A different day trip from Paris - Strasbourg.........

If you are spending a few days in Paris and would like to do a “different” day trip, I highly recommend an excursion to lovely Strasbourg in the Alsace region. With the new TGV schedule, the ride is now less than 2 hours! 

 visitors should definitely experience the picturesque Petite France quarter with its waterways and ancient half-timbered houses. The magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame, begun in 1015, had the largest spire in Europe until the 19th century! And, in contrast, the elegantly modern European Parliament building has been “home” to 785 Euro MPs who have represented the 27 countries of the EU since 2008. Walking around the city and enjoying a nice lunch makes for a wonderful day trip. 

 Or, you can choose to explore the city and the charming Alsatian countryside with its picture-postcard villages, enjoy wine tastings, and visit the medieval Chateau du Haut-Koesnigsbourg. 

 Call or email me for more details Howard.lewis@protravelinc.com 
or 310-691-7486

I love Strasbourg - One of, if not my favorite French cities - enjoy the trip.....

Christmas Markets in Strasboug..The Christmas Capitol of France and just the MOST marvelous place to spend a day for a few days during the season

If you are going to be in France during December, it is worth your time to stop in Strasbourg, a picturesque city in the Alsace region...what a magical Christmas atmosphere! It deserves its reputation as the 'Christmas Capitol' of France.



 The Strasbourg Christmas market is a vast outdoor public space spreads all over the Old Town which sells anything to do with Christmas. It is locally called Christkindelsmärik (Marché de l’Enfant Jésus) and is one of the oldest in Europe. In 2014, the Christmas market of Strasbourg was voted “Europe’s best Christmas Market”. The little stalls made of wood (called châlets) sell decorations, local products and craftsmanship, without forgetting “vin chaud” (mulled wine), Christmas cakes, biscuits and gingerbread.

 Since the opening of the new high-speed-train between Paris and Strasbourg in 2007 (TGV Est-Européen), which links the two cities within 2.45 hours, a day spent in the capital of Alsace’s market has become an extremely popular outing for Parisians.

Short Weekend Breaks From Paris - Strasbourg

Strasbourg ( one of my favorite cities in France) is only 2-1/2 hour by train from Paris.
Now in the old section ( the most charming section of the city - called Le Petit France) a new hotel just at the edge of this section has just opened. Located in what was years ago, the National Stud Farm. Les Haras is a 4 star hotel built in a contemporary flair, a Brasserie restaurant managed by the 3 star Alsatian chef, Marc Haeberlin and decor by the famous designer-architect Jouin-Manku, this is the new kid on the block. The mesmerizing and secret place built in the middle of the 18th century along the medieval ramparts of the town is classified as a historical mounument since 1922.
I look forward this fall to staying there and checking it out.

http://www.les-haras-hotel.com/

Day Trip From Paris : Strasbourg

Because the TGV ( fast trains) in France are so good, I recommend to many of my clients with a only a short time to spend in France, to stay in Paris and use it as a base and use the fast and efficient TGV rail service to visit the French Countryside for lovely day trips.
Situated only 2-1/2 hours away from Paris, in the eastern part of France, is the historic city of Strasbourg. It is the ultimate European city. It has flavors of both France and Germany, and sits right on the border of the two countries. It's picturesque "la Petite France" neighborhood looks like something straight out of a fairy tale book, a riverfront neighborhood with timbered buildings accented by colorful flower boxes.

The city is enclosed in a series of basins and canals and is sometimes called the Venice of the North. The Black Forest and the legendary Rhine River are just at or beyond the city's edge.

From the Rail station (a WOW of architecture) it’s only a 5 minute walk to the old town section called, La Petite France and is easily Strasbourg's prettiest and most enchanting neighborhood, and arguably one of the best neighborhoods in all of France. Stroll along its streets, along bridges over the Ill River. Breathe in the scent of fresh-baked gingerbread or the inviting aromas from the restaurants. Gaze at the timbered buildings, bursting with blooming plants that earned this city the prestigious four-flower ranking.
The Food, well, when you combine the best of French and German cooking and wine and beer, I could go on for days about my love of that.

A Day Trip To Strasbourg From Paris - A City Of Flowers and Sauerkraut

I have often told clients visiting Paris on a short stay, to use Paris as a base and do day trips into the French countryside. Provence is only 2 1/2 hours away, Dijon is 1 hour and 30min, and The Loire Valley is an easy hour away. On my last visit to Paris this past March, I did three day trips from Paris , One to Nancy (The Art Nouveau capital), one to Lille ( close to the Belgium Border) and one to Strasbourg (Eastern France). My favorite overall of these trip was my visit to Strasbourg. Just 2 1/2 hours away from Paris, the city of Strasbourg dominates the fertile vineyards and walled towns of the Rhine river plains and the dark, impenetrable Voges pine forests. Wonderful barge trips in the area. The city, French, yet German in feel (the population is bilingual (French and German) is shaped by the gently meandering Ill river which carves islands out the of cities most historic neighborhoods. The most atmospheric area (just an 8 minute walk from the rail station) is the area called: Petite France". Here half-timbered houses are nearly toppled by the weigh of their flower boxes and it looks as much as it did in the 16th and 17th centuries. Here Swans and bateaux-mouches paddle through the tranquil canals and past covered bridges. Strasbourg is a modern capital that has kept a small town feeling.Strasbourg

Cathedral de Notre-Dame is known as one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in Europe. The Cathedral stands on the exact site of a roman temple built on a little hill above the muddy ground and is today, the 6th tallest Cathedral in the world! As a world class city,

Strasbourg also boasts its share of world-class restaurants where chilled white Riesling is served in delicate green-stemmed Rhine wine glasses. The 3 Michelin stared restaurant Le Crocodile is the star here, but so are many informal bistros and winstubs located in the central area. Here the luxurious (which I came to really sample) Choucroute Strasbourgeois - is served at the historic Kammerzell Restaurant (within the shadows of the Cathedral). Unlike the traditional Choucroute served with 'tons" of Pork sausages, this one is served with three different types of fish. It was incredible! The restaurant occupies several floors and has been around since (at least the building) since the 15th century. Reservations are a must! All in all, what a great city to visit for a day! It’s an easy trip from Paris and one that hardily recommend.

A Day Trip To Strasbourg - It's Like Eating In A Franco-German Folk Tale

Lunch ( or dinner) at the Maison Kammerzell is very much like eating in a Folk Tale. Located in Strasbourg; it is just an easy 2 hour and 15 min trip on the TGV from Paris. Home to the European Parliament, chocolate-box Strasbourg, France, perfectly mixes French and German culture in the Alsace region. The old town – La Petite France - on the canal-crossed island of Grande Ile, is crowded with timber-framed houses covered in decorative brickwork. Here Try smoked pork sauerkraut, and relax over local Heineken and Kronenbourg beers, or a glass of regional aromatic Gerwürztraminer wine.
Located in a 15th-century wooden faced  historic building, the restuarant Maison Kammerzell is the most arrestingly ornate of many on the cathedral square. Here, in a warren of rooms on four floors, variously vaulted and frescoed, enfolds you in a conspiracy of conviviality. You're beaming even before the baeckeoffe ( a three-meat stew) or choucroute (sauerkraut) with fish arrives. Then you're beaming some more. Beyond the Renaissance windows, the pink sandstone cathedral soars with filigree finesse.
After lunch and stoll through the old section, its a quick trip on the TGV back to Paris.

The restaurant in the 1890's!