River Cruise Diary – Strasbourg, France

As I said earlier, the great thing about river cruising is waking up in a new town every day. We awoke Saturday in Strasbourg, France, docked in a side channel of the river. Before the motor coach trip to Riquevihr, there was time in the morning to walk down the quiet waterfront and explore. We were some distance from the city center and the neighborhood was residential with some light industrial activity on the opposite shore. We paused at Citadel Park.

Citadel Park, Strasbourg, France (9 November 2019) 

Built in the 1680’s when France and Germany battled over the region, the Citadel fortress was destroyed by the Germans in 1870. The ruins were renovated in 1964 to create a pleasant family-oriented park. Naturally, I prefer a composition that omits people and playground attractions.

‘River Harmony’ in the Morning Fog 

Strasbourg, France (10 November 2019) 

Sunday morning began as a photographer’s wet dream. November might lack vacation treats like sun, warmth and some life forms, but it can give you atmosphere. The fog was thick for a few hours.

Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region (currently) of France and a major metropolitan area. As the home of the European Parliament, it is one of the European Union capitals along with Luxemburg, Frankfort and Brussels.

After breakfast, we walked to a tram line for a short ride to the old quarter, a wonderfully preserved UNESCO World Heritage site looking much as it did in the 16th century.

Petite France Waterfront, Strasbourg, France (10 November 2019) 

The neighborhood is called ‘Petite France.’ It is crossed by canals and was once home to tanners, millers and fishermen.

Petite France, Strasbourg (10 November 2019) 

Walk with me. We wind our way through narrow streets and alleys. The old buildings are just a few stories tall and close together. Then you turn a corner and it’s OMG as you face one of Europe’s premier cathedral exteriors.

The Imposing Strasbourg Cathedral (10 November 2019) 

The Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre Dame took 400 years to build and was the world’s tallest building from 1647 to 1874. Its front façade is a maze of sculpture and delicate stonework…overwhelming.

Main Portal, Strasbourg Cathedral (10 November 2019) 

Compare this archway with the much older, Romanesque St. Gallen Portal in the Basel Cathedral. The Gothic period so advanced engineering and artistic skills. The tympanum (central nose-cone feature) is crammed with detailed figures and allegorical messages. The archivolts, the five layered decorated arches, display a total of seventy Biblical stories and Christian figures.

After Notre Dame in Paris, the Strasbourg Cathedral is the most-visited church in France. The dreary day, dim lighting and crowds resulted in few photo opportunities from inside the church. I did get lucky and came away with a decent image of the grand rose window.

Rose Window, Strasbourg Cathedral (10 November 2019) 

The rose window offers a most appealing design that uses natural elements instead of saints and the like. It speaks to the wealth of the region that was derived from the land. This is the centerpiece of the great west façade shown earlier, which was completed in the late 1200’s and attributed to Erwin von Steinbach, cited as the chief architect of the church.

It was a chilly, gloomy day but this historic masterpiece made it a winner for me.