La Petite France is the picturesque quarter of Strasbourg, on the banks of the river Ill. Thanks to its advantageous waterside location, it used to be a district for milling grain and tanning leather, going back as far as the Middle Ages. The roofs of certain half-timbered houses – such as Maison des Tanneurs, which is now a restaurant – still have ventilated attics for making leather and drying animal hides. The different trades practiced in la Petite France have also given their names to the streets in the neighborhood.
Don’t miss
• the 16th and 17th-century half-timbered houses (such as the Maison des Tanneurs)
• the narrow streets
• the view from pont Saint-Martin
• the lock that gives Petite France its postcard look when a boat passes through
• the swing bridge: the pont du Faisan footbridge swings around every time a sightseeing boat comes through the lock to let it pass through the canal
• the quai de la Petite France: a walk directly on the waterfront that leads to the Ponts couverts
• the Ponts couverts with its four 14th-century towers, which remain from the former battlements
• the little house in the middle of the Ponts couverts, with an arbor that is covered in wisteria in spring
• the platform of the Vauban Dam: for a panoramic view of the Cathedral, the city skyline and the course of the canals
• the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, also known as MAMCS: one of the only museums in France to curate their collection exhibit in a manner that is representative of western European art from 1870 to present day.
Strafari 