Bon Voyage: Autumnal pleasure vacation in Strasbourg
Because one annual vacation isn't enough for our author Isabel, she usually packs her bags and suitcases every few weeks to discover new places. Sometimes just for one night – no matter. That's how you can quite well satisfy your wanderlust. Where she went last, what is worth it and what isn't, she reveals in "Bon Voyage." Recently, she was in Strasbourg for SoSUE.
By Isabel Sophie Möller
Bonjour from the beautiful Alsace, more precisely: from Strasbourg!
I start my column this time classically in postcard language. Fits well, because behind me lies a small marathon of six cards. I still belong to the dying species of letter and postcard writers. So, learned something about myself again. We stick to speed dating.
In front of me on the table is a glass of Gewürztraminer, my gaze is directed at the Ill, the sun is already setting and bathing the former tanner's quarter “Petite France” in a dim light. La vie est belle – life is beautiful. And thus: Welcome to Bon Voyage – this time in the gourmet edition.
Time out in autumnal Alsace
Alsace is the final stop of a small road trip. Where I stopped before, I'll tell you next time. Otherwise, I'll top the length of my texts again… Being brief is not really my strength. But always trying, I pull myself together.
At the end of summer and after a little work marathon, I was in the mood for a full dose of enjoyment, relaxation, and beauty – but in the “rustic edition.” So I packed my bags, filled up my car one last time at reduced fuel prices, and set off.
Why did I absolutely want to travel by car? Alsace has so much to offer and I like to go off on a spontaneous trip. Colmar, Kaysersberg, and co. are just a stone's throw from Strasbourg and easy to reach by car.
More environmentally friendly, of course, is traveling by train. From Frankfurt am Main or Stuttgart, it only takes about two hours to the Alsatian capital.
In the city itself, however, I wanted to leave my car and reach everything on foot. Because Strasbourg calls itself the European Capital, but with 78.26 square kilometers and around 277,000 inhabitants it is quite small and cozy. Also – small spoiler: I fully enjoyed the Alsatian food culture from morning till evening. Really. I'm not exaggerating. And those who can indulge can also walk 20,000 steps a day. Old wisdom from my mother.
Where to stay: Rustic meets modern in Strasbourg's city center
I stayed at the Hotel Rohan – a small, very fine design hotel right in the historic city center. From the window, I could admire the stunningly beautiful Strasbourg Cathedral up close (climbing the 330 steps is, by the way, a MUST!).
For me as a solo traveler, Hotel Rohan was a real stroke of luck. From here, I could perfectly start all my tourist and culinary excursions, the staff was extremely accommodating and gladly shared insider tips with me. Especially nice and something I had never experienced before: One week before arrival, the hotel contacted me and checked all my personal interests so they could give me individual tips and recommendations.
The breakfast also looked really “délicieuse,” but I had already decided against eating at the hotel on the first day. After all, I was on a gourmet mission that leads me directly to the next point…
Places to be
I love, love, love good food and good wine – just as I love all beautiful things and like to lose myself in delight in them. That's why a one-week gourmet trip to the early autumn Alsace is THE perfect gift from me to myself.
My goal on the first day: To find the perfect breakfast spot. At the hotel, I was immediately helped: I was told to try it at the Chocolatiers-Patissiers Christian – supposedly one of the best addresses in town. Founded over 40 years ago by Christian Mayer, the second generation now creates sweet dream worlds. Coincidence, fate, or commission: The café was about 200 meters from my hotel.
To not stretch this column too much, I'll keep it short and sweet: Food, coffee, ambiance are DIVINE. Do you hear me: DIVINE! The small cake creations are for me artisanal works of art, the croissants wonderfully buttery, the staff very courteous. My tip: Definitely go up the few stairs and take a seat in the historically furnished tea room. From here you have a great view of Münsterplatz and are safe from tourist crowds.
At the end, it's worth taking a little tour in the café's sales room, because here you can buy homemade jams and Strasbourg little treats – great souvenirs for those who stayed at home.
So my breakfast location was found right on the first day. Mission number two: Dinner for One. Where do I go for dinner?
On one of my strolls, I came across the “Au Pont Saint-Martin”: a rustic, multi-story half-timbered house with an outdoor terrace right on the Ill. Can it get more Strasbourg? No.
Table booked, dressed up, and off to dine: Upon arriving at Saint-Martin, I was first seated by the panoramic window. However, the attentive waiter thought there was an EVEN more photogenic spot and promptly led me to a tiny terrace that hovered just above the water of the Ill. His words: “This is the best photo location in all of Strasbourg.” Well, I have nothing to add to that. So definitely ask for a spot by the water.
A quick note about the food (because yes: I didn't just take photos!): For me, there was typical Alsatian sauerkraut with a fish trio and fresh baguette. Sounds unusual, but I can warmly recommend it. Especially for those who, like me, aren't so keen on Kassler and pork knuckle.
