Strasbourg is a very nice town to walk around in, parts of which set you back a few hundred years in time.
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes several hundred properties with outstanding universal value. They are all part of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
Official facts
- Full name of site: Strasbourg – Grande île
- Country: France
- Date of Inscription: 1988
- Category: Cultural site
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre’s short description of site no. 495:
“Surrounded by two arms of the River Ill, the Grande Ile (Big Island) is the historic centre of the Alsatian capital. It has an outstanding complex of monuments within a fairly small area. The cathedral, the four ancient churches and the Palais Rohan former residence of the prince-bishops far from appearing as isolated monuments, form a district that is characteristic of a medieval town and illustrates Strasbourg’s evolution from the 15th to the 18th century.”
My visit
In 1991 we were Inter-railing home to Norway from the south of France and stopped for a day in Strasbourg. I had no particular idea about the city before walking in, but truly enjoyed the layout and all the old buildings.