Rainy day · Strasbourg · France
7 things to do in Strasbourg when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Strasbourg Cathedral, Astronomical Clock and Palais Rohan. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 8–10 hours across 3 areas; 2 are free. May is usually the wettest month, with about 11 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 8–10 hours
- Areas
- Grande Île, Orangerie and the European Quarter and Gare district
Strasbourg on a rainy day
Religious site · Grande Île
1.Strasbourg Cathedral
See the west façade twice: in the late-afternoon sun, when the sandstone turns rose-red, and floodlit after dark.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Grande Île
2.Astronomical Clock
Buy a ticket for the midday show and arrive early, as the viewing area fills quickly.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Palace · Grande Île
3.Palais Rohan
Start with the princes' apartments, then choose fine arts or archaeology depending on your interest.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Grande Île
4.Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame
Visit before or after the cathedral to compare the originals with the copies on the façade.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Grande Île
5.Musée Alsacien
Look out for the painted wooden furniture and the traditional Alsatian costumes with their large bow headdresses.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Architecture · Orangerie and the European Quarter
6.European Parliament and the European Quarter
Check the European Parliament site for visitor-centre access and whether a plenary session is taking place.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Gallery · Gare district
7.Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Visit after the Barrage Vauban; it is just across the water.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Grande Île | Strasbourg Cathedral, Astronomical Clock, Palais Rohan, Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame and Musée Alsacien | 1 hour + 30 minutes + 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Orangerie and the European Quarter | European Parliament and the European Quarter | 1–2 hours |
| Gare district | Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 2 free, 5 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Palais Rohan; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Grande Île): Strasbourg Cathedral → Astronomical Clock → Palais Rohan, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Grande Île and Orangerie and the European Quarter): Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame → Musée Alsacien → European Parliament and the European Quarter, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Gare district): Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, at least 2 hours.
The wettest months
- May: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 11 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm and green, with several public holidays creating busy long weekends.
- January: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and grey, with frost and occasional snow; the Christmas crowds have gone and museums are quiet.
- March: highs of 11°C (52°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Days lengthen and the first café terraces open; showers are frequent.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Grande Île — The UNESCO-listed island of the cathedral, squares and winstubs
- Gare district — The station quarter with its glass dome, budget hotels and tram hub
- Orangerie and the European Quarter — Parkland, embassies and the European institutions in the north-east
More of Strasbourg
All things to do in Strasbourg · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Strasbourg?
Strasbourg Cathedral. Built from pink Vosges sandstone between the 12th and 15th centuries, Notre-Dame de Strasbourg has an intricately carved west façade and a single 142-metre spire, the tallest building in the world for over two centuries.
+Which of these are free in Strasbourg?
Strasbourg Cathedral and European Parliament and the European Quarter.