Strasbourg tours and excursions

Boat tours

The Service Touristique du Port Autonome de Strasbourg, 15 rue de Nantes, organises a 70-minute cruise along the Ill, through the old quarters, towards the EU quarter and back, with multilingual guides. The boat Batorama departs every half-hour between 0930 and 2100 from March to November (less frequently in the winter) and is either covered or open. Tours depart from Palais Rohan pier, place du Marché aux Poissons.

Tram tours

CTS operates a mini tram sightseeing service, with multilingual guides. The tour lasts 50 minutes and departs from the place du Château, passing La Petite France and the Cathedral. The tourist office has details of a variety of other city tours, including tours by Segway (weather permitting) or with a coachman and horses when the Christmas market in on during the month of December.

Walking tours

Strasbourg is an ideal size to be covered on foot; trips around the cathedral (particularly at night) and the Petite France are very rewarding. The lush, grassy banks of the Ill and the Fossé du Faux-Rempart canal provide views of all the major sights. Audio-guided tours of the city centre lasting 90 minutes are available in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish from the tourist office, 17 place de la Cathédrale, between 0900 and 1900. A deposit or ID is required. The tourist office also organises French language guided tours that cover the Cathedral and Petite France, also lasting about 90 minutes.

Although Strasbourg is pedestrian and cyclist friendly, the access to certain parking areas in the centre of town calls for motorists to cross over pavements and cycle lanes –be wary.

Obernai

Obernai, located 30km (19 miles) from Strasbourg, provides a nice alternative to the villages in the Alsace plain and lies on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains. Like other neighbouring towns, Obernai is important for its wine, but also for its beer production. The village offers a picturesque medieval style and the centre square is a good starting point to make a circuit around traditional restaurants, markets and parks.

Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg

This impressive castle and central courtyard, including its armoury and canons, will allow any visitor to step back into the Middle-Ages and provide an insight into a 15th century mountain fortress. The castle was abandoned after 1633, then in 1899 was handed over to Kaiser Willheim II who commissioned major renovation work. The site is one of the symbols of Alsatian heritage and offers breathtaking views over the Alsace plain, the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest. Individual and group tours as well as workshops can be organised. Educational and recreational, this makes for a great day out for families. The castle is 65km (40 miles) away from Strasbourg and is accessible by car.

Molsheim and the Route des Vins

The Route des Vins extends from Marlenheim, west of Strasbourg, to Thann, close to Mulhouse, offering opportunities for free tastings and summer wine festivals. Molsheim is one of the largest towns on the itinerary, less than 30km (19 miles) southwest of Strasbourg - a 30-minute train journey. Its attractions, in addition to wine, include the medieval fortifications, the Porte des Forgerons (Blacksmiths' Gate), the 16th-century Metzig and the Eglise des Jésuites (an impressive gothic church). Molsheim Tourist Office, 19 place de l'Hôtel de Ville, can provide further information.

Colmar

The capital of the Haut-Rhin, 70km (43 miles) south of Strasbourg, Colmar is known for its exceptionally picturesque and quaint Old Town and its dry wines (celebrated in the annual wine festival, Foire aux Vins). It is also home to the Rétable d'Issenheim (Issenheim Altarpiece), painted by Mathias Grünewald, between 1512 and 1516, for St Anthony's monastery and displayed at the Musée d'Unterlinden, 1 rue d'Unterlinden. Colmar is a 40-minute train journey from Strasbourg.