Have you always dreamed of traveling to Strasbourg, France? It's been on my list for years, and every time family members suggest coming to visit us for a Europe trip, I always say, "How about we meet in Strasbourg?" I love the look of all the half-timbered houses, and it seemed like the perfect mid-sized city to travel to with kids.
Finally, this past fall, we made it happen. We did an epic train trip with my sister’s family (and our parents), starting in Munich, then heading to the German Alps, followed by trips to Strasbourg and Paris.
Seeing the cousins bond was incredible (not to mention us sisters got in such quality time) — and the kids legitimately liked all of the experiences, and really embraced the travel lifestyle (complete with trains, metros, lots of walking… and travel stroller usage).
We found Strasbourg one of the best cities we’ve been to with little kiddos. Not only is it obviously charming, but it isn’t too big (aka not extremely hectic), and offers plenty of things to do to keep busy. Here are some of our highlights, if you're thinking about traveling to Strasbourg, France with kids:
1. The boat tour on the river Ill. The ride is incredibly scenic, but also you get a great dose of history. Everyone got headsets (including our little kids), and there was an audio for adults as well as an entertaining version for kiddos (even our two-year-old was enthralled).
2. Wandering around La Petite France. It’s the Strasbourg you see all over Instagram, and it's even better in person. We had dinner at La Corde à Linge, which had THE BEST views, not to mention was very kid-friendly.
3. Visiting the island playgrounds. We love a scenic playground, and can it get any better than letting your kids run around on an island, in the heart of town, while you take in the half-timbered house views? The playgrounds were all very modern, too, which kept our kids entertained while we had a picnic lunch. We also went back the following day to have our afternoon coffee while they played.
4. Carrousel de la Place Gutenberg. When our kids walked by this ornate carousel, there was no question whether they’d take a ride (or three) on it. It even had two, two levels! It’s the stuff of kids’ dreams, and it seems like it’s a local favorite, too.
Also, if you're looking for something else to do, that we as adults enjoyed (that our kids also thought was neat — albeit a little bit spooky — was going to the Historic Wine Cellar of Strasbourg Hospice. One of the barrels literally holds wine from 1472 — that's before Columbus began his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean! You can buy wine there, and rent an audio guide (or do a self-guided version, which is what we did).
And be sure to pop into the famous Strasbourg Cathedral. You can't miss it — it stands out among the city's other buildings, and our kids (and us, too) loved the sheer magnitude of it (not to mention its striking Gothic style). Wandering around the streets (which, did I mention, were beautiful?) was also an activity in it of itself (we also stopped for ice cream and treats a few times).
As for where we stayed, we loved the location — and vibe of our hotel, Maison Rouge, which is part of Marriott Bonvoy's Autograph Collection. They gave us a huge family room for us to sprawl out in, plus its size allowed us to welcome the cousins over for some pre-dinner play time.
Planning a trip to Strasbourg? Or wondering how to make a family vacation to France work? Ask all your questions in the comments below. And check out my @bigworld_littletravelers reel to see our Strasbourg trip in real life.
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