[2025 Strasbourg Attraction] Travel Guide for Barrage Vauban (Updated Jul)

Nestled along the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg is a breathtaking blend of fairytale charm, rich history, and elegant architecture — the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a storybook. 🇫🇷🕊️ Here's how to spend one day in Strasbourg - fairytale city of culture & history 🌅 Morning: Start in La Petite France Wander the La Petite France district — a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with pastel half-timbered houses, canals, flower-lined bridges, and cobbled alleys. Visit the Covered Bridges (Ponts Couverts) and walk across the Vauban Dam (Barrage Vauban) for panoramic views. ⛪ Late Morning: Strasbourg Cathedral & Surroundings Head to the majestic Strasbourg Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame) — admire its pink sandstone Gothic facade and step inside to see the astronomical clock. Climb the cathedral tower for breathtaking 360° city views. Stroll around Place de la Cathédrale and nearby Rue Mercière, one of the prettiest streets for photos. 🎨 Midday to Afternoon: Museums & Palaces Visit the elegant Palais Rohan, which houses the Fine Arts, Archaeological, and Decorative Arts Museums. If you love history, stop by the Alsatian Museum (Musée Alsacien) to learn about the region’s rural culture and traditions. Walk to Place Gutenberg, named after the inventor of the printing press, with its statue and carousel. 🏛️ Later Afternoon: European Institutions & Parks Head northeast of the center to see the European Parliament (exterior view or guided tour if available). Nearby is the Parc de l'Orangerie, Strasbourg’s oldest public park — perfect for a peaceful stroll and spotting the symbolic stork nests. Walk along the Quai des Bateliers for scenic riverside views and charming old buildings. 🌆 Evening: Wrap Up with Views End your day with a return to La Petite France for evening golden hour views — especially magical around the canals and bridges. Walk across Passerelle des Deux Rives, a bridge connecting France and Germany — a symbol of unity. 🗺️ Other Notable Spots to Add If You Have Time: ● Saint-Thomas Church – Strasbourg’s main Protestant church with impressive organs. ● Neustadt District – Showcases Strasbourg’s imperial German past with wide boulevards and grand buildings. ● Place de la République – Surrounded by important institutions and lovely green spaces.

If Strasbourg is a storybook city, Barrage Vauban is one of its most quietly powerful chapters. Tucked at the edge of Petite France, this 17th-century dam doesn’t shout for attention-it simply invites you to slow down and observe. I didn’t expect to be so mesmerized by a bridge. But walking through its long stone corridor, where filtered light dances across arched windows and silhouettes shift gently behind the columns, felt almost cinematic. Beneath it, the Ill River rushes with purpose, as it has for centuries-and right above it, a secret waits: the panoramic terrace. Step up and the view opens like a painting. Half-timbered houses line the canals like patchwork dreams. Boats glide between locks. Cafés buzz with chatter and clinking glasses. And as the sky turns gold, the entire scene reflects in the water like something imagined rather than real. Just a few steps away is the picture-perfect Petite France-but to me, it was Barrage Vauban that framed the moment, literally and emotionally. This is not just a dam; it’s a bridge between times, where medieval engineering and modern serenity meet. Whether you're coming to photograph reflections, watch a lock open, or just breathe in the quiet with a pastry in hand, this is a place to pause. You’ll leave with fewer selfies-but maybe more soul. Grateful to Trip.com for making moments like these effortlessly accessible, from smooth bookings to helpful guides that helped me discover hidden gems like this one.

Introducing this month's European travel schedule 🗓 Please use it as a reference 🎶 9:30 Departure from Strasbourg (2nd photo) 10:30 Arrival in Colmar 11:00 (3rd photo) Eat Alsace specialty tarte flambée at "LA TERRASSE DU MARCHE" 📍Location: 13 Rue des Écoles, 68000 Colmar, France 12:30 Departure from Colmar 12:50 Arrival in Eguisheim 13:00 (4th, 5th, 6th photos) Exploring Eguisheim 👀 4th photo is the setting of Beauty and the Beast 14:10 Departure from Eguisheim 14:30 Arrival in Colmar (7th, 8th photos) 15:30 (9th photo) "Marché Couvert" Enjoying the market at "Colmar" 🥗 📍Location: 13 Rue des Écoles, 68000 Colmar, France 16:00 (10th photo) Eating ice cream at "Glaces du Lac" 🍨 📍Location: 1 Rue des Landgraves, 67520 Marlenheim, France 16:00 Departing Colmar 16:30 (11th photo) Arriving at Maison Ferver, buying a lot of chocolates 🍫 17:50 Departing Maison Ferver 18:15 Arriving in Colmar 18:30 (12th photo) Seeing "Pfister's House", the model for Howl's Moving Castle 📍Location: 11 Rue des Marchands, 68000 Colmar, France 19:30 (13th photo) Relaxing at the Champs de Mars 📍Location: Av. de la République, 68000 Colmar, France 20:00 Depart Colmar 21:00 Arrive Strasbourg 21:30 (14th photo) Going to see the Vauban Dam 📍Location: Pl. du Qur Blanc, 67000 Strasbourg, France #0yentrip #Alsace #Alsace #Colmar #Eguisheim #Strasbourg

#0yentrip "This defensive dam was built in the 17th century and is now open to the public as a promenade. From the rooftop observation deck, you can see the canals and half-timbered houses of Petite France, making it a great photo spot! The view at dusk is also fantastic, so it's a place you'll want to stop by with your camera in hand. ▶Key points: Free admission / illuminated at night ▶Access: About a 5-minute walk from Petite France"

About a 10-minute walk from Strasbourg Station. There is a historical building called Vauban Dam. It was once part of a fortress. You can enter for free, and after climbing the stairs there is a low observation deck. From there you can see the cityscape of Strasbourg around the Pont Couverts Bridge, so it's a hidden gem that we highly recommend! There are few people around this area, and there is a park nearby, so families were spending their time relaxing there. There are also many colorful and cute buildings nearby, so it's a fun place to just walk around. When people think of France, they tend to think of Paris, but you should definitely go to Strasbourg too. ✈︎---------------------------------------------✈︎ 📍: Near Pont Couverts Bridge, Strasbourg 📸: Canon EOS 5D MarkⅣ 💰: Free ✈︎----------------------------------------------✈︎ #HotOverseasPlaces #EuropeTrip #EuropeTour #EuropeTour #France #FranceTrip #FranceTour #Strasbourg

✔️Barrage Vauban Address: Pl. du Qur Blanc, 67000 Strasbourg, France Admission: Free This dam is a recommended photo spot that you should definitely visit if you are visiting Strasbourg! You can enter the dam, and if you climb the embankment you can see the beautiful cityscape reflected in the river☺︎ It is said that the dam was built in the 17th century with pink sandstone. There are few tourists and it is a quiet place where you can watch the ducks in the river and relax. It is a very relaxing spot, so please visit it! #EuropeTravel

One of the best views of Strasbourg definitely belongs to Barrage Vauban with the standing three towers. The best view has to be from the air as always and the best route is above the dam opposite the towers right across. Take the stairs up to the second level and you will be able to see the whole picture. You will be able to view Cathedral Norte Dame from here as well. Be aware that the stairs will closed at 9pm during spring and summer seasons. This area happens to be the best sunset viewing platform as well. #strasbourg #platform #sunset #vauban ##panoramic #niceview #notredame #bestspot