Cheap flights to Strasbourg

Quick summary

A city on a border

Where France and Germany meet

Strasbourg sits right on the Rhine, the river that has marked the border between France and Germany since Louis XIV's troops took the city in 1681. Barely 400 metres separate the historic centre from Kehl, its German neighbour, and the Passerelle Mimram footbridge lets you walk from one country to the other in a few minutes — a rare experience for a city of Strasbourg's size. That back-and-forth history is written all over the city, from its Alsatian dialect to its half-timbered architecture, closer in style to the Black Forest than to central France.

This border position is also why Strasbourg was chosen, after the Second World War, as a symbol of European reconciliation: it has hosted the Council of Europe since 1949 and the European Parliament since 1958, alongside Brussels and Luxembourg.

UNESCO World Heritage

The Petite France district

Named after a former hospital for soldiers, this old tanners' quarter is now Strasbourg's most photographed corner: 16th and 17th-century half-timbered houses lining narrow canals, with the Barrage Vauban offering one of the best rooftop views in the city. In 1988, UNESCO listed the entire historic centre — the Grande Île, including Petite France — as a World Heritage Site, making Strasbourg the first city in the world to have its whole centre protected this way. A boat tour along the canals is the easiest way to see the district from a different angle, gliding past the same façades at water level.

The city's icon

Strasbourg Cathedral, 142 metres of pink sandstone

Built between the 12th and 15th centuries from local Vosges sandstone, Strasbourg Cathedral was, at 142 metres, the tallest building in the world for over two centuries, from 1647 to 1874. It's still the highest structure standing anywhere from the Middle Ages. Inside, the astronomical clock draws crowds at its daily chiming, and the single spire — the cathedral was never given its planned second tower — makes the building recognisable from almost every corner of the city, including from across the canals of Petite France.

Since 1570

The Christkindelsmärik, France's oldest Christmas market

Strasbourg's Christmas market dates back to 1570, when it replaced an older Saint Nicholas market abolished after the city turned Protestant. Known locally as the "Christkindelsmärik" — market of the baby Jesus, in Alsatian dialect — it moved to Place Broglie in 1870, where it has stood ever since, while dozens of smaller markets now spread across the historic centre from late November through December. It's widely considered the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the oldest in Europe, and it draws large crowds every year, so accommodation and flights book up well ahead of the season.

Alsatian table

Choucroute, tarte flambée and Alsace wine

Strasbourg's food scene leans heavily German in ingredients and technique but stays unmistakably French in presentation. Choucroute garnie — sauerkraut slow-cooked with charcuterie and sausages — is the signature dish of the winstubs, the traditional Alsatian taverns found throughout the old town. Tarte flambée, a thin, wood-fired flatbread topped with crème fraîche, onions and lardons, is the casual counterpart, usually shared over a glass of local white wine. Alsace's vineyards, just south and west of the city, produce Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris along one of France's oldest wine routes.

Excursions

The Alsace Wine Route, Obernai and Colmar

The Alsace Wine Route, France's oldest, runs through timbered villages and medieval castles a short drive from Strasbourg. Obernai, about half an hour away, gives a condensed taste of rural Alsace. Colmar, roughly an hour south, is worth a full day trip for its colourful historic centre, which some visitors find even more picturesque than Strasbourg's own.

When to go

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Strasbourg airports

Getting to Alsace

Frankfurt Airport is also within reach by train (roughly 2 hours) or car (just over 2 hours), which can make sense for some connections. Once in Strasbourg, the city is well connected to Paris by high-speed TGV (about 1h50 station to station) — worth comparing against a direct flight depending on where you're starting from.

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FAQ

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