Strasbourg. City or Fairy Tale? Part 2.

(The beginning of the story is here.)
Not only culinary delights attract thousands of  tourists. The city itself is unique and its world wide known Cathedral is the jewel in the crown. Though during the WWII the historic core suffered extensive damages from Allies air raids it survived and slowly was restored.

Look at this woodwork at Maison Kammerzell. It's 500 years old

Recently the whole city was unprecedently proclaimed World’s Heritage Site by UNESCO because it persevered as unique urban ensemble since early Middle ages.

I admire those honeycomb windows often covered with lush vines

As Amsterdam already claimed the name of Northern Venice it leaves Strasbourg which is exactly half way in between, what, Semi Northern Venice?  The historical medieval part of Strasbourg is an island surrounded by picturesque canal, that makes it a half-brother to Italian beauty. Otherwise they are completely different but beautiful all the same.

Half-timber colorful houses, maisons de bois, up to 7 stories  the skyscrapers of medieval times with high, golden/red/dark steep rooftops and tiniest mansards, bright flowers overflowing from every window,  many facades covered with elaborate wood carvings. Elegant Baroque hotels particuliers, Art Deco houses and Renaissance villas, beautifully laid out squares,  giant lush weeping willows  dropping their branches into water of busy canal  bubbling with tourist boats running back and forth via narrow lock with revolting bridge, the swans floating in lazy slow motion oblivious to all this hubbub, beautiful quais mostly overtaken with cute restaurants  and huge centuries old trees still enjoying their glorious reflections.

The remnants of fortifications, towers, bridges, spires and churches.

22 years old Mozart was playing in this city in 1778, with its well known university and flourishing culture one of the main centers of the European Enlightenment / Aufklarung…….

Goethe at the same young age a few years earlier was studying there and walking these streets. He loved Strasbourg but couldn’t foresee his own statue on Place de l’Universite at that time of course.

There are cities glorious and glamorous. One simply can’t call Paris or London or NY with all their grandeur cute.  Strasbourg with its elaborate doll houses is fabulously idyllic and cute. Add to that relaxed pace and slow down rhythm and you’ll get a perfect vocation spot not to mention dozens of delicious pastry shops which were endlessly tempting with their sweet offerings and ice-creams of uncounted flavors, each window a masterpiece of Choco-berry-vanilla-cinnamon perfection.

Cobble streets and narrow passages of a medieval city, quiet late walks and peaceful river splashes, far away laughs and a glow in the night reflected in twinkling water.

Beautiful!

To be continued.
See you soon.

All images © Natalie Rapoport