Strasbourg makes for a perfect City Break, an easy 2 and half hour drive from Frankfurt means even the most active of kids doesn’t have time to be bored. Also, I want to mention how good the roads are but then realise I’m no longer living in India and this really is no surprise to anyone and more over, it’s expected!

Our air bnb is perfectly located, just up from Notre Dame (Strasbourg Cathedral) & the old city – everything we need is within walking distance & the car stays parked for much of the week end!  In my opinion, the weather is perfect, partly cloudy which always makes for more beautiful pictures.

• To Visit Notre Dame Cathedral

A lone Cellist sits playing his weathered instrument directly in front of the enormous doors of Notre dame.  Again the following day in the very same square buskers catch my attention.  Interestingly this time it’s group of Mongolian musicians.  Moreover it’s the deep raspy sounds coming from deep in the back of their throats that forces me to stop and watch.  Of course, these are not unfamiliar scenes in front of most landmark and historical places today.  And, for the most part I’m not a fan, however, sometimes they create something special sometimes they create a moment!

Notre Dame is not only absolutely spectacular from the outside, walk inside and during the few split seconds of darkness as eyes begin to adjust, the glow through the stain glass windows is even more breath taking – greens, blues, yellows and the reds, the reds just WOW!  Make your way round to the Astronomical Clock, an absolute Renaissance masterpiece complementing the otherwise Gothic structure!  After marvelling at the lady’s interior its time to scale her 330 spiralling steps to the viewing platform (this does require a moderate level of fitness but it’s well worth the effort!)

Also, find one the ingenious ‘hammock’ type structures built by the city and admire the cathedral from below.  The spire creates a rather dramatic view against the skyline!

Finally, get out of the city

Now, if your family is anything like ours city time needs to be complemented with some form of physical activity (best if it involves swimming!) then there are some lakes in close proximity to Strasbourg. Armed with our SUP (stand up paddle board) we headed out the city to Neubiltz-Reichsett and spent a day in the water.  Definitely recommend this for those with kids who can only do so much site seeing!

Where to eat and drink:

• La corde a Linge:  set in a square in the Petite France it has an absolutely fantastic atmosphere with quick service.  Not even a stones throw away is one of the river locks which provides great viewing and entertainment for little humans!
• Bistrot et Chocolat:  tucked behind just off the square of the cathedral is this gem of a place.  Vegan (for those who aren’t don’t let this put you off) serving absolutely flavour filled dishes, my boys had veggie bolognaise and were none the wiser!  And of course with a name that includes ‘Chocolat’ did not disappoint with a menu that would have even the most die hard dessert fan satisfied!
• Cafe de L’Opera:  just glorious sitting on the steps of the Opera House for coffee & pastries
• Cafe Broglie:  we had breakfast here one morning.  The scrambled eggs and bacon were delicious (a simple dish so many often get wrong!)
• Le Gayot:  sundowners and happy hour.  Set in square just off Rue de Freres it was perfect.  Our kids found an enormous sculpture to climb and made a friend so were thoroughly entertained for hours
• La Cantina:  in the same square as the Le Gayot we simply moved across the square for dinner.  Gorgeous setting as mentioned before and brilliant location with active kids as the square is easily contained.  The pizza was good but I wouldn’t say exceptional.

For other city break ideas check out our Getaways section

Dresden, The Jewel Box of Europe

Living on mainland Europe the city break options are endless and many within driving distance.  For this week end getaway we visit Dresden, the Jewel Box of Europe.

Retracing the steps my granddad walked 75 or so years ago was the inspiration for this emotional rollercoaster of a trip!  I’m not here however to rehash my family history with you (I’m certain you’d prefer a nap) I’d far rather tell you what a glorious city Dresden & its surroundings are and tell you that it’s definitely worth a visit.

So, Why Visit?

Dresden sits on the Elbe river and was once known as the Jewel box slowly it is reclaiming its nickname.  Many of its magnificent buildings that were totally annihilated by bombings in WW2 are slowly being restored and lovingly rebuilt.   A largely baroque style of architecture dominates throughout the city, beautifully ornate structures with gold finishes continuously punctuating the skyline.

Now what’s a jewel box without treasure??  For the literal interpretation of jewels you need only head over to the Green Vault, where not only plethora of gems, precious stones & artefacts leave you in awe but the very chamber (historic green vault) that encases them demands attention in its own right!  For a slightly less literal translation the richness of culture that Dresden offers can be found in the opera, museums & churches delighting & feeding your soul leaving you perhaps a little more enlightened than when you first arrived!

The buildings lining the river as you walk along are gorgeous and lead you to the steps that take you down to an Archway where you can wonder into the Altstadt & explore. At the steps it’s interesting to witness the rebuilding in progress the painstaking process of restoring stone by stone to its original and rightful place!

Myth has it that during the bombings The Frauenkirche pillars stood tall whilst glowing bright red before finally succumbing & imploding to the ground – for years she lay in pieces serving only as a memorial to what had once stood before.  Finally in 1993 the long and arduous process of restoring her to former glory began and it would take another 12 years be completed – she now once again stands tall commanding her space whilst humbling you in yours!

Where to stay?

We chose to stay outside of Dresden itself in the small village of Maxen – I highly highly recommend looking up Franziska’s property on airB&B.  She has beautifully renovated the the apartment to a very high level.  High ceilings low doorways and the rooster crowing in the morning brought back childhood memories of growing up in South Africa and waking on my grandparents farm, the sun only just beginning to rise and it slowly creeping through the gaps in the blinds.

Dresden Surrounding Areas and things to do

The lanes & areas surrounding Dresden are well worth a drive (I’m talking avoiding the highways!) we made the customary stop in Meissen to find out all about the porcelain it’s famous for.  After careful consideration however, we chose to leave my parents to visit the factory alone as the fear of leaving liable for hundreds upon thousands of Euros damage if two little terrors (aka my gorgeous little boys) went rampant was a risk we just weren’t prepared to take!  We decided feeding said terrors was a far more sensible thing to do & found that the town square was absolutely delightful!

Now if WW2 history is something that really interests you we did visit the Stalag 4B site outside Mulberg and I found it was an incredibly emotional but worthwhile visit!  

The camp had a decisively eerie feel and the light that filtered through the trees was muted in a way that my brain couldn’t fully decipher or understand – the graves of fallen soldiers lay before me and I felt akin to an imposter being there and photographing it all!

We walked along the lanes, much of what was there all those years ago destroyed, only glimpses of the original structures left behind….people don’t always want to remember!  Suddenly through the quiet the rumble of a lone motorcycle engine filled the air, I turned and saw the machine heading towards us, the dust kicking up behind it – the sound and visual for some reason put me back so vividly, images I’d seen in books & television filling my head recreating the scene and making me feel as though I’d step back 70 years in history (imagination can be such strange phenomena)

Dresden educated me, thrilled me & left me wishing I had another day still to explore all it had to offer!

Where to next?  Berlin?  Strasbourg?