Riding around Strasbourg, the cathedral and museums.

We bought a Strasbourg Pass which included one day bike hire. It is a fantastic city to ride in, as there are dedicated bike paths everywhere.

First stop was the 17th century Orangery Park with it's lovely gardens.

 

Riding through an arbour.

Flamingoes in the mini zoo at the Orangery Park.

The European Parliament building, completed in 1998

The European Court of Human Rights building.

 

The red sandstone gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame is a huge and magnificent. It was begun in 1176.

The beautiful Gothic interior.

 

Inside there is also an Astronomical Clock, built between 1547 and1574 and restored in 1883. At 12.30 each day it gives a fine display of allegorical figures moving around and about. Lesser displays happen every quarter hour.

 

 

Each night there is a sound and light show on the front of the cathedral.

These roses are impressive.

The front portal, with the rose window.

 

These brick-vaulted caves, or wine cellars, were founded in 1395 deep below a hospice, now the Strasbuorg Hospital. All seven varieties of Alsace wines are stored here.

 

The Alsatian Museum, spread across three typical houses from the 1500s and 1600s, displays Alsation life and folk art over the centuries. This room showed how the timber framed houses were built.

 

 

A merchants house.

 

 

The museum courtyard.

 

Various Alsatian costumes.

 

Mum's German doll?

 

The Palais Rohan now contains three museums, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Archaeological Museum.

 

The rococo interior of the Decorative Arts Museum.

 

Hannong ceramics - love all the ceramic food.

 

More rather gross Hannong work.

 

A Pre-raphaelite painting in the Fine Arts Museum.

 

The Archaeological Museum takes you from prehistory to the early Middle Ages. This is a 3rd century Gallo-Roman funeral headstone owned by a farming couple.

 

We had our last meal in Strasbourg at this traditional winstub, Chez Yvonne, which has been operating since 1873.

 

Traditional food includes Baeckeoffe,(pork, beef , lamb, vegetable and potato stew, marinated in reisling and slow cooked in a ceramic dish), Choucroute Garnie (sauerkraut with bacon, ham hock and sausage) and Flammekueche (thin crust pizza dough topped with creme fraiche, onions and ham). All huge serves!