Streets squares and districts to visit Lorraine

In the heart of Strasbourg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Petite France is the most picturesque district of the old town. It is a condensed version of Alsace with its half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, with its canals and narrow streets. It is one of the oldest districts of Strasbourg, built along the river Ill, which is omnipresent, and which is sometimes compared to a small Venice. Where the district takes shape, the river forms an astonishing delta composed of five arms. Seen from the sky, they look strangely like the fingers of a hand trying to grasp the whole city. Both peaceful and impetuous, the Ill river irrigates the district with all its charm. Let yourself go for a walk on its quays, and admire the reflections of the coloured facades of the old houses.

Fishermen, millers and tanners used to live and work in this district: the names of the streets bear witness to this, while the houses have kept the sloping roofs with their staircases which housed the granaries where the skins were dried. Stop in front of the beautiful Tanneurs building dating from 1572, which was transformed into a restaurant in 1949. Petite France owes its name to the "French disease", in other words "smallpox" or "syphilis" that the soldiers of François I came to treat in the local hospital in the 16th century.

Continue your visit to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art: from its panoramic terrace, you will have an exceptional view of the covered bridges and three high, austere and massive watchtowers, vestiges of the medieval wall, and the Vauban dam built in 1690. The latter reinforces the defensive curtain of the city, which was completely surrounded at the time. It has thirteen arches. For the record, the dam, with all valves closed, prevented the Ill from following its course, thus flooding all the land south of Strasbourg. Enemy armies would get bogged down in it.

At the end of the rue du Bain-aux-Plantes, you will discover the Pont du Faisan, also known locally as the "Pont Tournant". Small and discreet, this pedestrian bridge dictates its will to all passers-by. You may have to wait to cross it, as it will have swung around to allow a boat to cross. A unique attraction. The Saint-Martin bridge, a stone bridge with two arches and a single pier, is nearby. From there, don't miss the view of the mills, dams and locks, but also of a picturesque little terrace on the water.

This beautiful wharf derives its name from the échalas of the vineyard which occupied all the slopes of the surroundings of Modèle, until the end of the th century. These "guardians" were kept in the ground, to strengthen them. On the walk, we can see the last trace of the ramparts: A tower, whose corbeaux, supporting the round road, are still present. This picturesque area is characterized by water because Modèle is built on the edge of the Marne, the longest French river. The stone houses that have been built on each side, above its level, are reflected in the arms of the Marne and worth its nickname of Petite Venice. During the beautiful season, the colorful flowers that parent the windows of the houses offer a pleasant spectacle.

Dating back to 1717, it is here that the old farmyard in the high castle during the Middle Ages was installed. The square was renovated during the reigns of prince de Vaudémont and king Stanislas. It now offers an impressive architectural view of the castle and opens onto a long straight scenery to the forest for Commercy. As you walk around, you can see the oldest houses of the city and to make a return to times of good king Stanislas.