We flew from Antalya, Turkey to Basel, Switzerland where we picked up a car for a 15 day tour of Central Europe before heading to Croatia for Stephanie and Aleks' wedding.
Our main focus for the next two weeks would be Switzerland, but we spent a few days in France first.
Our first stop, an afternoon in Colmar, France allowed us to walk the streets and see the canals wandering through the old town.
Yet another spot that picks up on the name "Little Venice" and the photos show why.
Then we were off to Strasbourg which known for its medieval cityscape of Rhineland black and white timber-framed buildings, particularly in the Petite-France district. The Petite-France district is nestled on an island surrounded by two arms of the River Ill (the River Ill branches off the Rhine River).
The streets and squares of this district were our home for 3 days. Our neighbour was the Notre Dame Cathedral. A Turkish Kebap House was also our neighbour and I think we likely caught them off guard when we greeted them and asked them how they were in Turkish.
A few interesting facts:
• Strasbourg's historic city centre, the Grande Île (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre.
• The Strasbourg Grand Mosque is the largest Islamic place of worship in France.
• The port of Strasbourg is the second largest on the Rhine after Duisburg, Germany
• Economically, Strasbourg is an important centre of manufacturing and engineering, as well as a hub of road, rail, and river transportation.
• With more than 500 km (311 mi) of bicycle paths, biking in the city is convenient
The Ill River runs through the City of Strasbourg where it then flows into the Rhine
We thought we were going to leave the heat of Turkey behind and have a nice respite, but it turns out we hit a heat wave and it was just as hot for 3 days in France. We stayed in the old town section of Strasbourg in a small new studio apartment but with no a/c or ceiling fan and open windows, the sounds from the neighbouring restaurants and bars at night and the early morning garbage pickup and street cleaners didn't make for the most restful nights. However, the morning aromas from the neighbouring bakery did peak our interest!
The square just outside our hotel, The Cathedral Notre Dame behind
We were a couple of blocks from Cathedral Notre Dame. Built between 1176 & 1439, it is the highest cathedral tower in France @ 142 m.
Shopping here on the pedestrianized streets was great and we enjoyed many hours catching up on our shopping which had been somewhat deprived. The variety of brand name shops was a treat.
The Ill River, a block from our hotel
The Palais Rohan now houses three museums
As we crossed the Rhine from France into Germany, we stopped to take this photo of a canal boat. Since this is a larger canal boat, I presume it stays to the main, larger canals and doesn't get into some of the more quaint "off the beaten track" spots. I think it gives a sense to someone contemplating a canal tour on a large boat what a typical stop may look like. Maybe this group hopped a bus for a nearby tour of Strasbourg.
Possibly small canal boats charge more but are able to take people into smaller, more quaint locations??
Next blog: Our Land Tour of Germany.