Before my Erasmus year in Graz, I was a student (and I think I still am…) at the University of Strasburg, France. This city is located in the north east of France, 3 km away from the German border, in the region Alsace.
It is
approximately the size of Graz (300,000 inhabitants), but it’s only the 7th
largest city in France.
Although
its name in the ancient times was Argentoratum, the current name speaks for
itself: Straßburg, the city of roads.
Strasburg
is known for its majestic cathedral, its Christmas market, its old town and its
European capital status, among other things.
The Cathedral
The
construction of the cathedral lasted from 1176 to 1439. It is a 142-meter Roman
Catholic building and was the world’s tallest building from 1647 to 1874. You
can even see it from the Black Forest in Germany, across the Rhine!
I think you
will like this video of the cathedral…
The Christmas market
The
Christmas market of Strasburg is considered as one of the most beautiful in
France, even in Europe! The city claims its role of “Christmas capital”. In
fact, the oldest mention of a Christmas tree is found in Alsace.
The old town
The old
town of Strasbourg is called “la petite France”, which means “the little
France”. It is quite pleasant to stroll in the narrow and paved streets, whilst
bordering and gazing at the half-timbered houses. If you feel like it, you can have
a break in a typical wine bar. Yeah, in France we are kind of wine-lovers, and
the concept of “Spritzer” (white wine with water) is hardly understandable for
some of us…
The core of Europe
During its
history, Strasburg has been sometimes German, sometimes French. Building the
European Parliament there was a strong symbol of the French-German friendship.
I once
visited the Parliament with my 5th grade class. I think this tour
amazed me so much, that it is one of the reasons why I decided to study
languages, in order to maybe work there one day …
The
TV-channel Arte also has its headquarters in Strasburg.
I hope I
gave you a nice overview of this wonderful city, and for the last time, Strasburg
is in France! No offense, but one day I met guys from another region in France,
and once they had found out that I was from Strasburg, they offered me to speak
German if it was easier for me…
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