La Petite France

Half-timbered idyll in the old Gerber quarter
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Strasbourg, the much-vaunted treasure trove on the upper Rhine, has preserved its traditional face and conserved its history. All this can be seen on a stroll through the old tanners' quarter, which the French-speaking inhabitants of the city on the border with Germany have christened "La Petite France" - "little France". It is located in the west of the metropolis and is blessed with numerous historic half-timbered houses and winding alleys.

Precinct of the lowly rabble

In the 16th century, a hospital stood on the island in Strasbourg's old town. In particular, the soldiers who brought home syphilis or smallpox on behalf of French kings from the Italian wars during the Renaissance were treated there. At that time, the inhabitants of Strasbourg called the somewhat dingy quarter of their city "Französel". Dark it was here in the Middle Ages, and the unflattering smell of furs and skins wafted through the alleys. "La Petit France" was more of a dirty word to the people of Strasbourg, and an area where tanners had taken up residence and shared their turf with a lowly rabble of criminals. But what was once a red-light district has now become this city's showcase neighborhood.

A paradise for pedestrians

Today, in La Petite France, the old tanners' quarter, you can enjoy a glass of wine, a Gugelhupf or a Fleischkiechle, and the die-hard Strasbourg residents claim that only here is the Tarte Flambée typically Alsatian. Car traffic is frowned upon throughout this ancient city, so pedestrians will find it a paradise for strolling and shopping. The former hospital, which was probably christened "Blatterhüs" as early as the 16th century, has survived the test of time as a building. Visitors will find the building by the canal and in the immediate vicinity of the Maison des Tanneurs. This restaurant, housed in a half-timbered house, serves, according to connoisseurs, the best sauerkraut specialities far and wide.

Bridges with roofs and four fortified towers

Another attraction for locals and tourists is the "Lohkäs", the former tavern of the tanners. The tavern got its name in the days when briquettes were made from the bark of oak trees for tanning animal skins. The canals, which today can be navigated with pleasure and relaxation by boat, are spanned by three bridges in La Petit France. Especially worth seeing is the "Covered Bridge", which has a wooden roof. These covered bridges were once a feature of this district. Dating from the 14th century, the four defence towers of the old city walls were a symbol of the independence of their city for the inhabitants of Strasbourg.

The best addresses for gourmets

The main street of this interesting district of Strasbourg, the Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes, is the memory of a so-called splendid courtyard of the 13th century. Much later, this was the name for a bathing establishment for women. However, these did not bathe in water but underwent here the treatment of fragrant herbs. Today, the whole area of the former tanners' quarter is something like the navel of the famous gastronomy of Strasbourg. Whoever visits Strasbourg must have seen this picturesque quarter, because behind the old walls hide the best addresses for gourmets and sympathizers of the French cuisine.