Things to do in Strasbourg & Alsace

Strasbourg sits on the French side of the Rhine, its old centre ringed by the River Ill. The sandstone cathedral towers over the Grande Île, and the Petite France quarter is a picture of half-timbered tanners' houses, locks and covered bridges.

Alsace has a character of its own, mixing French and German food, wine and language. Colmar, half an hour away by train, is the region's most colourful small town, and in December both cities turn into some of Europe's best-known Christmas markets.