Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt
Strasbourg, France
03.04.2017
Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt: A Journey through Time
Located in northeastern France, Strasbourg is a city rich in history and culture. Its historic city center, known as Grande-Île, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The city's Neustadt, or "new town," was added to the list in 2017, making Strasbourg one of the few places in the world with two UNESCO World Heritage Sites within its borders.
Grande-Île, which translates to "big island," is a small island in the Ill River. It is the historic heart of the city and is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in Strasbourg. One of these landmarks is the Strasbourg Cathedral, a stunning example of Gothic architecture and the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874. Another must-see attraction on Grande-Île is the Kammerzell House, a 15th-century half-timbered building that now houses a popular restaurant.
But Grande-Île is more than just a collection of beautiful buildings. It also tells the story of Strasbourg's rich history. The city has a unique blend of French and German influences, as it has been under the rule of both nations throughout its existence. This is evident in the architecture, cuisine, and language of Strasbourg. The Grande-Île is a perfect representation of this cultural fusion, with its medieval and Renaissance buildings coexisting with Baroque and Art Nouveau structures.
Just across the Ill River from Grande-Île lies the Neustadt, a neighborhood built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries under German rule. The Neustadt was designed to showcase the wealth and power of the German Empire and is characterized by grand buildings and wide avenues. One of the most impressive structures in the Neustadt is the Palais du Rhin, a former imperial palace that now houses the Strasbourg Museum of Fine Arts.
Aside from its architectural significance, the Neustadt is also a symbol of the relationship between France and Germany. After World War II, Strasbourg became a symbol of reconciliation between the two nations, and the Neustadt played a crucial role in this. Today, the neighborhood is not only a testament to the grandeur of the German Empire but also a symbol of peace and unity.
Visiting Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt is like taking a journey through time. From the Gothic beauty of the Cathedral to the grandeur of the Neustadt, this city is a treasure trove of history and culture. It is no wonder that it has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is definitely a must-visit for any traveler.
Weiterführende Links:
Strasbourg Cathedral on Wikipedia
Neustadt, Strasbourg on Wikipedia
The initial property, inscribed in 1988 on the World Heritage List, was formed by the Grande-Île, the historic centre of Strasbourg, structured around the cathedral. The extension concerns the Neustadt, new town, designed and built under the German administration (1871-1918). The Neustadt draws the inspiration for its urban layout partially from the Haussmannian model, while adopting an architectural idiom of Germanic inspiration. This dual influence has enabled the creation of an urban space that is specific to Strasbourg, where the perspectives created around the cathedral open to a unified landscape around the rivers and canals.
Strasbourg (UK: , US: ; French: [stʁasbuʁ] ; German: Straßburg [ˈʃtʁaːsbʊʁk] ;) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France, at the border with Germany in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin department and the official seat of the European Parliament.
The city has about three hundred thousand inhabitants, and together Greater Strasbourg and the Arrondissement of Strasbourg have over five hundred thousand. Strasbourg's metropolitan area had a population of 860,744 in 2020, making it the eighth-largest metro area in France and home to 14% of the Grand Est region's inhabitants. The transnational Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau had a population of roughly 1,000,000 in 2022. Strasbourg is one of the de facto four main capitals of the European Union (alongside Brussels, Luxembourg and Frankfurt), as it is the seat of several European institutions, such as the European Parliament, the Eurocorps and the European Ombudsman of the European Union. An organization separate from the European Union, the Council of Europe (with its European Court of Human Rights, its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines most commonly known in French as "Pharmacopée Européenne", and its European Audiovisual Observatory) is also located in the city.
Together with Basel (Bank for International Settlements), Geneva (United Nations), The Hague (International Court of Justice) and New York City (United Nations world headquarters), Strasbourg is among the few cities in the world that is not a state capital that hosts international organisations of the first order. The city is the seat of many non-European international institutions such as the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and the International Institute of Human Rights. It is the second city in France in terms of international congress and symposia, after Paris. Strasbourg's historic city centre, the Grande Île (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988, with the newer "Neustadt" being added to the site in 2017. Strasbourg is immersed in Franco-German culture and although violently disputed throughout history, has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries, especially through the University of Strasbourg, currently the second-largest in France, and the coexistence of Catholic and Protestant culture. It is also home to the largest Islamic place of worship in France, the Strasbourg Grand Mosque.
Economically, Strasbourg is an important centre of manufacturing and engineering, as well as a hub of road, rail, and river transportation. The port of Strasbourg is the second-largest on the Rhine after Duisburg in Germany, and the second-largest river port in France after Paris.
