The Étoile district

The Étoile district lies around place de l’Étoile, running from parc de la Citadelle (in the East) to parc du Heyritz (in the West).

Don’t miss:

• parc de la Citadelle, a 12-hectare park built on the remains of an old military fort designed by Vauban in 1681. The site was renovated and made into a park in 1964. The restored remains of the old citadel are still present all around the park (the scarp wall, bastions, gates, and water-filled moats), as well as a number of walking paths and playgrounds.

• the Danube eco-quarter with its Elithis tower (the world’s first ever energy-plus-apartment building), which along with the Black Swan towers, among others, makes up a new Strasbourg skyline.

• presqu’île Malraux is a former abandoned port site, now completely renovated and transformed into a bustling neighborhood made up of apartment and office buildings, a shopping center, a movie theater and several cultural buildings (like the Cité de la Musique et de la Danse and the Médiathèque André Malraux). Stroll along the docks to the foot of the massive Paindavoine cranes.

• bassin Dusuzeau, quai des Alpesand quai du Général Koenig

• parc de l’Étoile, Strasbourg city council, and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi (made by Indian sculptor Ram Sutar and given to the city by the Indian government in 2011).

• the colorful NoLiStra buildings (NOuveau LIeu de STRAsbourg), route de Vienne: this new block, consisting of apartment complexes, an office building, shops, and a hotel, connects the center of town to the Neudorf district.

• parc du Heyritz: a haven of tranquility tucked between the Hôpital Civil de Strasbourg and the hustle and bustle of place de l’Étoile. On one side, there’s a floating pontoon for a walk on the water, while on the other you’ll find playgrounds and terraced lawns.