Strasbourg Attractions: 20 Top Sights and Things to Do in Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg is a French city on the river Ill, a few kilometres from the Rhine and the border with Germany. It is the historic capital of Alsace and, since 2016, the capital of the Grand Est region. The city has changed hands several times: it was German from 1871 to 1918 and again from 1940 to 1944, which is why French and German architecture stand side by side here, street signs in the old town carry both French and Alsatian names, and Alsatian cooking has much in common with that of south-west Germany. Its history goes back to the Roman camp of Argentoratum, first mentioned in 12 BC.

Strasbourg is known for its Gothic cathedral, which was the tallest building in the world for more than two centuries, for the oldest Christmas market in France, for the half-timbered houses of Petite France and for the European institutions: the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights all sit here. "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem, was written in Strasbourg in 1792. The old town on the Grande Île was listed by UNESCO in 1988, and in 2017 the listing was extended to the German-era Neustadt.

Below are 20 Strasbourg attractions: 18 places in the city, grouped by area so you can walk from one to the next, and 2 day trips. At the end you will find a route for seeing Strasbourg in one day, plans for two and three days, and ideas for the evening. Opening hours and prices were checked against official websites on 19 October 2026. Check them again before you go: museums and the cathedral change their schedules for holidays and during the Christmas market.

Before you go: transport, tickets and seasons

From the airport. Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport has its own railway station, reached from the terminal by a covered walkway. Shuttle trains run to Strasbourg's main station up to five times an hour, and the ride takes about 8 minutes. A train-only ticket costs €3.20 one way; a combined ticket for the train plus the city's trams and buses costs €4.60 and is valid for 24 hours.

Getting around. The historic centre is an island formed by two arms of the Ill, and nearly everything on it is within a 20-minute walk. For longer distances, such as the Orangerie park or the European Parliament, take the tram. A single ticket costs €1.90 on a Badgéo card, in the CTS app or on a reloaded contactless ticket, and €2.50 if bought from a bus driver. It is valid for one hour with transfers. Tram line D crosses the Rhine to Kehl in Germany on the same ticket.

When to go. Strasbourg is busiest from late November to Christmas: the 2026 Christmas market opens on Friday 27 November, and hotels fill up well in advance. Spring and early autumn are calmer and good for walking. In summer, plan museum visits for the middle of the day and walks along the river for the morning and evening.

Museums. The city museums charge €9 per museum (reduced €5), and a one-day pass for all of them costs €20. Visitors under 18 get in free. Tickets are sold only at the museum desks. Most city museums are closed on Mondays, and the museums in Palais Rohan close on Tuesdays. The Alsatian Museum (Musée Alsacien) is closed for renovation until June 2028.

Around the cathedral

Strasbourg Cathedral

Notre-Dame de Strasbourg is the city's main landmark and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. It is built of reddish-brown sandstone from the Vosges mountains, so the façade changes colour from pink to dark red depending on the light. The cathedral has only one spire, 142 metres tall, because the second tower was never built; from 1647 to 1874 it was the tallest building in the world. Inside, look for the stained glass windows, the carved stone pulpit and the Pillar of Angels in the south transept. Entry is free.

Opening hours (as of 19 October 2026): Monday–Saturday 8:30–11:15 and 12:45–17:45; Sundays and religious holidays 14:00–17:15. During the Christmas market the cathedral is open without a break from Monday to Saturday, 8:30–17:45, with entry from the Place du Château side.

Astronomical Clock

The astronomical clock stands in the south transept of the cathedral. Its present mechanism dates from the 19th century and shows, among other things, the positions of the planets and the dates of movable church feasts. Every day at 12:30 the full set of automatons comes to life: the figures of the ages of man pass before Death, and the Apostles parade in front of Christ while a mechanical rooster crows. At 12:00 there is a short film about the clock in French, German and English.

Tickets (as of 19 October 2026): €4 for adults, €3 for students under 25, €2 for children aged 6 to 17, free under 6. Tickets go on sale at 10:00–11:00 at the cathedral shops and from 11:30 at the Saint-Michel entrance on the Place du Château side; they are valid on the day of purchase only. There is no show on Sundays and religious holidays when a Mass is held at 11:00, or at any time during the Christmas market.

Cathedral Platform

A spiral staircase of 330 steps leads to the platform at the foot of the spire, 66 metres above the square. From the top you can see the roofs of the old town, the Black Forest across the Rhine and, on a clear day, the Vosges. The entrance is outside the cathedral, on the south side.

