be in one place for a week and do day trips from there. Strasbourg was only about 30 min by train from Colmar so it was an easy day trip. They are the self-proclaimed “Capital of Christmas” – and they’re not wrong!
Our first stop when we got there was Petite France (as opposed to Petite Venise in Colmar). As you can see, it was a pretty foggy day! It was relatively cold but tolerable with the right winter clothes (and some Glüwein of course!).
One of the major sights in Strasbourg is the Cathedral. It has a single spire that is asymmetric (and really messes with my OCD tendencies!) and is 142 meters tall (466 feet). It was the tallest monument in the world from 1647 until 1874 (and is still the 2nd tallest cathedral in France, behind Rouen). It was completed in 1439. It is really hard to wrap my head around how old some of these structures are! (https://www.visitstrasbourg.fr/en/fiche-sit/F223007269_the-cathedral-of-notre-dame-strasbourg/). Inside there is an astronomical clock – the original clock was built in the 14th century, then a 2nd one in the 16th century. This (3rd) one dates back to 1843 – relatively new by European standards!
Speaking of old buildings, the Kammerzell House (Maison Kammerzell) is right on the cathedral square and was originally built in 1427 (although it was updated in 1467 and 1589).
Strasbourg (like many other larger cities) has more than one Christmas Market. https://www.christmas.alsace/strasbourg-christmas-market/ Of course there was one in the cathedral square. This was one of the few markets in France that had ceramic mugs and not just plastic ones. I also had to laugh at the merry-go-round – only in France (well maybe other places too – but I’m sure not in the US) do you get a topless mermaid on the merry-go-round!
Another big market was in La Place Broglie. I don’t think I can summarize the significant of this square better than the sign in the square already did:
“In the Middle Ages, the square hosted the horse market and was also used for public celebrations. It was a popular place for nobles to build their residences and mansions as it afforded them a clear view of all that was going on in the square. In 1740, place Broglie was planted with linden trees and turned into a promenade, under the guidance of Marshall de Broglie. The old municipal theatre, now the Opéra national du Rhin, was completed at the beginning of the 19th century and closes off one end of the square.”
Place Kléber had another market along with a huge Christmas tree. It’s 30 meters (about 100 feet) and is one of the tallest decorated Christmas trees in Europe (https://www.christmas.alsace/symbols-and-traditions/the-christmas-tree-reigns-in-alsace/).
It’s always fun trying region-specific food at the markets (and around town). A couple of specific Alsatian treats (aside from the flammkuchen I already mentioned) were mannele and kougelhopf. The gingerbread-looking treat that Chris is holding is called mannele (https://www.my-weekend-in-alsace.com/recipe-manala-mannala-mannele/). The kugelhopf/kougelhopf reminds me of a bundt cake in appearance but a little drier (https://frenchmoments.eu/kugelhopf-from-alsace/). And then I picked up a small jar of foie gras for later.
We walked along the river and admired the cool architecture (with more half-timbered houses, of course!)
Then we walked around once it got dark to check out all of the decorations and street lighting – it was really a magical place!
Our final stop was the Delirium Café (https://deliriumcafestrasbourg.fr) – it’s nowhere near the size and scope of the one in Brussels but we definitely wanted to check it out. We got there a few minutes before they opened (at 5pm) and got to enjoy their happy hour (€4 Delirium Tremens for a 500 mL/1 pint pour!). The best part about that stop was meeting an American couple who are expats living in Normandy (in Bayeux, France). We needed up sitting and chatting with them for a couple of hours before catching our train back to Colmar. And in a crazy small world – when I went to Normandy in 2015 with my parents, our AirBnB turned out to be right across the street from our new friends! Wild.
We eventually headed back to the train station (or maybe stumbled back after those Belgian beers!). Strasbourg has definitely earned its reputation as the Capital of Christmas! But I am actually glad we stayed in Colmar instead – it was a little less crazy/crowded for that time of year and we were able to relax and enjoy downtime more than I think we would have in Strasbourg.
