Viking Cruise #26: Strasbourg, France: Dachshunds, Gutenberg, Bakeries

Today's blog continues the walking tour of Strasbourg, France and you'll meet a Dachshund, bakeries and other places the city is known for.

A CITY OF SECONDS - We learned that Strasbourg is second (to Paris) in a number of things. It's got the second largest library, synogogue and cinema in all of France.

ALL ABOUT DACHSHUNDS! - As dog dads we loved seeing dogs out and about. As Dachshund dads, we were even happier when we saw this little guy!  Dachshunds are a German Breed (and since this city once belonged to Germany, there's still a lot of Dachshunds). The dachshund was bred in Germany hundreds of years ago to hunt badgers. "Dach" means badger and "hund" means dog. The three varieties of dachshund, smooth-, wire-,and long-coated, originated at different times. The smooth was the first and arose from a mixture of a miniature French pointer and a pinscher.

 YOU LIKELY KNOW HIM... THE GUTENBERG MONUMENT - If you don't know the name, Gutenberg, invented the Printing Press. That said, you may have heard of the Gutenberg Bible- which he, of course, had printed. In downtown Strasbourg, there's a statue of Gutenberg, created by French sculptor (Pierre-Jean) David d'Angers in 1840. It's bronze on a granite base, with four bronze relief panels. If you don't know: Johannes Gensfleisch Gutenberg was born in Mainz on the River Rhine. But it was in Strasbourg, between 1430 and 1440, that Gutenberg made his first attempts at printing with movable type.

GOOD PRETZELS - We walked by a bakery called Woerle, and saw stacks of fresh, hot pretzels in the window, so we tried them. They were awesome! 

WHAT IS "SHOP FOR GEEK" - Our tour guide mentioned that there in Strasboug, Superhero graphic novels are all the rage. He pointed out the "Shop for Geek" - so after the tour we went back to the store. Unfortunately, there were no graphic novels there. Instead, it sold superhero video games and toys. So, if graphic novels are popular, they were being sold in a different store, darn it! 

NEXT: German Dinner Night and Briesach 

Viking Cruise #26: Walking Tour of Strasbourg, France & Ponts Couverts!

Today's Blog about our Viking cruise trip on the Rhine River brings us to Strasbourg, France. Apparently, France and Germany had a back-and-forth with cities and towns along the Rhine, so this city has also been German. It was all very confusing... and to make it more confusing, north of Berlin, Germany there is a town called "Strasburg" (it's nowhere near Strasbourg, France, though. Today's blog will give you a tour of some highlights in the city.

(Photo: Tom, Mary Ellen, Mary, and Rob in front of the Cathedral.Credit: R.G.) 

THE CATHEDRAL - If you're stopping along the Rhine, there's likely going to be a Cathedral. There was one here, too. The city's Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame features daily shows from its astronomical clock and sweeping views of the Rhine River from partway up its 142-meter spire. We didn't take a picture of it, because, well, we've seen enough of them in this blog already! However, we DID get a picture outside the front door with our friends Mary Ellen and Mary!

ABOUT STRASBOURG- Strasbourg is the capital city of the Grand Est region, formerly Alsace, in northeastern France. It's also the formal seat of the European Parliament and sits near the German border, with culture and architecture blending German and French influences.

HEADQUARTERS FOR ORGANIZATIONS - The city is the seat of many non-European international institutions such as the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and the International Institute of Human Rights.

(Photo: Ponts Couverts Bridges. Credit: R.G.) 

THE AMAZING PONTS COUVERTS BRIDGES - The Ponts Couverts (German: Gedeckte Brücken) are a set of three bridges and four towers that make up a defensive work erected in the 13th century on the River Ill in the city of Strasbourg in France. The three bridges cross the four river channels of the River Ill that flow through Strasbourg's historic Petite France quarter. The Ponts Couverts have been classified as a Monument historique since 1928.

Construction of the Ponts Couverts commenced in 1230, and they were opened in 1250. As a defensive mechanism, they were superseded by the Barrage Vauban, just upstream, in 1690, but remained in use as bridges. As built, each of the bridges was covered by a wooden roof that served to protect the defenders who would have been stationed on them in time of war. These roofs were removed in 1784, but the name Ponts Couverts (covered bridges) has remained in common use ever since. 

MY PANORAMIC VIEW -  Here's a Panoramic shot of the bridges that I took from the public restroom area! Well, most of us are retired, so restrooms are an important tourist attraction. 

BUSY DOWNTOWN - The tourists (like us) were out in force, so the city was busy. om's not a big fan of crowds so he made a face!

NEXT: Dachshunds, Bakeries and more!

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