Strasbourg is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of Eastern France and the official seat of the European Parliament.
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Bas-Rhin |
| Arrondissement | Strasbourg |
| Canton | 6 cantons |
| Government | |
| Mayor (2020-2026) | Jeanne Barseghian (The Greens) |
| Area1 | 78.26 km2 (30.22 sq mi) |
| Urban (2017) | 240.2 km2 (92.7 sq mi) |
| Metro (2017) | 2,197.7 km2 (848.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01) | 284,677 |
| Rank | 8th in France |
| Density | 3,600/km2 (9,400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Strasbourg’s historic city centre, the Grande Île (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Strasbourg has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries, especially through the University of Strasbourg, currently the second-largest in France, and the coexistence of Catholic and Protestant culture. It is also home to the largest Islamic place of worship in France, the Strasbourg Grand Mosque.
Economically, Strasbourg is an important centre of manufacturing and engineering, as well as a hub of road, rail, and river transportation. The port of Strasbourg is the second-largest on the Rhine after Duisburg in Germany, and the second-largest river port in France after Paris.
European role
Strasbourg is the seat of over twenty international institutions, most famously of the Council of Europe and of the European Parliament, of which it is the official seat. Strasbourg is considered the legislative and democratic capital of the European Union, while Brussels is considered the executive and administrative capital and Luxembourg the judiciary and financial capital.
Location
Strasbourg is situated at the eastern border of France with Germany. This border is formed by the Rhine, which also forms the eastern border of the modern city, facing across the river to the German town Kehl. The historic core of Strasbourg, however, lies on the Grande Île in the river Ill, which here flows parallel to, and roughly 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from, the Rhine. The city is some 397 kilometres (247 mi) east of Paris.
Climate
In spite of its position far inland, Strasbourg has an oceanic climate. The city has warm, relatively sunny summers and cool, overcast winters. On average, snow falls 30 days per year. Strasbourg’s location in the Rhine valley, sheltered from strong winds by the Vosges and Black Forest mountains, results in poor natural ventilation, making Strasbourg one of the most atmospherically polluted cities of France.
Architecture
The city is chiefly known for its sandstone Gothic Cathedral with its famous astronomical clock, and for its medieval cityscape of Rhineland black and white timber-framed buildings, particularly in the Petite France district or Gerberviertel (“tanners’ district”) alongside the Ill and in the streets and squares surrounding the cathedral, where the renowned Maison Kammerzell stands out.
Notable medieval streets include Rue Mercière, Rue des Dentelles, Rue du Bain aux Plantes, Rue des Juifs, Rue des Frères, Rue des Tonneliers, Rue du Maroquin, Rue des Charpentiers, Rue des Serruriers, Grand’ Rue, Quai des Bateliers, Quai Saint-Nicolas and Quai Saint-Thomas.
In addition to the cathedral, Strasbourg houses several other medieval churches that have survived the many wars and destructions that have plagued the city: the Romanesque Église Saint-Étienne, partly destroyed in 1944 by Allied bombing raids; the part-Romanesque, part-Gothic, very large Église Saint-Thomas with its Silbermann organ on which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Albert Schweitzer played; the Gothic Église protestante Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune with its crypt dating back to the seventh century and its cloister partly from the eleventh century.
The city has many bridges, including the medieval and four-towered Ponts Couverts that, despite their name, are no longer covered. Next to the Ponts Couverts is the Barrage Vauban, a part of Vauban‘s 17th-century fortifications, that does include a covered bridge.
The largest square at the centre of the city of Strasbourg is the Place Kléber. Located in the heart of the city’s commercial area. In the square is a statue of Kléber, under which is a vault containing his remains. On the north side of the square is the Aubette (Orderly Room), built by Jacques François Blondel.
Parks
Strasbourg features a number of prominent parks, of which several are of cultural and historical interest: the Parc de l’Orangerie, laid out as a French garden by André le Nôtre and remodeled as an English garden on behalf of Joséphine de Beauharnais, now displaying noteworthy French gardens, a neo-classical castle and a small zoo; the Parc de la Citadelle, built around impressive remains of the 17th-century fortress erected close to the Rhine by Vauban; the Parc de Pourtalès, laid out in English style around a baroque castle that now houses a small three-star hotel, and featuring an open-air museum of international contemporary sculpture. Other parks
- The Jardin botanique de l’Université de Strasbourg (botanical garden)
- The Parc des Contades
- The futuristic Parc des Poteries
- The Jardin des deux Rives
Museums
As of 2020, the city of Strasbourg has eleven municipal museums (including Aubette 1928), eleven university museums, and at least two privately owned museums (Musée vodou and Musée du barreau de Strasbourg). Five communes in the metropolitan area also have museums three of them dedicated to military history.
Education
Strasbourg, well known as centre of humanism, has a long history of excellence in higher-education, at the crossroads of French and German intellectual traditions. With 19 Nobel prizes in total, Strasbourg is the most eminent French university outside of Paris.
Up until January 2009, there were three universities in Strasbourg:
- Strasbourg I – Louis Pasteur University
- Strasbourg II – Marc Bloch University
- Strasbourg III – Robert Schuman University
As of 1 January 2009, three universities have merged and now constitute the Université de Strasbourg.
Transportation
Train services operate from the Gare de Strasbourg, the city’s main station in the city centre, eastward to Offenburg and Karlsruhe in Germany, westward to Metz and Paris, and southward to Basel.
Strasbourg also has its own airport, serving major domestic destinations as well as international destinations in Europe and northern Africa.
City transportation in Strasbourg includes the futurist-looking Strasbourg tramway. The CTS also operates a comprehensive bus network throughout the city that is integrated with the trams. With more than 500 km (311 mi) of bicycle paths, biking in the city is convenient and the CTS operates a cheap bike-sharing scheme named Vélhop’.
