I had discarded the idea of doing a couple of weeks driving Bavaria, exploring the Castle Road & Romantic Road, but still wanted a Black Forest driving experience, so Strasbourg seemed a good foundation to rent a car for a few days of that; hence the slightly longer stay here.
Strasbourg Capitale de Noel
First night in Strasbourg, I set about my (becoming) usual orientation walk as I had passed the Christmas Markets on the way in. Little did I realise until the walk, that Strasbourg claim themselves to be the Capital Of Noel; and it’s an understated claim.
The Christmas Markets at Strasbourg are not just one square, it’s pretty much the entire city, every connecting street takes you to more, and just about every city street is lined with lights. The centre was focused around the Notre Dame Cathedral, a beautiful piece of architecture with an Astronomical Clock, and the Hotels nearby went to huge lengths to decorate their building fronts.
Day 3 in Strasbourg arrived and I collected my rental car, with plots to drive the Colmar districts on day 1, southern black forest day 2 and northern black forest day 3. You can read about my Driving the Black Forest from here. These would also give me one of my bucket list opportunities, to drive a nice car on a German autobahn.
Strasbourg was a surprise and a delight. Friendly folk, safe secure feeling, and a very festive atmosphere. The restaurants provided some memorable dining experiences, and the Christmas Markets proved hard to compare with the ones to come. (writing this as I am about to leave Germany)
Stuttgart next, with the primary focus, to visit the Mercedes Benz & Porsche Museums.