At The Crossroads

The immaculate Parc de l’Orangerie on Allée de la Robertsau has its own lake, mini-zoo and café. Watch out for low-flying storks.

Best Bars:

Les 3 Brasseurs (22 Rue des Veaux, 03 88 36 12 13) brews its own beer and has cheap and tasty tartes flambées. Les Aviateurs (12 Rue des Soeurs, 03 88 24 10 10) is the place to watch M.E.P.s dancing until 4 a.m.

Best Restaurants:

For riverside views and classic Alsatian dishes, head to Au Pont St. Martin (13-15 Rue des Moulins, 0388 32 45 13) on the edge of Petite France. For an expense-account experience, book the three-star Au Crocodile (10 Rue de l’Outre, 03 88 32 13 02).

Best Hotels:

The most romantic place to stay is the Régent Petite France, a luxurious former ice-works spanning the Ill River (5 Rue des Moulins, 03 88 76 43 43). Travelers on tighter budgets could try the Hotel Suisse, next to the cathedral (2-4 Rue de la Rpe, 03 88 35 22 11)..

Best Excursions:

The Vosges, a skiable mountain range west of Strasbourg, and the pic-turesque Black Forest in Germany are within an hour. Wine lovers might prefer the Route des Vins snaking south.

British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin said that the Alsatian capital, “which throughout its long history has suffered as a bone of contention between the warring nations of Europe,” would make an ideal home for the Council of Europe. His wish came true in 1949, and other European institutions followed. The European Parliament meets for a week every month in stunning new waterside offices, and the Court of Human Rights passes judgement in a huddle of futuristic buildings designed by renowned British architect Richard Rogers. All three institutions are open to the public.

But these buildings pale beside the medieval masterpieces in the city’s historic center. The most awe-inspiring is the early medieval Cathédrale de Notre Dame. During the Middle Ages the 142 m steeple was Europe’s tallest, and it still soars above the surrounding townhouses like a skyscraper. If the weather is foul, take a short stroll to the Palais Rohan, which houses the city’s magnificent collection of 15th to 19th century art. But if it’s fine, head for the water. Strasbourg is criss-crossed by a network of canals that converge in the picturesque quarter of Petite France. With its half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and geranium-laden balconies, the area has a distinctly German feel.

The legacy of Germany’s 50-year rule includes wide boulevards, ornate squares and choucroute, pickled shredded cabbage with chunks of pork and sausages. Another local delicacy is tarte flambée, a thin-crust pizza topped with cream, onions and bacon. Both are often washed down with Alsatian wines, like Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer, though beer is also popular in Kronenbourg’s home town.

Over the past decade Strasbourg has been transformed from a provincial French city into a model of urban living. Cars have been virtually banished from the center, traffic circles have been converted into pedestrian squares and road space has been given over to sleek trams. The new Musée d’Art Moderne is typical of this regeneration. The dramatic building, which is dominated by a wall of glass facing the river, is matched by an equally impressive collection of paintings inside: Picassos, Dalís and Kandinskys, plus remarkable collections by local artists Tomi Ungerer and Hans (Jean) Arp. French architect Le Corbusier once said: “Strasbourg is a city that has grown up well.” This might not be true of its poorer parts, but few would disagree that the unesco-protected historic center has weathered the storms of time magnificently.