For the fourth stage of the story of our journey in August 2022 we return to France, in particular to Strasbourg, a city with a troubled history and an important present, as the seat of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and other European institutions. Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region in northeastern France. Its location on the German border has made this city subject to the dual French and German influence, evident in culture and architecture. The city is located in the Rhenish lowland, on the river Ill, near its confluence with the Rhine, in an area where both rivers divide into several branches; we took a nice boat trip on one of the canals that cross it. Let's take a look at the pictures of our tour around Strasbourg:
storks are the symbol of Alsace:
the half-timbered houses are also here, as in Colmar, a fundamental part of the image of the city:
Notre-Dame Cathedral was built between 1180 and 1439 in a fascinating blend of medieval architectural styles. In fact it was begun in the Romanesque style, supplanted by the Franco-German Gothic from the thirteenth century. The western facade is very elaborate, on which stands a remarkable astronomical clock, built between 1571 and 1574:
In the evening, the cathedral is illuminated with very suggestive videos:
Another very suggestive site is the Petite France district, with its canals overlooked by the half-timbered houses:
beautiful even in the evening, isn't it?
Yet, on this beautiful sunny day, we caught an annoying downpour; this inconvenience did not prevent us from making the planned boat trip, suitably covered with a Plexiglas canopy:
the buildings of the European Quarter:
It was nice and easy to get around Strasbourg, all flat and paved with a comfortable cobblestone; We always thank the tour operator Movimondo and the Strabordo Association, our companions Tania, Emanuele and Mauro, always effective in solving problems that arise even suddenly, our travel companions who have given us some of the images that can be seen in this post. Until next time!!