Strasbourg for wine connoisseurs (or those who want to become one)
Let's get to my highlight of the trip: Strasbourg's wine catacombs! Very close to “Petite France” is the “Hôpital civil” – Strasbourg's former Renaissance hospital city. Over the past centuries, the exterior of the complex has hardly changed. Interesting story: Back then, many Strasbourg residents couldn't afford the expensive hospital bills and paid their debts with wine. In a short time, a huge wine cellar was created, which you can still visit for free today. Here is also the oldest still preserved (and drinkable) wine in the world from the year 1472!
Wines that can be bought and tasted on site are still stored and matured in the cellar today.
Shopped: Strasbourg for fashion lovers
Ah, I'm getting more and more enthusiastic. But – reminder to myself: We wanted to keep it brief. So, let's get started:
For the first fashion overview: Small French brands and original privately run stores can mainly be found in the historic merchant street Rue des Juifs and in the village-like Krutenau district near the university.
My personal highlights? In the boutique “Cesaria” on the corner of Rue Ste-Madeleine and Quai des Bateliers, there is a small but finely curated selection of well-known French and Italian brands like See by Chloè or Plein Sud. I also treated myself to one or two beautiful pieces in the cute little boutiques “Les Piplettes” and “Libertie” (both in “Petite France”).
My favorite souvenir: Jewelry, because tragically I already lost my rings on the first day. I found replacements at the French jewelry brand Les Georgettes . The special thing: You choose a piece of jewelry and can then personalize it thanks to small, moldable leather inserts. Hard to explain, I know. So: Feel free to check out the website yourself.
Strasbourg Briefly and Concisely
Since I have so many more tips up my sleeve but am running out of lines, here is a small but fine overview – basically "Strasbourg to Go":
● The best view of historic Strasbourg is definitely from the Vauban Dam, also called the “Great Lock”. Tip: Pack wine and baguette and have a picnic here in the evening.
● The best Flammkuchen: Maybe at the restaurant “Le Gruber”. The restaurant itself is located in one of the most beautiful and oldest buildings in Strasbourg, right by the cathedral.
● The most beautiful souvenirs I bought at Mireille Oster . Here you can find award-winning gingerbread, which is actually eaten all year round in Alsace. The classic version consists of seven different spices. I recommend the matching liqueur with it.
● Strasbourg by water: It may sound old-fashioned to some, but I love to look at cities from a typically tourist perspective on the first day of my trip. In Strasbourg, that means: I get on the boat and take part in a small guided tour. For just under twelve euros, I cruised for an hour on the Ill and quickly took in the most beautiful locations.
● The best coffee in my opinion was at “Le Kiosque d'Omnino” (1 Pl. Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux). Warning: There really isn’t much more than coffee here, but it was selected and prepared with a lot of love and care.
● My most visited spot? Definitely the gourmet street Rue des Orfevres. Here, the most famous and oldest delicatessen shops in the city line up. A little (watch the pun) sample: Chocolatier Weiss, patissier Pascal Caffet, or Pains Westermann (there you get THE Baguette!).
● Great cheese from Alsatian farms and small producers I bought at “Mon Oncle Malker de Munster” (4 Pl. de la Grande Boucherie). Along with it came…
● Fresh from the “Boulevard de la Marne” weekly market (Tuesday and Saturday). There is nothing you can't find here.
● The most beautiful place to relax: Definitely the Parc de l'Orangerie near the European district. Comparable to the English Garden in Munich.
Packing List
Before this trip, I made sure to stock up on new reading material, because I painfully missed it on my last two trips.
Thematically, I also headed to France … albeit a bit further west. More precisely: to Paris. My recommendations, which I read in Strasbourg and found very good:
● KARL. We Accomplices of Beauty: A book about the artistic friendship between Karl Lagerfeld and Patrick Hourcade
● Shocking Life - The Autobiography of Elsa Schiaparelli
Preview
As already teased, Alsace was only the last stop of my little road trip. Before that, I also stopped in a no less beautiful German city. The stay there was too extraordinary not to be recorded in its own column. So stay tuned to see where the journey goes next.
In this spirit: Au Revoire and Bon Voyage!
Yours, Isabel
Isabel Sophie Möller is a journalist for TV, print, and online. Just as unwillingly as she chooses a platform for her creative output, she refuses to be pinned down to one topic to write about. Fashion or beauty? VIPs or royals? Books or Netflix? Food or travel? You can give your heart and thoughts to everything. That's exactly what she does – preferably in her travel-slash-lifestyle column “Bon Voyage,” where she takes her readers along on one of her discovery tours every month. More from Isabel can be found on her Instagram account @the_italian_bazaar