4 days in Strasbourg, Colmar and Obernai

For the Ascension weekend, we chose to visit part of Alsace, Strasbourg and its surroundings. We had already been there many years ago, in 2013, but the memories were starting to fade: so it was time to go back!
We went there by train from Gare de l’Est: the return trip on a direct service (1h50) cost us 91€ per person (youth card fare). Strasbourg station is right next to the town centre, a short ten minutes’ walk from the Petite France district and fifteen minutes from the cathedral.

Since we had no car for these four days there, we preferred to visit Strasbourg at our own pace and make two escapes that are easily and quickly reachable by train: Colmar and Obernai. Tempted? Follow the programme!

What to see in Strasbourg

La Petite-France

La Petite-France is the district you have in mind when you think of the city of Strasbourg! Canals, half-timbered houses, little shops… the classic Alsatian district! Located in the south-east of the city, a stone’s throw from the centre, this district deserves one or several visits.

We started our visit of the district with the Ponts couverts and their defensive towers spanning the four arms of the Ill. From there, we walked along the place du quartier blanc to climb up onto the terrace of the Barrage Vauban, which offers a panoramic view over the bridges. Back at the foot of the towers, a pretty house and its wisteria in front of the square des moulins catch the eye for taking lovely photos (careful, this is private property, you cannot go down the stairs). You then have the choice between the quai du Woerthel or the quai de la Petite-France to start your stroll through La Petite-France.

The quai de la Petite France is very pleasant and gives access to the heart of the district of the same name. Do not miss the rue des Tanneurs, the rue du Bain-aux-Plantes, the Grand rue, the place Benjamin Zix, the Petite France lock, the rue des moulins, the pont Saint-Martin… picturesque viewpoints guaranteed! We found that there were not many people in that corner of Strasbourg at the moment, surely because of the health situation: in “normal” times, expect it to be packed!

We then walked further towards the south of Strasbourg, near the Hôpital civil: the historic cellar of the Hospices is quite famous and is said to hold the oldest wine in the world! Unfortunately, at the moment, the cellar was closed.

The quays and the banks of the Ill

The quays are one of the corners of Strasbourg we liked best during this weekend! Especially the quai des bateliers where you can sit at the water’s edge facing the monuments of the historic centre. It is really pleasant to walk around the main island on the path that runs along the Ill and to stop on the many bridges: it gives you another perspective on the city! Not to be missed: the cour du Corbeau facing the quai des bateliers, the Saint-Paul reformed church (viewpoint from the pont royal), the pont Saint-Etienne and its view over the elegant lycée des Pontonniers, the pont du théâtre just after the place de la république and its gardens, the pont de la Fonderie with the church of Saint-Pierre le jeune…

We also visited the botanical garden of the University of Strasbourg, which is a bit further towards the east of the city. We would not necessarily recommend this detour if you have little time there, as the garden is not exceptional.

The town centre and the cathedral

We do not have a precise itinerary to share with you for going through the town centre, because we simply wandered around the pedestrian streets and the various squares of Strasbourg. A few unmissables: the place de la Cathédrale, the place du château, the rue Mercière (one of the finest views of the cathedral), the rue des Orfèvres, the Palais Rohan, the rue du vieux-marché aux poissons, the rue du bouclier, the place des tripiers, the place Broglie… We are not mentioning the place Kléber which, for us, is not of much interest…

Obviously, you cannot come to Strasbourg without admiring its superb cathedral in pink sandstone. We were able to visit the inside without queuing, but unfortunately the panoramic terrace was still closed. The cathedral houses an astronomical clock that comes to life every day at 12:30.

The Orangerie park

Located in the north-east of the city, the Orangerie park is the perfect complement to a visit to Strasbourg. Count about thirty minutes’ walk from the town centre to get there. We advise walking along the Ill from the quai des bateliers, then the quai des pêcheurs, passing next to the Saint-Paul church and taking the promenade that runs along the river. That way you reach the European institutions which sit on either side of the Ill: the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. These buildings are not particularly beautiful, more of an ageing modernism… But from there, you reach the entrance to the Orangerie park in a few seconds!

If you want to escape the city for a few hours, this is where you should come! The park is quite big and offers enough points of interest not to get bored going round in circles: the orangerie itself with its fountain and its pretty gardens, the lake, the waterfall and even a mini zoo (closed at the moment). But above all, you have to come here to admire the storks that build their nests at the top of the buildings and the plane trees of the park!

What to see in Colmar

Strasbourg/Colmar is the perfect combo for a long weekend! We took the TGV (direct, one stop from Strasbourg to Colmar in 30 minutes) paying 20,70€ return each, and there are also TER services with stops. Colmar station is one kilometre from the town centre: so allow a bit of walking time there and back.

With no great suspense, we loved Colmar, which we were discovering for the second time (and surely not the last!). We were lucky to visit the town without too many people because of the health situation and the somewhat changeable weather. During the summer and at the time of the Christmas markets, the town is usually packed with tourists from all over the world… which cannot be very pleasant for strolling around.

