Prettiest Villages in Alsace – Part 3 Strasbourg & Kaysersberg

Continuing the series on the prettiest villages in Alsace, in this article I introduce you to the big city of Strasbourg and to the small town of Kaysersberg.

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The Big City: Strasbourg

While the small villages of the area take center stage, (afterall, these places don’t win awards for being the prettiest villages in Alsace for no reason) there is also one city to see. In terms of France’s most populous cities, Strasbourg hovers around 7^th in the rankings. It is the capital of the region and a pretty modern business hub. However, it does have an old town that is attractive and worth spending a day exploring.

We hopped a train from Colmar and were in Strasbourg in less than an hour. From the train station, the historic city center (known as Le Quartier de la Petite France) is a 15-minute walk.

As you cross canals that snake through the city, you’ll think that you are in one of the prettiest villages in Alsace and not, in fact, in a thriving engineering and manufacturing hub. The canals were, of course, once used for transporting goods. Today, they are just plain pretty. I stumbled on a draw bridge that pivots out of the way for watercraft rather than lifting. I hadn’t seen one of these since my visits to Beaufort, South Carolina.

Crêpes and Cathedrals

I wanted to try a savory crȇpe rather than my usual sweet one. Typically, I make sure to frequent restaurants that are at least a couple of blocks away from a tourist center or major tourist attraction. The food is usually better and cheaper. However, on this day, I traded a high-quality crȇpe for a cool view. My food was mediocre at best, but I was across the square from the front door of the Notre Dame cathedral of Strasbourg.

It was easy to lounge there at my outdoor table and take photos and people watch. Remember that in many places in Europe a restaurant table is yours for as long as you want it. There is no rush to “turn” the tables. In France, specifically, food is an art form and sharing a leisurely meal with loved ones is considered respectful of them and the food.

Parking Note

Most of these small towns and villages have paid parking. Usually, between four and eight euros is enough for you to spend around four hours soaking up the quaintness of the village before heading off to the next place.

Prettiest Villages in Alsace: Kaysersberg

When I got out of the car, the first thing I passed was a bust of Albert Schweitzer in front of the Schweitzer Center. Immediately, I Googled. That famous humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1952) was, in fact, born in Kaysersberg. Huh. Who knew?

Passing the Schweitzer Center, visitors most often stroll down the Rue de Générale du Gaulle, which is really the main thoroughfare in this town. Lined on both sides with shops, cafés, and wine-tasting establishments, this street is worth a slow stroll.

Here shopkeepers engage in my new favorite pastime. . . decorating their window and door frames. There are bakers galore (pretzels and monster baguettes), pottery shops specializing in the style of the region, and a small castle watching over it all.

The cafés with outdoor seating are mobbed in good weather. Here you can have all the local specialties just like we did in Colmar. . . choucroute, pork shank, a savory tarte flambée and more.

A Sad Claim to Fame

After an 8-minute walk through the village from the public parking, we arrived at Le Chambard. This hotel/restaurant is situated in an 18th-century structure. It has a host of culinary awards including TWO MICHELIN STARS. This ultra classy establishment is famous for numerous wonderful reasons. Unfortunately, my husband also informed me that it is famous for one tragic reason.

Le Chambard is where the incomparable and phenomenal Anthony Bourdain died and left fans like me wondering why.

I want to be clear that my visit there wasn’t a creepy pilgrimage by a fan. I was completely unaware of this piece of history until my husband told me. In researching the prettiest villages in Alsace the name Kaysersberg came up. My husband liked the looks of it and added it to the list of destinations that he was surprising me with for this birthday trip. He debated about even telling me about the hotel.

In the end, he thought I would want to know. We paused briefly for an exterior picture and then moved on.

Poetry

When I was young, I wanted to write for LIFE magazine. They were famous for their photography, of course. But, if readers paid attention, they would see that the writing was stunning and elegant too.

For me, Anthony Bourdain is just like this. While his television shows like No Reservations and Parts Unknown were about travel and food and watching him have adventures and eat nearly any crazy thing someone offered him, those exploits weren’t what kept me tuning in. What brought me back again and again were his voiceovers. I loved listening to him narrate and wax poetic about the soul of a country or the soul of its people. I have been told by someone who worked with him and knew him well, that he did, in fact, write those himself. He had a poet’s soul for sure.

There is so much poetry out there in the world. It can be found in the look of a half-timbered building from 600 years ago or in the clouds hanging low over the Great Smoky Mountains or the view from the sidewalk into a family’s holiday kitchen. Go find it. Please go find your poetry.

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