Opening hours and tickets (as of 19 October 2026): from 1 April to 30 September daily 9:30–13:00 and 13:30–20:00, last ascent 19:15; from 1 October to 31 March daily 10:00–13:00 and 13:30–18:00, last ascent 17:15. Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Tickets cost €10, reduced €6 (ages 6–18 and students), free under 6. They cannot be bought in advance, and the climb may close temporarily when too many people are on the stairs or in bad weather.

Kammerzell House

The most richly decorated house on the Cathedral Square. Its stone ground floor dates from the 15th century, and the three upper storeys, rebuilt in 1589, are covered with carved wooden figures, among them musicians, the signs of the zodiac and the five senses. A restaurant serving Alsatian food occupies the building, and its interior is painted with frescoes by Léo Schnug from the early 20th century.

Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame

The museum belongs to the foundation that has looked after the cathedral since the Middle Ages, and it stands right next to it. Here you can see the original sculptures removed from the façade and replaced with copies, including the figures of Ecclesia and Synagoga, medieval stained glass, and Alsatian paintings of the 15th century. It is the best place to understand how the cathedral was built.

Opening hours and tickets (as of 19 October 2026): Tuesday–Friday 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed on Monday. Ticket €9, reduced €5, free under 18.

Palais Rohan

The palace of the prince-bishops of Strasbourg was built in 1732–1742 to a design by Robert de Cotte, the king's first architect. Louis XV, Marie Antoinette on her first night in France, and Napoleon with Joséphine all stayed here. Today it houses three museums: the Archaeological Museum in the basement, the Museum of Decorative Arts with the state apartments on the ground floor, and the Museum of Fine Arts with European painting from the Middle Ages to the 19th century on the upper floors.

Opening hours and tickets (as of 19 October 2026): 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00 on weekdays, 10:00–18:00 at weekends. The Museum of Fine Arts is closed on Monday and Tuesday; the Decorative Arts and Archaeological museums are closed on Tuesday. Each museum costs €9, reduced €5, free under 18. The Museum of Decorative Arts is partly closed until 19 November 2026.

Boat tour on the Ill

The Batorama boats leave from the landing stage next to Palais Rohan and are a good way to see the city when your legs are tired. The longest tour, about 1 hour 10 minutes, goes round the Grande Île, passes through the lock in Petite France and also takes in the European quarter; shorter 45-minute tours stay closer to the centre. Commentary is recorded and available in several languages. In the busy season, book ahead and check which landing stage your boat departs from: the company uses two piers about 100 metres apart.

The old town between the squares

Place Kléber

The largest square in the centre, named after General Jean-Baptiste Kléber, who was born in Strasbourg; his remains lie under the statue in the middle of the square. The long classical building on the north side is the Aubette, whose interiors were redesigned in the 1920s by Hans Arp, Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Theo van Doesburg. Before Christmas a fir tree about 30 metres tall is set up here, and charities hold their stalls around it.

Christmas Market

The Christkindelsmärik, the "market of the Christ Child", has been held since 1570 and is the oldest Christmas market in France. Today the stalls fill several squares of the old town, with the main ones on Place Broglie and around the cathedral. People come for the decorated streets, mulled wine and bredele, small Alsatian Christmas biscuits. The 2026 market opens on 27 November; in 2025 it ran until 24 December. Keep in mind that during the market the astronomical clock show does not take place, and the centre is very crowded at weekends.

Place Gutenberg

A square between the cathedral and the Ill, named after Johannes Gutenberg, who lived in Strasbourg in the 1430s and 1440s and made his first experiments with printing here. The bronze statue in the middle is by the sculptor David d'Angers and was unveiled in 1840: Gutenberg holds a sheet with the words "And there was light". Behind it stands the Neue Bau, the former town hall built at the end of the 16th century in the Renaissance style, now the seat of the Chamber of Commerce. A merry-go-round turns on the square, and in December it hosts one of the Christmas markets.

Strasbourg History Museum

The museum occupies the city's former butchers' hall, built in the 16th century near the Pont du Corbeau. It tells the story of Strasbourg from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, from a free imperial city to its alternation between France and Germany. Its best-known exhibit is a large 18th-century relief model of the city, which shows Strasbourg before modern changes. If you want to understand why the city looks the way it does, come here first.

Opening hours and tickets (as of 19 October 2026): Tuesday–Friday 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed on Monday. Ticket €9, reduced €5, free under 18.

