Snowy season, stop in Strasbourg

Since the first time I said goodbye to my family at Noi Bai airport, I have been through many snowy seasons. I remember hugging strangers on New Year's Eve under the snow in front of the Brandenburg Gate, suddenly encountering snow in the middle of May at the Grand Canyon, or getting lost in the snow on a mountain top in North Africa. So many memories, in a split second, flashed in a small snowflake before that fluffy, round object landed on the windowsill and disappeared. Indeed, every time I see snow falling anywhere, I am reminded of the snowfalls in Strasbourg in the distant past, when I was eighteen or twenty.

Strasbourg is a peaceful city in the Northeast of France, formerly the capital of the Alsace region, after the administrative reform a few years ago, now belongs to the Grand Est region. Alsace used to consist of two provinces Bas-Rhin, the center is Strasbourg and Haut-Rhin, with the capital in Colmar. Alsace is charming on the banks of the Rhin River, surrounded by two mountain ranges Schwarzwald (Black Forest) in Germany and Vosges in France. Here, green vineyards stretch along the hillsides, embracing the lovely little villages in the valley, and creating a backdrop for castles and monasteries perched high above.

Christmas capital of Europe

Those who listen to political news must know Strasbourg as the location of the European Parliament, which meets every now and then. As for tourists, Strasbourg is known as a beautiful city with a cathedral that attracts the second most visitors in France, after Notre Dame; the origin of the “wine route” (Route des Vins) of Alsace; or even more famous as the “capital of Christmas”, where every year one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe is held.

Without the Christmas market, Strasbourg is a quiet city, its people living to the slow jingle of the tram lines that intersect at the Homme de Fer station. And my memories of Strasbourg are as peaceful as the flow of the two branches of the III River that embrace the city center.

However, if I were to take a friend to visit Strasbourg, instead of going straight to the center, I would start my tour at the main train station. Strasbourg train station is a wonderful combination of classical and modern architectural styles. Built quite late, in 1870, under Wilhelm I, when the city was still under Prussian rule, it was the city's second train station, replacing the first station destroyed during the Franco-Prussian War.

In the past decade, expanded to serve the Paris-Strasbourg express train line (TGV Est), Strasbourg station has a new look with a glass dome covering the old building. The solid but heavy walls, typical of 19th-century German architecture, become more elegant thanks to the soft curved arches. Seen from the outside, the dome reflects the color of the sky, looking like a giant drop of water, and is transparent enough for us to admire the old station inside. Rarely anywhere else is the "expansion" carried out in such a harmonious and artistic way.

About a five-minute walk from the main station is the Vauban Dam, designed by France's most famous 17th-century military architect, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. From the terrace of the Vauban Dam, one can see the entire old town of Petite France (Little France), with the Ponts Couverts in the foreground and the four watchtowers that were part of the medieval city's defense system. A little further away, Notre Dame Cathedral stands out against the skyline.

Strasbourg and Petite France

Ponts Couverts is one of dozens of bridges leading to Grande Île - the Big Island. Grande Île embraces the historic center of Strasbourg and has been listed as a UNESCO heritage site since 1988. From the Vauban Dam, cross Ponts Couverts to Petite France, where you can admire the lovely German-style half-timbered houses reflected in the canal, lining the lovely little streets.

In the warm season, residents of Petite France tend to the bright red pots of geraniums on their windowsills, making each beautiful house even more charming. In the winter, gorgeous Christmas lights, instead of flowers, are hung on every street, combined with cheerful music, warming both the space and the hearts of people.

Contrary to popular belief, the most beautiful old town in Strasbourg is not affectionately named, nor is it patriotic. The name Petite France dates back to the 15th century. At that time, Strasbourg and Alsace were not yet part of France. This neighborhood was then a hospital for quarantined plague patients, mainly mercenaries for the French army in the Italian War. Strasbourgians called the plague “the French disease”, leading to the satirical name – Little France.

From Petite France, past the Saint Thomas Church, continue east to reach the very typical Alsatian Place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait. The Place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait is small and quiet, located in an unnoticed corner, hidden between half-timbered houses, in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral and the nearby Rohan Palace. Every afternoon when I pass by here, I feel like I have stepped into one of Hansi's paintings of ancient Alsace.

Strasbourg and the legend of Notre Dame Cathedral

A few more steps and I would be standing in front of the windy courtyard of Strasbourg’s Notre Dame Cathedral. This is the oldest Gothic cathedral, begun in 1015 and taking more than three hundred years to complete. For several hundred years after that, until near the end of the 19th century, it was still the tallest building in the world. Standing on the roof of the cathedral, one could see the whole city, all the way to the Alsace plain and the Black Forest.

The Alsatian elders often tell their children the legend of the winds swirling over the courtyard of Notre Dame. The story goes that, more than six hundred years ago, on a dark night, Satan, who lived in the Harz Forest on the other side of the Rhine, rode his wind horse to see the newly built Notre Dame. He was so engrossed in his admiration that he did not notice the sun had risen and had to hide inside the column of Les Angles (The Angels) inside the church. The angels then imprisoned him in the column. The wind horse has been swirling around the church ever since.