The town centre

The centre of Colmar is explored by ambling about (and by tasting excellent pastries!). But here are a few points of interest and photo spots not to miss during the stroll:

• Roesselmann fountain (in white stone, standing on a pretty square)
• Grand Rue for all its shops and food stores
• Schwendi fountain
• Place de l’Ancienne Douane
• Maison Au Vieux Pignon, magnificently decorated
• Rue des Marchands
• Corps de garde
• Cour du Weinhof
• Collégiale Saint-Martin (look up, there is a stork’s nest on the roofs)
• Rue des serruriers, rue des boulangers, rue des dominicains…
• Musée Unterlinden, a former convent
• Maison des têtes, a magnificent decorated house that holds a luxury hotel

The banks of the Lauch

The most beautiful viewpoints in Colmar are along the river Lauch that runs through the town. The few bridges that cross it fill up quickly with passers-by: so you have to be patient to take your photos!

• First bridge: the one between the rue des Tanneurs and the quai de la Poissonnerie (facing the restaurant Le Quai 21), with the view over the halls of the covered market.
• Second bridge: the best known one, between the rue des écoles and the quai de la Poissonnerie, with a magnificent view over the colourful half-timbered houses.
• Third bridge: the one on the rue de Turenne, with little red hearts hooked onto the railings.
• Fourth bridge: the pont Saint-Pierre, the furthest south in the town.

What to see in Obernai

For our last day, we decided to visit the small town of Obernai, located south of Strasbourg. The TER journey takes about 30/35 minutes and cost us 10,20€ per person. Our tip: have a look the day before on the SNCF website, there are promotional tickets at 3€ (we missed the good deal by wanting to wait until the day itself to buy our tickets). We had a little over an hour and a half to go round the village and that was enough to see it all and buy a few souvenirs. The station is a few minutes’ walk from the centre: so there is no need to allow much extra time to get there.

The ramparts

Arriving from the station, we took the rempart Maréchal Joffre which offers a nice walk around the centre of Obernai. The path follows the walls and the towers still standing. Further on, the path is called the rempart Mgr Caspar and runs along the houses built on the site of the old walls, only a few towers remain here. Worth doing if you come to visit Obernai!

The town centre

Although the centre is not huge, there is plenty to see in Obernai. We started with the picturesque and busy rue du Marché, lined with large half-timbered houses, which leads to the square of the same name. Here you will find the Halle aux blés, the town hall, the belfry and many typical houses. On the rue Chanoise Gyss, do not miss one of the town’s curiosities, the Puits aux six seaux, right opposite the Schaeffer patisserie. A little higher up is the Saints Pierre-et-Paul church, which was under renovation when we passed through. We then carried on towards the place de l’Etoile and its carousel.

If you have more time there, plan a little excursion to the Mont national which apparently gives a beautiful panoramic view over the whole town.

Where we stayed in Strasbourg

We stayed in an Airbnb ideally located in the centre of Strasbourg, a stone’s throw from the cathedral, rue de la Lanterne (272€ for four nights, so 68€ a night). The flat was bright and very well equipped, especially for having our meals when the restaurants were still closed. The owners are charming and gave us plenty of tips on where to buy edible souvenirs from Strasbourg. We recommend it!

Our favourite places to eat in Strasbourg and Colmar

Strasbourg

• Au Pain de mon grand-père: a bakery near the cathedral, with good pastries for breakfast
• Atelier 116: an organic bakery that makes very good bread (the pastries were too dry for our taste).
• Donatien maître-éclair: a patisserie specialising in sweet and savoury éclairs where we had the grand cru dark chocolate éclair (4,70€) and the wild strawberry éclair (4,90€). Excellent!
• Sébastien: another excellent patisserie, quai des bateliers; very good marble cake (2€ for a generous slice) and excellent pastries.
• Bistrot Coco: an excellent and generous takeaway set menu (30€ starter/main/dessert). A real favourite!
• La Casserole: a gourmet restaurant that offers a takeaway set menu (34€ starter/main/dessert). Good overall but the portions could have been bigger for the price (especially the main).
• L’Ambassade: a good place in Strasbourg for traditional tartes flambées (8€) and munster ones (10€).
• Mireille Oster: a luxurious shop specialising in gingerbread with more than 40 varieties.

We had also noted the following places (for a future stay in Strasbourg perhaps): Les Chauvins, Honesty Restaurant, Le Stras’, Mama Bubbele…

Colmar

• L’Atelier de Yann: an excellent patisserie facing the Collégiale Saint-Martin; special mention for the vanilla éclair (3,30€) and the Virginia (flourless chocolate biscuit, hazelnut crunch, dark chocolate mousse, 4,50€)
• Gilg: another lovely spot in the centre of Colmar where we tasted the Lacthé (milk chocolate mousse infused with earl grey tea, hazelnut craquelin, biscuit, 4,40€).

Obernai

• Maison Alsacienne de biscuiterie: a shop at the foot of the ramparts for bringing back sweet souvenirs from Alsace (biscuits of all kinds, gingerbread…).

What we thought of Strasbourg

Despite the capricious May weather, we were able to enjoy our stay in Alsace (without a car). Four days are enough to visit Strasbourg and Colmar, we were even able to go to Obernai for a couple of hours. If we had to choose, we preferred Colmar and its more picturesque and typical side. It has to be said too that the fact there were very few tourists adds to the charm of this small town (usually packed).
If you are looking for a destination not far from Paris, reachable without a car, with plenty to visit and good food, head east to discover Strasbourg, Colmar and even Obernai!

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