Petite France

Saint Thomas Church

The main Lutheran church of Strasbourg, a five-aisled Gothic building completed in 1521. It is worth visiting for two things. The first is the mausoleum of Marshal Maurice de Saxe by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, completed in 1777, one of the most famous French sculptural monuments of the 18th century. The second is the Silbermann organ of 1741, on which Mozart played in 1778. The church is on the way from the cathedral to Petite France.

Petite France

The most photographed quarter of Strasbourg, where the Ill splits into several channels. In the Middle Ages tanners, millers and fishermen lived and worked here. The name comes from a hospice for patients with syphilis, which was then called the "French disease". The tall half-timbered houses with open lofts, where hides were once dried, line the Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes and the canals. Come early in the morning or in the evening: in the middle of the day the narrow streets are crowded with tour groups. Near the locks there is a swing bridge that turns to let the tour boats through.

Ponts Couverts

Three bridges and four square towers that were part of the city's medieval fortifications. The bridges were once roofed with wood, hence the name "covered bridges", although the roofs were removed long ago. The towers once served as prisons. The best view of the bridges and the towers, with the cathedral spire behind them, is from the terrace of the Vauban Dam.

Vauban Dam

A long covered bridge-dam built at the end of the 17th century on the plans of Vauban, Louis XIV's military engineer. In case of a siege its gates could be closed to flood the land to the south of the city. Inside the gallery there are casts of sculptures from the cathedral, and on the roof there is a panoramic terrace with one of the best views in Strasbourg, especially at sunset.

Terrace opening hours (as of 19 October 2026): September–October 8:00–19:00, November–February 8:30–16:00, March–April 8:00–19:00, May–August 7:15–21:00. Tram B or C, stop Musée d'Art Moderne.

The Neustadt and the European quarter

Place de la République and the Neustadt

After 1871 Strasbourg became the capital of the German Reichsland of Alsace-Lorraine, and a new district, the Neustadt, was built to the north-east of the old town. Its centre is the round Place de la République with a garden and a war memorial. Around it stand the Palais du Rhin, the former imperial palace, the National and University Library and the Théâtre National. From the square, the Avenue de la Liberté leads to the Palais Universitaire. The district shows a side of Strasbourg that few visitors expect: monumental buildings in the style of Berlin, wide avenues and quiet residential streets with Art Nouveau facades.

Parc de l'Orangerie

One of the oldest parks in Strasbourg, covering 26 hectares opposite the Council of Europe. Its centrepiece is the Pavillon Joséphine, built in 1804 to house orange trees and named after the Empress Joséphine. The park has a lake with rowing boats for hire and a centre for the reintroduction of storks, the symbol of Alsace; storks nest on the trees all around. It is a good place for a break with children.

European Parliament and the European quarter

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, which holds its plenary sessions here. Next to the glass Louise Weiss building are the Palais de l'Europe of the Council of Europe and the building of the European Court of Human Rights. Visitors can see the hemicycle and the Parlamentarium Simone Veil exhibition, which explains how the European Union works. Entry is free; bring a passport or national ID card, as copies and driving licences are not accepted.

Opening hours (as of 19 October 2026): outside plenary sessions Monday–Friday 9:00–18:00, Saturday 9:30–12:00 and 13:00–18:00, last entry 17:00. During plenary weeks the hours are shorter. Closed on Sundays and public holidays, and from 24 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

Around Strasbourg: day trips

Colmar

One of the main towns of Alsace, about 70 km south of Strasbourg and connected to it by direct regional trains. Colmar is smaller and quieter, and its old town has kept even more half-timbered houses. Must-sees are the Petite Venise quarter on the Lauch river, the Maison Pfister of 1537 and the Unterlinden Museum with the Isenheim Altarpiece, one of the most important works of German painting of the early 16th century. Colmar calls itself the capital of Alsatian wine and stands on the Alsace Wine Route.

Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle

A red sandstone castle on a hilltop in the Vosges, above the Alsatian plain. It was first mentioned in the 12th century, lay in ruins for a long time, and between 1900 and 1908 was rebuilt for the German emperor Wilhelm II. The restoration shows how the castle could have looked around 1500, with furnished rooms, an armoury and a keep. From the walls you can see the plain of Alsace, and in clear weather the Black Forest. Without a car, take the train to Sélestat and then the seasonal shuttle bus to the castle.

Tickets (as of 19 October 2026): €12 for an adult on a self-guided visit, €16 with an audio guide. Last entry is one hour before closing time.

