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Why is Strasbourg famous?

Strasbourg (French: Strasbourg, German: Straßburg), also translated as Strasbourg, is located at the eastern end of the French territory, across the Rhine River from Germany, in the Alsace region and the Lower Rhine province of France. capital.

The city’s name is a Frenchization of the Germanic language. “Straße” in German means street and “Burg” means castle. The city has a population of about 270,000, and the metropolitan area spanning France and Germany (known as the “European area”) has a total population of more than 860,000.

Strasbourg is currently a French territory.

However, in history, Germany and France have alternated sovereignty over Strasbourg many times , so the city has both French and German characteristics in language and culture, and it is a place where these two different cultures meet. Gutenberg, Calvin, Goethe, Mozart, Pasteur and other German and French celebrities have lived in Strasbourg.

Although Strasbourg is only the seventh largest city in France, it, like Geneva, New York and Montreal, is one of the few cities that is not the capital of a country, but is the headquarters of an international organization.

Like Brussels, the capital of Belgium, Strasbourg is home to many important institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the European Anti-Corruption Agency, the Eurocorps, the European Audiovisual Watch, and most notably the European parliament.

Strasbourg is an important center for manufacturing as well as road, rail and inland shipping. The Port of Strasbourg is the second largest port along the Rhine, after Duisburg in Germany. The city is also the seat of the Central Executive Committee of Rhine Shipping.

The historic center of Strasbourg is located on the GrandeÎle, surrounded by two tributaries of the River Ill. This area has a large number of exquisite buildings from the Middle Ages. In 1988, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the first time. The entire downtown area of ​​a city receives this honor.

Strasbourg is located at the point where the Ill flows into the Rhine, on the border between France and Germany, and on the other side of the Rhine is the German town of Kehl. The climate type of the city is temperate semi-continental. Since the city itself is located in the Rhine Valley, the Vosges Mountains are 20 km to the west and the Black Forest 25 km to the east. Wind from every direction is usually blocked by these natural barriers, so the city has high summer temperatures.

Strasbourg is also the most polluted city in France due to poor ventilation, but is improving thanks to the disappearance of heavy industry and effective measures to regulate traffic.

Strasbourg’s most famous buildings are the Gothic Cathedral (built in sandstone, with the famous Strasbourg Astronomical Clock), and the streetscape of the medieval Rhineland black and white timber-framed buildings – especially in the The Petite France district along the River Ill, and the medieval-style streets and squares around the Cathedral (e.g. Place de la Cathedral, Place Saint-Etienne).

In terms of modern architecture, Strasbourg has some fine Art Nouveau buildings, such as the huge Palais des Fêtes and some villa residences.

Among the examples of post-World War II functional architecture, the European Court of Human Rights, designed by Richard Rogers, is undoubtedly the most spectacular, located in the wide-ranging European Quarter (Quartier Européen). Other notable modern buildings are the Municipal School of Music and Dance, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the tram terminal and car park on the outskirts of the city.

The city also has some beautiful bridges, the most fascinating of which is the medieval Ponts Couverts with 4 ancient towers, next to the 17th century Vauban Barrage (part of the Vauban fortress). Other beautiful bridges are the ornate 19th century Fonderie Bridge (stone bridge) and Auvergne bridge (iron bridge), and the futuristic pedestrian bridge over the Rhine (Passerelle, opened in 2004).

One of the characteristics of Strasbourg is its numerous excellent parks , some of which are of considerable historical and cultural value. Citrus Park presents prominent French garden features, including a neoclassical castle and a small zoo; Castle Park, a 17th-century fortress stands on the banks of the Rhine; Pourtalès Park is an English-style, open-air museum of modern sculptures. A neo-Baroque castle (now Schiller International University).

As a small city, Strasbourg has a huge number of museums: the Museum of Fine Arts houses famous paintings by Goya, Rubens, Van Dyck, Greco and others; the Notre Dame Museum is located in the Cathedral Next to the hall, it houses medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, stained glass; the Museum of Decorative Arts houses 18th-century furniture and porcelain); the Zoological Museum is the oldest in France, especially famous for its many species of birds); Science and Technology Center designed by children); in addition to the Rhine Shipping Museum; Pasteur Museum; Ancient Egypt Museum, etc. Also see the famous French horn (which ordered the Jews out of the city at 10 pm every night since the Middle Ages).

As a world heritage project, the city’s old city, the Grand Ile, has many medieval-style buildings, the riverside scenery and unique wooden buildings in Petite France, as well as the famous Christmas market, attracting many tourists from all over Europe. .

As the seat of many institutions of the European Union, Strasbourg has also benefited a lot from it, not only forming a new “European area” in the north of the city, but also concentrating the cuisine of European countries for consumption.