Have you ever visited one of those quaint cities where you can imagine yourself living forever? I have. That city is Strasbourg, France. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I absolutely fell in love with this vibrant town.

On our recent European road trip (we ventured through Bavaria, Austria, Switzerland and France) we stopped for lunch and to do a little sightseeing in Strasbourg. We were growing tired of the road since we had logged almost 3,000 KM in 24 hours, so we needed a place in France to stop for the last part of our journey. I have heard really good things about Strasbourg so we decided to make that our lunch stop before the last 2 hours of driving.

What to Expect

Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region in Northeast France. It is situated on the border of France and Germany. The River Rhine forms the border. It is a picturesque town with cobble stone streets and a riverfront neighborhood with timbered buildings accented by colorful flower boxes.

Food and Wine

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This is one of the best areas in France for delicious cuisine. Odd since it is France, but the dishes there have a boldness that reminds me of German food yet attention to quality that is so true to the French philosophy. Wines are very popular ~ mostly the white, light, and tart wines like Reislings and Gewürztraminers. We stopped at a small vineyard to do some sampling and left with a case of each.

I highly recommend sampling the local “eau de vie”. It is a fruit liquor literally meaning “water of life”. Unlike American liquors that are made with sugar, the Alsatian eau de vie is sweetened entirely by fruit.

The Cathedral

Strasbourg is famous for being the seat of several European institutions and of course its magnificent red sandstone Cathedral Notre Dame de Strasbourg. The cathedral is the second-most visited cathedral in France after Notre Dame de Paris.

A quick walk through this town and a leisurely 2-hour lunch, followed by gelato and crepes gave us just enough energy to get back in the car and drive the distance to home.

How to Get There

Strasbourg is an easy 2-hour drive south of Ramstein and Kaiserslautern, making it perfect for a day trip. It is a 2 hours 30 minutes south of Wiesbaden and west of Stuttgart. There is plenty of parking near the cathedral and everything (shopping, food, etc.) is an easy walk from there.

Click on DB Bahn for train details.

Author’s Profile: Cheryl Koller is a native of Georgia. She is a DOD spouse, mom of 4 daughters (2 adults, 2 teens), thrill-seeker, avid traveler, and lover of food and wine. She is a self-proclaimed Freedom-Preneur and Blogger currently living in Ramstein with her family.

Featured Image Photo Credit: © Cheryl Koller