From Notre Dame Cathedral, I will not take the main street Rue des Grandes Arcades to get to Kléber Square but choose a parallel street - Rue des Orfèvres. At the end of the year, Rue des Orfèvres is sparkling, magical like a fairy tale. The cozy Christmas atmosphere fills and spreads along the small street. Every year from the end of November, a hundred-year-old pine tree from the Vosges Mountains is erected in the eastern corner of the square and becomes the Christmas symbol of the city.

The oldest Christmas market in France

Two more streets and I’ll reach the Place de la Broglie and stand in front of Strasbourg’s town hall. The Place de la Broglie is particularly significant to the French as it is where Rouget de Lisle composed “La Marseillaise”, which later became the French national anthem. I enjoy strolling here in all four seasons, shopping for local produce on Wednesdays and Fridays, occasionally visiting the flea market in the summer, joining the throngs of people visiting the Christmas market in the winter, or simply lounging under the shady trees.

The oldest and most traditional Christmas market in France is called Christkindelsmärik on Place de Broglie. For a long time, this was the only Christmas market in France. When you come to a Christmas market, you cannot miss a glass of mulled wine. But if you don’t drink alcohol, try a cup of hot orange juice with cinnamon scent.

New neighborhood

At the end of the Broglie Square, past the Opera House, across the bridge over the Ill River, I left the Grande Île, and entered the Neustadt (New Town). Strasbourg's Neustadt was only listed as a UNESCO heritage site in mid-2017, built mainly in the 19th century in the Neo-Renaissance style, a fusion of refined French architecture and grand German influences. The Place de la Republique is the most prominent feature here with its free-flowing lines such as the Palais du Rhin, the National Theatre, the University Library and the straight main roads.

Walking along the tramway, past the city post office, I came to the Galia station on the Royal Bridge. When I was a student, I loved walking from the university complex to see the Saint Paul Cathedral and the Quai des Pêcheurs riverbank. In the evening, it was so relaxing to walk down the stairs on both sides of the bridge, down to the water's edge, play with seagulls and swans, and watch the pale sunlight paint the two bell towers of the Saint-Paul Cathedral pink before it got dark.

It has been a long time since I last returned to Strasbourg during Christmas, and I feel so excited. The city lights have just come on and snow has begun to cover the roofs in the old town. I chose a cozy seat by the window in a bar on Rue des Frères, watching the snow and people walking hand in hand. Christmas is so magical, cold, warm, and full of love. The season of love has come!

MORE INFORMATION

Visa:You need a Schengen visa to go to France. Itinerary: From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are many flights to Paris, then you can take the high-speed train from Paris to Strasbourg.

Transportation:Strasbourg is a small city, you can walk to most of the main attractions. In addition, the city has a very good tram and bus system. However, during the Christmas market, the tram stations on Grande Île are completely closed, or closed during market hours. Time: If you want to visit and see the city, the best time is from the end of March to October when Strasbourg is not too crowded with tourists.

If you want to enjoy the festive atmosphere, come during Christmas to see the Christmas market and participate in other Christmas activities. However, at this time, the city is crowded with tourists, so hotel prices also skyrocket.

Cuisine :

- Coming to Alsace, people will mention choucroute, like cassoulet in Midi Pyrrénée or crêpe in Brittany. Besides, don't miss the equally famous dishes such as traditional tarte flambée spread with fresh cream, onions and chopped smoked bacon or Kugelhopf cake mixed with raisins, shaped like a hat and with a hole in the middle; Pain d'épice cake mixed with spices of anise and cinnamon.

- If you don't know what to eat, take a walk along Rue des Frères, a small street behind Notre Dame Cathedral. You will find all kinds of restaurants here, from traditional to Italian, crepe shops to Asian restaurants.

- Alsace is a region famous for its white wines, especially Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, in addition to mulled white wine and mulled red wine commonly found at Christmas markets.

Other notes:

- Christmas Market in Strasbourg: This is actually a complex of many different markets, scattered across many squares in the city. There are three main markets in Place des Meuniers and Place Benjamin Zix (in the Petite France area), Notre Dame Cathedral Square, and Broglie Square. Petite France Market and Notre Dame Cathedral are the two busiest Christmas markets, but Broglie Market is the one that is loved by locals.

- Taking a boat ride on the Ill River is also a fun way to see the city and Petite France from the riverside. The tourist boats in Strasbourg are called Batorama. There is a trip every hour or so, and the fare ranges from 9.30 EUR to 12.30 EUR depending on the route.

- Beautiful photo and sightseeing spots in Strasbourg: Terrace on the top floor of the Vauban Dam, the entrance at the western end of the Ponts Couverts bridge; the western corner of Benjamin Zix square in the Petite France area; on the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral; Rue Mercière in front of Notre Dame Cathedral; Galia tram stop, Royal bridge; Kléber square and Rue des Orfèvres (Christmas)

Bui Huyen Chi