LITTLE FRANCE

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.