Half-timbered – A Broad Abroad

We had originally planned to visit Strasbourg during December, when it hosts one of the oldest Christmas Markets in Europe (first held in 1570). Unfortunately, I got sick the night before, and we had to reschedule our trip. There are plenty of Christmas Markets in Europe, so we did get to experience them in other cities, including the enormous Paris market along the Champs-Élysées. Our January visit to Strasbourg was fun – but boy, was it COLD! The temperature was below freezing the entire time we were there, plus it snowed. I would love to re-visit the city in warmer temperatures, to see the lovely buildings when their flower boxes are blooming.

First, a little background info: Strasbourg, France is located in the Alsace Region near the German border. It has a rich history, punctuated over the centuries by periods of rule alternating between France and Germany. It is the official seat of the European Parliament, and home to France’s 2^nd largest university, the University of Strasbourg (founded in 1538).

Le Grand Île and Petite France

Built in the 1890s, the Gothic Revival Église Réformée Saint-Paul is a major landmark in Strasbourg. Lutheran members of the Imperial German Garrison who were stationed in Strasbourg attended this church.

A view of the 13th Century towers, canals, and old town from atop the covered footbridge

The historic city center, Le Grand Île, is the only city center that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its half-timbered buildings and towering Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Strasbourg, the island, created by a canal fed by the Rhine, is stunning.

Mark, in front of Strasbourg’s Cathédrale de Notre Dame

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg is a fine example of late Gothic architecture. There have been religious buildings on this site since Roman times, but this cathedral was built between 1176 – 1439. Writer Victor Hugo described it as “a gigantic and delicate marvel.” Built of sandstone from the Vosges mountains, it has a distinct pink color. Click this link to see and hear the cathedral’s bells ring:

https://youtu.be/C1yxZNVPme4

Quartier Allemand

The Quartier Allemand (German District) houses the Place de la République and the elegant, domed Palais du Rhin, a former German Imperial palace.

Palais du Rhin, an example of 19th Century Prussian architecture

Many times over the centuries, Germany and France have fought each other to rule the Alsace area which includes Strasbourg. This poignant statue pays homage to the loss of lives on both sides, often from the same family. Here, a mother grieves over two lost sons – one who fought for Germany and one for France.

Statue on the Place de la République, a mother grieving over her two sons who died in war (one German, one French)

Quartier Européen

The seat of the European Parliament is located in a more modern part of the city, called the Quartier Européen. Some parliamentary meetings are also held in Brussels, Belgium and Luxemboug City, but most meetings (12 sessions/year) are held here, and voting must take place in Strasbourg. We took the tram out to see this part of town, a short distance from the old city center.

Mark and I, in front of the EU Parliament

We had fun watching the kids sledding by the European Parliament! Click this link to watch, too:

https://youtu.be/gHmBs-9FnH4

Renting a car in Paris

Until this weekend, we had been traveling by train and plane on our trips out of Paris. In the summer of 2014, when Mark joined me after the COC Study Abroad program, we rented a car at the airport (CDG), which is a significant distance outside of the city. We explored Normandy and the Champagne regions, driving over 1,000 miles in just over a week.

Our little rental: Fiat 500 from Europcar

For the most part, driving in France is no more difficult than driving in the U.S. They drive on the same side of the road, and their road signs are fairly easy to understand (though it’s a good idea to look them over online before you get behind the wheel). It’s also smart to know what side your gas tank is on, and how to open it (in Germany once, it took ages for us to figure-out how to open the tank – even a gas station attendant didn’t know how to do it). Oh, and have a (chip) credit card handy for the péage (toll road). You’ll go through one station to take a ticket, and another before you exit the freeway to pay with your card.

Fortunately, you don’t need a car if you’re visiting Paris, or most other large cities in Europe. If you want to go out to the countryside villages, though, a car is a pretty nice way to get around. This weekend was a road trip, so we started by renting a car at Europcar at the Gare de Lyon (a train station) in Paris. Getting in and out of the city requires several one-way streets, quick turns and forks in the road, and time spent on the Périphérique (the ring-road that circles the city). Even with GPS, it helps to have two people navigating!

Here’s something nice about French freeways: there are clean, well-lit gas/snack areas attached to the freeway on both sides, where you can pull-off for a quick coffee, food and potty stop. There are also frequent rest areas with picnic tables and bathrooms (like ours).

Alise-Sainte-Reine

Saturday, we left Paris and set the GPS for Alise-Sainte-Reine, southeast of Paris in the Bourgogne (Burgundy) region. Today was another leg of Mark’s Magical History Tour: we were going to visit the site of the Siege/Battle of Alesia, which took place in 52 BC.

There is a museum describing the events, including some weapons of war used by both the Roman army of Julius Caesar and the Galls, led by Vercingetorix. Outside, they’ve got a reconstructed section of the earthen walls constructed by Caesar’s men which encircled the Galls during the siege.

Just up the road from the museum, we explored the ruins of an ancient Gallo-Roman city that dates back to the first century AD. You can see what’s left of the basements and foundations of many homes and boutiques, as well as the bronze-workers’ furnaces.

Gallo-Roman basement, you can see where the amphorae were placed

Bronze-workers' furnaces — Bronze-workers’ furnaces

Troyes (French pronunciation: [tʁwa])

Sunday was our day in Troyes, in the Champagne region of Northern France. The town has also been around since the Roman era, but the oldest buildings date back (only) to the 1500s.

Cathedral and Medieval half-timbered houses

Jewish Temple in Troyes. The Jewish community in Troyes dates from as far back as the first half of the 11th Century

Troyes is well-known for its stained-glass, which adorns buildings and historic cathedrals throughout the region. We visited two churches that boast some fabulous stained-glass: the gothic Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul (built from the 13^th to the 17^th century), and the 13^th century gothic Basilique Saint-Urbain de Troyes.

In the main square of Troyes, they’ve got the Mairie (Town Hall) and one of the best carousels (manège) I’ve seen yet. I’ll leave you with a few photos – I really can’t get enough of these merry-go-rounds in French towns of all sizes! They often have a theme, and the one in Troyes is “Modern Times”, including science, botany, and inventors.

Tag: Half-timbered

A Weekend in Strasbourg, France: 6-9 January, 2017

Road Trip in Bourgogne (Burgundy): Alise-Sainte-Reine and Troyes, France. November 5-6, 2016