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France : Strasbourg - August 2009

Country Code: Dial for France

All the city’s a stage in Strasbourg this month, when the annual street performance festival (7-16 August) fills the byways with live shows. The lazy days of summer are also perfect for cruising the River Ill and rubbernecking the glitzy, futuristic EU buildings that line its grassy banks. Anthea Gerrie takes a stroll

Getting around

Strasbourg International

Bus: A bus to Baggersee Station, which has an A-line tram connection to the city centre, leaves every 20 minutes. It takes about 30 minutes and costs €5,10.
Train: Trains leave Entzheim Station every 30 minutes from 5.30am to 8.30pm. The journey to the centre takes 12 minutes and costs €2,10.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs around €35 and takes about 20 minutes.
Tourist information: The central tourist office is at 17 Place de la Cathédrale (tel. , otstrasbourg.fr)

GRANDE ÎLE

Grande Île hogs the spotlight in summer, when the antics of acrobats, clowns and burlesque artists bring life to the main squares and surrounding streets for a full fortnight.

Sleep soundly – It’s hard to beat Hotel Hannong (15 Rue du 22 Novembre, tel. , hotel-hannong.com, rooms from €145) for digs that tick all the boxes – attractive, atmospheric, well-located between the old city and the modern department stores, and reasonably priced.

Culture vultures – Cathédrale Notre- Dame-de-Strasbourg (1 Rue Rohan) is the city’s greatest glory, a monumental pink sandstone masterpiece that took nearly four centuries to complete. The summer sound and light show, running until the end of August, turns it into a spectacular evening attraction.

Must eat – Flam’s Frères (29 Rue des Frères, tel. ) is a great place to get freshly made flammekueche, the crisp Alsatian pizza-style tart made of onion, bacon and crème fraîche. Good if you’re hungry before the restaurants open for lunch or after they close for dinner.

Must drink – Jeannette et les Cycleux (30 Rue Tonneliers) is a retro favourite – enjoy rock’n’roll oldies alongside the very modern cocktails.

Shop til you drop – Carpe Diem (28 Rue des Orfèvres) is a great place to impulse buy costume jewellery after a lunch in the old town laced with one or three glasses of Alsace’s famously fragrant white wine.

RIVE DROITE

Some visitors never even cross to the right bank from the old town – and miss some great museums, eateries, bars and shops as a result. Get yourself over the bridge!

Culture vultures – If you’re into folk art, the excellent Musée Alsacien (23-25 Quai Saint-Nicolas) is one destination not to be missed.

Must eat – Restaurant Gavroche (4 Rue Klein, tel. ) is an intimate gourmet hideaway that won’t remain affordable for long, given the reviews it has been attracting.

Must drink – Moored riverboat Illvino (Quai des Pêcheurs) is just the ticket for a hot summer’s night.

PETITE FRANCE

A chocolate box come to life, this pretty island is an easy stroll from Grande Île and the right bank. It’s worth fighting the summer crowds to see more of it.

Must eat – Ami Schutz (1 Rue des Ponts Couverts, tel. ) is a delightful old-world eatery perched right on top of the ponts couverts (covered bridges) that are Petite France’s greatest attraction – book ahead to bag an outside table. The chic Art Café (Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, 1 Place Hans Jean Arp, tel. ) is a great place to grab some culture along with your grub. It’s open for brunch, lunch and dinner.

QUARTIER EUROPÉEN

After getting your fill of the old city, hop on one of the boats in front of Palais Rohan and cruise your way to 21st-century Strasbourg. You’ll need to book ahead if you want to get into the EU buildings, but the nearby Park de l’Orangerie is a beautiful place to enjoy a picnic.

Sleep soundly – Villa Novarina (11 Rue Westercamp, tel. , villanovarina.com, rooms from €105) offers a peaceful and elegant alternative to the bustle of city centre hotels during the high season – and it’s on the doorstep of the park.

Must eat – Many of those ‘in the know’ consider Le Buerehiesel (4 Parc de l’Orangerie, tel. ) Strasbourg’s finest restaurant. The gorgeous dishes are served in a delightful farmhouse setting right in the park.

Compiled by Anthea Gerrie