Where to go in Strasbourg in the evening

In the evening, walk through Petite France when the day-trippers have left, and along the Quai des Bateliers opposite Palais Rohan. For dinner, look for a winstub, a traditional Alsatian tavern with wooden panelling, and order tarte flambée (flammekueche) or choucroute. The Krutenau district, across the Ill from the old town, is where students and locals go for bars. The Vauban Dam terrace is open until 21:00 in summer and is a good place to watch the sunset.

What to see in Strasbourg in one day

This route covers the main sights on foot, with lunch, in about eight hours. It works from Wednesday to Saturday, when the cathedral, the clock and the museums are all open.

Morning. Start at the cathedral when it opens at 8:30, then see the Kammerzell House on the square. Climb the platform when it opens (10:00 from October to March, 9:30 in summer). At 11:30, buy tickets for the astronomical clock at the Saint-Michel entrance and watch the show at 12:30.

Afternoon. After lunch, choose one museum: the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame for the cathedral's sculptures or Palais Rohan for the state apartments. Then take the 70-minute boat tour from the pier by Palais Rohan.

Evening. Walk past Place Kléber and Saint Thomas Church to Petite France, cross the Ponts Couverts and finish on the terrace of the Vauban Dam. Have dinner in a winstub in Petite France or the old town.

Strasbourg in 2 and 3 days

2 days. Day one as above. On day two, start at the History Museum, then take the tram to the Neustadt: Place de la République, the Palais Universitaire and the Orangerie park. In the afternoon, visit the European Parliament (not on Sundays), then return to the centre by boat or tram for an evening walk along the Quai des Bateliers.

3 days. Add a day trip: Colmar takes half a day, or a full day if you add villages on the Alsace Wine Route; Haut-Kœnigsbourg takes half a day by car or most of a day by train and shuttle. In the Christmas season, spend an evening at the markets: the clock show does not run then, so plan the cathedral visit for the morning.

With children. The Orangerie park with its storks and rowing boats, the boat tour, and the cathedral platform for older children (free under 6, €6 from 6 to 18). City museums are free for everyone under 18.

Sources and fact-check date

Opening hours and prices were checked on 19 October 2026 on the official websites: the cathedral and the astronomical clock, cathedrale-strasbourg.fr; the cathedral platform, oeuvre-notre-dame.org; the city museums, musees.strasbourg.eu; the Vauban Dam, strasbourg.eu; the European Parliament, visiting.europarl.europa.eu; Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle, haut-koenigsbourg.fr; the Christmas market, noel.strasbourg.eu; the airport train, strasbourg.aeroport.fr; city transport, cts-strasbourg.eu. We do not give boat tour prices or train times to Colmar, as we could not confirm them on official websites. If you notice an error, please let us know through the contact page.

Photos — Wikimedia Commons, numbered as the places above. Images are cropped to fit the page; cropped versions of CC BY-SA photos are shared under the same license.

1. Strasbourg Cathedral and its spire — Tom à la rue, CC BY-SA 2.0
2. Astronomical clock in Strasbourg Cathedral — Didier B (Sam67fr), CC BY-SA 2.5
3. View of Strasbourg from the cathedral platform — Edelseider, CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Kammerzell House on Cathedral Square — Tim Adams, CC BY 3.0
5. Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame on Place du Château — Ctruongngoc, CC BY-SA 3.0
6. Palais Rohan seen from the Quai des Bateliers — Coyau / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
7. Tour boats on the Ill in front of Palais Rohan — JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0
8. Kléber monument on Place Kléber — JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0
9. Strasbourg Christmas market by the cathedral — Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0
10. Gutenberg statue and the Neue Bau on Place Gutenberg — Txllxt TxllxT, CC BY-SA 4.0
11. Strasbourg History Museum in the old butchers' hall — Zéphyrios, CC0
12. Saint Thomas Church — Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
13. Tanners' houses in Petite France — JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0
14. Ponts Couverts towers with the cathedral spire behind — Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0
15. Vauban Dam on the Ill — Claude Truong-Ngoc, CC BY-SA 3.0
16. Place de la République and the Palais du Rhin — Morio60, CC BY-SA 2.0
17. Pavillon Joséphine in Parc de l'Orangerie — Morio60, CC BY-SA 2.0
18. Flags of EU member states at the European Parliament — Syced, CC0
19. Petite Venise in Colmar — Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0
20. Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle above the Alsace plain — Wrtalya, CC BY-SA 4.0