France, Strasbourg

Strasbourg is a city in eastern France, capital of Bas-Rhin Department. Strasbourg is a unique city, it has a combination of France and Germany that is shaped in its ancient buildings and in the architecture of the city.

Strasbourg is one of France's major ports and is the seat of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine. The city has a beautiful historical centre, the Grande Île ("Grand Island") which is a listed World Heritage site by UNESCO.  This old part of the City is also known as Petite France and with its many waterways is a little like Venice or Amsterdam.

History

The name Strasbourg comes from Strateburgum (the city of the roads), because of its strategic geographical position on the west bank of the Rhine.

A settlement at the current site of the city of Strasbourg has existed since the Bronze Age due to its excellent geographical position at the crossroads of waterways and overland routes. In 12 BC, this settlement became the main outpost of the Roman Empire in its defence against the Germanic tribes of Northern Europe and it was named Argentoratum.

In 1262, after some struggles with the bishops, the burghers secured the status of a free imperial city for the city proper. An upheaval in 1332 established a corporate government in which the guilds played a leading role.

The city was already a thriving commercial centre in the middle Ages, when building began on the impressive Cathedral Notre-Dame. Its intellectual and artistic heights were reached during the Renaissance.

Strasbourg accepted the Reformation in the 1520s under the leadership of Martin Bucer and became an important Protestant center. The Univ. of Strasbourg, founded in the 16th cent. as a Protestant University, numbered Goethe and Metternich among its students. The city's prosperity began to decline in the early 17th cent. and was severely damaged by the Thirty Years War (1618-48).

The city passed to Germany in 1871 as a result of the Franco-Prussian War but was returned to France in 1919, following World War I. It was occupied by the Germans and badly damaged in World War II (1939-1945).

In 1949, Strasbourg became the seat of the Council of Europe. Strasbourg is now also the seat of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Union's European Parliament.

Geography & Demographics

Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region of France and is located in the Rhine valley, 488km (303 miles) south east of Paris and 217km (135 miles) southwest of Frankfurt.

The City of Strasbourg has a population of 650,000 inhabitants that covers an area of 1370 km2, and is based on the French concept of ‘aire urbaine’. With three universities, Strasbourg has a student population of around 50,000.

Economy

The economy of Strasbourg is essentially based on the growth of its service sector. After Paris, it is the most important centre for financial and banking activities in France.

The city's chief industries are metal casting, machine and tool construction, oil and gas refining, and boatbuilding. Strasbourg's goose-liver pâté and beer are famous. Iron, potassium, gasoline, and numerous industrial products are shipped through Strasbourg's great port on the Rhine.

Culture

Strasbourg is a city with very rich and vibrant cultural life. Due to its unique position on the very border of France, cultural heritage of Alsace represents a mix of both French and German influences. Alsace's distinctive dialect, hearty cuisine, and delicious wines are all parts of Strasbourg's vibrant local culture.

The city has lovely wide tree-lined streets, excellent, modern public transport, good cafés, restaurants and bars. In Petite France there are many outdoor restaurants, some with views of the River Ill and its locks. It hosts a long-running music festival and has an opera company and several museums.

Sports

Strasbourg has a large number of sports facilities. Swimming, canoeing, water sports, sailing, horse riding, combat sports, boules, golf, squash, tennis, fitness, aerial sports, flying, gliding, and parachuting are just some of the activities in which you can indulge freely or as part of an association or club.

Transportation

There is train service, east-ward to Offenburg and Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Strasbourg’s public transport network today includes 23 bus routes and 4 tram lines serving Strasbourg and its surrounding area.

Train services operate eastward to Offenburg and Karlsruhe in Germany, westward to Metz and Paris, and southward to Basel.

Strasbourg - Entzheim airport lies 15km south - west of the city centre, serving a few numbers of destinations.

Tram is the most popular, most effective and by all means the most comfortable way of transport in Strasbourg.