Strasbourg, Capital of Christmas
One of Europe's oldest Christmas markets, a giant tree and the cathedral.
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Strasbourg calls itself the “Capitale de Noël” and dates its Christmas market to 1570. The Christkindelsmärik has stood on Place Broglie since 1870, and a tree of around 30 metres rises on Place Kléber. In Advent the cathedral hangs fourteen 17th-century tapestries showing the life of Mary. The walk starts at the old towers of Petite France and follows the canal quarter to the squares and the cathedral. The whole central island, the Grande Île, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The stops
- 1
Ponts Couverts
Three medieval towers on the river Ill, with a view of the cathedral from the nearby Barrage Vauban dam.
- 2
Petite France
The old tanners' quarter with half-timbered houses along the canals, with its own Christmas market in Advent.
- 3
Place Kléber
The main square, where the great Christmas tree stands every Advent.
- 4
Place Broglie
Home of the Christkindelsmärik, the market the city dates to 1570.
- 5
Strasbourg Cathedral
A Gothic cathedral in red sandstone with an astronomical clock, and the Marian tapestries in the nave during Advent.
About the trip
- Where
- Strasbourg
- Getting around
- On foot
- Time
- 2 h 1 min
- Distance
- 1.7 km
- Stops
- 5
- Season
- November–December
- Themes
- History, Food
Practical
- Start
- Ponts Couverts, about 900 metres on foot from Gare de Strasbourg.
- Finish
- The cathedral. Trams A and D stop at Langstross/Grand'Rue nearby.
- Toilets
- At the station, in the museums by the cathedral and in cafés.
- Accessibility
- A flat route with cobblestones in Petite France and around the cathedral. Advent weekends are crowded, and there may be security checks on the bridges into the centre.