Overview
Strasbourg may have been the largest city we visited on this road trip. Its center is broad, coherent and beautiful. In a world where Colmar receives so much attention, Strasbourg felt several levels better to me. I could comfortably spend two or three days here and would return.
The most upsetting part of the visit was the visible homelessness. We saw more people in very difficult circumstances here than anywhere else on the trip. Against such an attractive urban backdrop, the scale of the social problem was hard to ignore.
The Cathedral and Canals
Strasbourg Cathedral is enormous and genuinely impressive. The pink sandstone facade is so detailed that it would justify a visit even without anything else in the city.
Tour boats move through the canals, and watching the lock system operate was unexpectedly entertaining. Boats enter a chamber, the gates close, and the water level rises or falls before they continue. Strasbourg's tourism office specifically highlights the locks that slowly lift boats around Petite France.
Food
Tarte flambée, or flammekueche, is the regional dish to try. It sits somewhere between pizza and pide. I enjoyed it, although it is better approached as good, simple comfort food than as a completely unfamiliar flavor.
Verdict
Strasbourg exceeded my expectations. Its size, historic center, cathedral and canals made it one of the best city stops of the trip.