Things to do · Strasbourg · France
17 best things to do in Strasbourg
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Strasbourg are Strasbourg Cathedral, Petite France and Place Kléber. Of the 17 picks below, 10 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Strasbourg Cathedral
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Strasbourg Cathedral
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strasbourg Cathedral | Grande Île | 1 hour | Free |
| Petite France | Petite France | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Place Kléber | Grande Île | 20 minutes | Free |
| Astronomical Clock | Grande Île | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Cathedral platform | Grande Île | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban | Petite France | 30 minutes | Free |
| Batorama boat tour | Grande Île | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Palais Rohan | Grande Île | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame | Grande Île | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Musée Alsacien | Grande Île | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Maison Kammerzell | Grande Île | 15 minutes | Free |
| Neustadt and Place de la République | Neustadt | 1–2 hours | Free |
| European Parliament and the European Quarter | Orangerie and the European Quarter | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Parc de l'Orangerie | Orangerie and the European Quarter | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Jardin des Deux Rives | Neudorf | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Église Saint-Thomas | Grande Île | 30 minutes | Free |
| Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art | Gare district | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Religious site · Grande Île
1.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. Inside are rose windows, medieval stained glass and the Pillar of Angels. Entry to the nave is free.
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
Neighbourhood · Petite France
2.Petite France
The old tanners' and millers' quarter has some of the best-preserved half-timbered houses in Alsace along canals and locks. Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes is lined with 16th- and 17th-century houses, and the swing bridges turn to let boats through.
Come early in the morning or after dinner, when the crowds have gone and the reflections in the canals are clearest.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Architecture
Landmark · Grande Île
3.Place Kléber
Strasbourg's largest square, named after the Revolutionary general Jean-Baptiste Kléber whose statue stands in the centre, is the heart of everyday city life. In December a giant Christmas tree is raised here as the centrepiece of the Christmas market.
Combine it with Place Gutenberg and the shopping streets of Rue des Grandes Arcades nearby.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Shopping
Historic site · Grande Île
4.Astronomical Clock
The cathedral's astronomical clock, rebuilt in its current form in the 1840s by Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué, shows planetary positions, the date of Easter and the phases of the moon. Every day at about half past midday, a procession of the apostles passes before Christ and a rooster crows.
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
Viewpoint · Grande Île
5.Cathedral platform
A climb of 332 steps up a spiral staircase leads to the platform 66 metres above the cathedral square, with views over the old town's roofs to the Black Forest in Germany and the Vosges mountains.
Go on a clear morning for the best visibility of the Black Forest and the Vosges.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
Historic site · Petite France
6.Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban
The Ponts Couverts are a set of bridges and four medieval towers that once guarded the river entrance to the city. Just beyond, the 17th-century Barrage Vauban, a covered dam, has a free panoramic terrace on its roof looking back over the towers, Petite France and the cathedral.
Climb to the Barrage Vauban terrace for the classic view of the Ponts Couverts with the cathedral behind.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
Experience · Grande Île
7.Batorama boat tour
Glass-roofed boats circle the Grande Île and pass through the locks of Petite France before heading to the Neustadt and the European Quarter. An audio guide explains the city's history over about 70 minutes.
Book in advance in summer and at Christmas; the boats leave from near the Palais Rohan.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Departures sell out at peak times; reserve online for summer and the Christmas season.
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
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Palace · Grande Île
8.Palais Rohan
The 18th-century palace of the prince-bishops, beside the cathedral, houses three museums: the Museum of Decorative Arts in the state apartments, the Museum of Fine Arts with European painting from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, and the Archaeological Museum in the basement.
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
1.Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame
Next to the cathedral, this museum displays original sculptures from the cathedral's façade, including the figures of the Church and the Synagogue, medieval stained glass and Upper Rhine painting. The building itself is a cluster of Gothic and Renaissance houses.
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
2.Musée Alsacien
Set in three connected Renaissance houses on the Quai Saint-Nicolas, the museum recreates Alsatian rural life with furnished rooms, costumes, toys and religious objects. It is a good introduction to the region before travelling into the countryside.
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 · Grande Île
3.Maison Kammerzell
On the corner of the cathedral square, this house with a stone ground floor of 1467 and richly carved timber upper floors from 1589 is one of the finest examples of late-Gothic domestic architecture in the Rhineland. It is now a restaurant.
Look closely at the carved wooden figures depicting the five senses, the ages of man and biblical scenes.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
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Neighbourhood · Neustadt
4.Neustadt and Place de la République
The German imperial district built after 1871 centres on Place de la République, a circular garden surrounded by the Palais du Rhin, the National Theatre and the National and University Library. Wide avenues lead to the neo-Renaissance University Palace.
Walk from Place de la République along Avenue de la Liberté to the University Palace for the most impressive façades.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Architecture · Orangerie and the European Quarter
5.European Parliament and the European Quarter
Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, whose glass Louise Weiss building stands on the Ill near the Council of Europe's Palace of Europe and Richard Rogers' European Court of Human Rights. The Parliament runs a free visitor centre, the Parlamentarium Simone Veil.
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
Park · Orangerie and the European Quarter
6.Parc de l'Orangerie
Strasbourg's oldest park, laid out in the 17th and 18th centuries, has a boating lake, a small zoo, playgrounds and the Pavillon Joséphine. White storks, the symbol of Alsace, nest in the trees and on enclosures.
Rent a rowing boat on the lake and look up at the storks' nests from spring to summer.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Park · Neudorf
7.Jardin des Deux Rives
A cross-border park on both banks of the Rhine connects Strasbourg with Kehl in Germany by the Passerelle des Deux Rives footbridge. Children's play areas, lawns and riverside paths make it a popular outing, and tram D also crosses to Kehl.
Walk across the footbridge to Germany and back, then take tram D to Kehl's centre for a German coffee and cake.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Religious site · Grande Île
8.Église Saint-Thomas
The main Protestant church in the city, a Romanesque-Gothic building known as the cathedral of Alsatian Protestantism, holds the monumental mausoleum of Maréchal de Saxe by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle and a Silbermann organ that Mozart played in 1778.
Check the church noticeboard for organ concerts.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Gallery · Gare district
9.Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
A large glass-fronted museum on the Ill beside the Barrage Vauban, with art from Impressionism to the present, including works by Hans Jean Arp, who was born in Strasbourg, and Gustave Doré.
Visit after the Barrage Vauban; it is just across the water.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Palais Rohan, Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, Musée Alsacien and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art |
| History | Strasbourg Cathedral, Astronomical Clock, Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban and Palais Rohan |
| Views | Cathedral platform, Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban and Batorama boat tour |
| Outdoors and nature | Parc de l'Orangerie and Jardin des Deux Rives |
| With children | Astronomical Clock, Batorama boat tour, Parc de l'Orangerie and Jardin des Deux Rives |
| On a rainy day | Strasbourg Cathedral, Astronomical Clock, Palais Rohan and Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame |
What to book ahead
- Batorama boat tour: Departures sell out at peak times; reserve online for summer and the Christmas season.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in Strasbourg?
Strasbourg Cathedral, Petite France, Place Kléber, Ponts Couverts and Barrage Vauban and Maison Kammerzell. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Strasbourg when it rains?
Head indoors to Strasbourg Cathedral, Astronomical Clock, Palais Rohan and Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame.