Strasbourg: 10K Premium Running Tour | Licensed Guide

DE Strasbourg Cathedral is not just a monument, it is a masterpiece DE Gothic art that tells four centuries of history. I'll give you the keys to EN uncover the secrets. EN We will begin our discovery DE front of the 3D model, at the foot DE la way DE south of the cathedral, then we will continue our exploration in front of the EN tale occid façade, a real stone book rich EN sculptures and symbols. You will learn how the building has changed over time, DE Romanesque foundations to its 142 metre high spire DE. Together, we will decipher its history and the stories DE its builders. Before continuing the tour, I will explain how this marvel was built, one step at a time, and how it DE become the tallest monument of Christianity until the 19th century.

The Ill has been the beating heart DE Strasbourg since its creation. As we walk along the piers DE S Pêcheurs, we will feel the soul of the city. Boatmen, one DE the oldest corporations DE the city, made Strasbourg a major commercial crossroads in the Middle Ages. Here wine and grain came from the south, while furs and other goods came from the north. DE here we will have a breathtaking view of the Reformed Church DE Saint-Paul, a neo-Gothic jewel that stands proudly on the water. Our race will take us to the University Palace, a majestic monument overlooking the banks DE the Ill.

The Palais Universitaire DE Strasbourg stands out in the heart DE the Neustadt. A neo-Renaissance masterpiece, it embodies German craftsmanship, as it was built after the 1870 annexation DE echo imperial power. But this majestic palace has had a fascinating fate. I will take you back in time to tell you how it went from symbol of the German era to symbol of European reconciliation, hosting the first session of the Council of Europe in 1949. This building is a bridge DE stone between DEux epochs, a place where history, science and politics have interwoven to shape the destiny of Europe.

The Avenue DE la Forêt Noire, a name that echoes the twin Massif DEs Vosges, is one of the major thoroughfares of the Neustadt imperial district. Today, far DE its past as a military artery, it is a lively place, bordered by the university campus and the Botanical Garden. It is here, on this green axis, that history and knowledge meet.

The Parc DE l'Orangerie, the largest urban park DE Strasbourg, is a green setting DE the heart DE the city. This is where history is made poetry. I will immerse you in the soul DE this place, to tell you the story of the Josephine Pavilion. Built EN 1804 to house a hundred orange trees confiscated from a nearby castle during the French Revolution, it is now named DE the Empress Joséphine DE Beauharnais, wife DE Napoleon Bonaparte. The Empress's elegance still seems to float in the air. It is a place steeped in history, where the echoes DE the Revolution blend with imperial history, and where the great outdoors invite you to daydream.

The Palais DE l'Europe, a name that echoes an entire continent, stands as a symbol DE reconciliation. I will take you back in time to tell you its history and the importance DE its imposing architecture. The Trip Tip DE lays the foundations DE la démocratie européenne. It is a place where the past mixes with the present, where history, politics and architecture come together.

The European Court DE Human Rights, with its bold architecture and DEux glass and steel cylinders, stands out as a symbol of justice and hope. Its design, while EN transparent, is an allegory DE European justice, which aims to be accessible and open to all. This building is a place where human rights are protected and where the voices of European citizens are heard. It is a place which, by its architecture, reminds us of the importance DE justice in the construction DE Europe today.

The European Parliament, the beating heart DE the Union, stands as a tribute to the commitment of an exceptional woman. It is named DE Louise Weiss, journalist, femme DE lettres and senior Member of Parliament, whose pioneering spirit still resonates in its corridors. It is here, in the Chamber where the twelve annual plenary sessions are held, that the DE destiny of Europe is weaved. I will reveal an architectural mystery: the shape DE the dome, which looks like an unfinished staircase, is a powerful symbol DE the European Union....

The Garden City Ungemach is a hidden pavilion area, an enchanted parenthesis in the district of European institutions. This is the crazy story of an urban utopia, built in the 1920s. This architectural and social project aimed to ENcouraging the birth rate by offering families beautiful houses with gardens, at a rent proportional to the number of children. We will discover the silence DE its alleys. A unique architectural and social history.

We will continue our race on the Quai Rouget DE Lisle, a name that echoes the national anthem... but patience! The story behind this song will be told to you later, on Place Broglie. EN fact, it is here in Strasbourg that a song DE guerre has become a national symbol. I will tell you behind the scenes DE this creation that changed the DE destiny of France.

We arrive at the foot DE Saint-Paul church, a neo-Gothic jewel that we had seen DE distance. Its 76-metre DE twin spires stand out on the Ill, as a witness DE the annexation of 1870, because it was built for German soldiers. Its architecture hides a mystery: it has 16 doors! I'll tell you his unique story.

The Avenue DE la Liberté, one DE the most beautiful avenues in Strasbourg, is the heart of the Imperial Quarter. I will tell you how, after the annexation DE 1870, it was designed to be the axis of "Knowledge-Power". Although not the longest in the neighborhood, it was the most important, because it embodied the ambition DE the German Empire. It is here that history and architecture come together to tell you a part DE the history DE the city.

Place DE la République, former heart DE the "Kaiser Platz", plunges you into a grand past. DE both sides, the National Theatre and the National and University Library, with its thousands DE books DE the personal collection DE Emperor William I, testify DE the cultural ambition DE the German Empire. But the square is also a place DE memory. I will tell you the unique story of the Monument to the Dead, a typical Alsatian memorial that makes no mention DE the country for which the soldiers fell. The opportunity DE tell you an exciting page of history, specific to Alsace.

The Rhine Palace, in the heart DE the former Kaiser Platz, stands as the symbol DE imperial power. Designed as a DE home for Emperor William I after the annexation of 1870, this majestic building was inaugurated by his grandson, William II. But this palace, so imposing, never managed to conquer the heart of the young Emperor, who found it ironically "too massive" for his taste. Today, far DE its imperial past, the Rhine Palace has seen its DE destiny transformed: it is the seat of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine, the oldest international organization in the world.

We now arrive in the old town and start with Place Broglie, a place where the history DE Strasbourg can be read EN several acts. DE la fountain DE Janus, the Roman god with DEux visages, who reminds us that history has a past and a future, at the Opera, whose tumultuous history is a testimony to the wars and the reconstructions of the city, everything here breathes history. But the square is also a place DE memory. I will tell you the story DE the liberation DE Strasbourg by Marshal Leclerc and the secret of the French flag, a fun and fascinating anecdote. Finally, I will tell you two stories, that of the very first Point of Sale DE Noël DE la ville, which took place here after 1570, and that DE la Marseillaise, the French national anthem, the first Rating of which resonated in a building DE la Place.

Place Kléber, the beating heart DE Strasbourg, is a place where history and the present meet. I will show you the statue of General Kléber, this hero DE the Napoleonic army, whose body lies under the base DE his statue. At his side, the majestic Aubette, a building that has seen its destiny transformed several times.

In the heart DE the city, Place Gutenberg comes alive, guarded by the statue DE the man who gave wings to knowledge. Your Guide will take you back in time to tell you how this square was a crucial place DE history. It was here in Strasbourg that Johannes Gut ENberg perfected his invention and the very first German Bible was printed. You will learn how, long before the era of social networks, it was also in this city that the very first newspaper was born. EN backdrop, the Chambre DE Commerce et d'Industrie, the proud Renaissance building DE Neue Bau, still seems to echo the bubbling DE ideas. His DE ways, typical of the Alsatian style, are silent witnesses DE Strasbourg's prosperity and ingenuity. It is a place where the past, trade and innovation meet, and your Guide will give you all the keys to unlocking its secrets.

In the square that bears his name, the church of Saint Thomas stands like a sentinel DE stone. Considered the Protestant cathedral DE the city, it is a majestic witness DE the Reformation. I will take you back in time to tell you its unique story. You will learn how, from the 16th century, the church of St Thomas DE became the centre of Alsatian Protestantism, a trend that marked Strasbourg's identity. Its architecture, both sober and elegant, is a real stone book DE that will tell you DE beliefs and the movements of ideas of the time. You will understand why it is a symbol DE the Reformation, and how its sandstone walls still seem DE echo another faith.

DE from the Pont Saint-Martin, the gaze dives into the Petite France, a picture of postcards where half-timbered houses were put in the water. This name, which sounds so romantic, hides a story that belies its charm. I will plunge you into the soul DE this place to tell you its unsuspected story. You will discover that the name DE "Petite France" actually comes from an old hospital, which in the 16th century housed soldiers suffering from "French evil"... The hospital was on site and eventually gave its name to the neighborhood, a historical detail that transforms the look on this magical place.

DE the Middle Ages, the stone towers of the Covered Bridges stand like proud guardians. Witnesses of an era DE iron et DE stone, their walls of the 13th century tell a history both military and prison. I'll reveal the secrets DE this ancient fortification. You will discover how this defensive structure, which also served DE prison, has evolved over time. And above all, a puzzle will arise for you: if they are called the Covered Bridges, why do they no longer have DE roof? The answer is simpler than it seems!

The Barrage Vauban, a page of history written by the hand DE Louis XIV, stands out as a defensive work DE genius. I will tell you how, after the annexation DE Strasbourg, the Sun King DE asked his architect to build this dam to flood the city EN case of attack. Yet, despite its ingenuity, the dam was ironically destined. I will tell you how it was used during the Franco-Prussian War DE 1870, but how its effectiveness was nullified by the Prussian bombs. From its terrace, which offers a unique panorama of the city (subject to opening), we will bridge between past and present. We will be able to admire the architecture DE la Petite France and DE la Neustadt, but also discuss DE Stin DE Strasbourg today, in the heart of the beautiful region of Alsace.

The Square Louise Weiss, a name that echoes an exceptional woman we talked about earlier. Along beautiful half-timbered houses, this place takes on a whole new dimension as DE Noël approaches, as it houses part of DE France's oldest DE Noël Point of Sale, dating DE 1570, and one of the oldest in the world.

La Petite France is much more than a picture DE postcards where half-timbered houses got into the water. Once a district DE travail for tanners, millers and fishermen, it has been able to transform its humble past EN a universal charm that today attracts the eyes of the world. I will plunge you into the soul DE this place with its artisanal past, especially with the presentation of the "stove" of tanners. It was also in this district DE travail that the history DE the corporations, the powerful guilds DE craftsmen and merchants who held the reins of the city, was written. Traditional houses, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, hide other secrets: I will explain why their unique architecture is a trick to avoid taxes. This place is a page of living history, a bridge between past and present.

From Petite France, we will engage on the quays Saint-Thomas, a charming passage that will offer you another look at the city. EN route through a lock and pedestrian walkway DE over the water, under the arch of Pont Saint-Martin, you can admire the magnificent facades reflected in the Ill. It is a walk that will take us, step by step, to the Old Customs. You will discover how this area, once animated by boatmen, has become a place DE calm and DE beauty, a haven DE serenity in the heart of the city.

EN route DE quays, rue de la Douane, another part of the past is revealed: the Old Customs. Once the port heart DE the city, and headquarters DE la Corporation DE Bateliers, it is the opportunity DE tell you about the new port DE Strasbourg, now the second largest river port in France.

Then we will face the Raven Bridge, whose name alone evokes a dark and fascinating past. It is here, on this bridge, once "bridge of sorrows", that executions and public humiliations took place in the Middle Ages. You want to know how criminals were tried and executed in these places? I will tell you these stories, as terrifying as they are surprising, which are etched in the memory DE Strasbourg. It is a part DE the history DE justice that you will discover EN these places, and which is the opposite DE the magnificent architecture that seduced you.

We will take the beautiful Rue du Maroquin, one DE the most beautiful streets DE the city, a haven DE traditional houses and authentic winstubs. This is the perfect place to end our visit on a Rating and capture the DE latest images of this adventure. We will then end our journey by reaching the Cathedral, where it all began, to leave you with an unforgettable memory DE Strasbourg.