Speak the stones, and many would count those used in the 1860s, for the construction of the fantastic Gothic Cathedral of Strasbourg – Alsatian city located on the banks of the Rhine on the border with Germany. For example, in the year 1450, a short distance from the imposing cathedral, Johannes Gutenberg created the first printing system with moving characters – the press. It is possible to imagine him bouncing, heading to a winstub to celebrate.
Nowadays those who “invent” visiting the beautiful Strasbourg can experience the traditional Alsatian celebrations, especially in the La Petite France district, a famous tourist spot with half-timbered houses, overlooking the waters of the numerous canals that cross this singular nook In addition to the winstubs, good restaurants and brasseries are found in La Petite France.
In Strasbourg, the Alsatian winstubs – ancestors of inns and wine bars date back to the beginning of the construction of the Gothic Cathedral in 1262. Today, they are restaurants in which the welcome is the prevailing atmosphere. Usually, the right foot of the building is low – which contributes to the feeling of intimacy. The decoration is rustic, made up of objects that are part of everyday Alsatian; the wooden tables, in general, are covered by red plaid cloth towels; and the prices, reasonable.
An Alsatian winstub serves regional specialties of this portion of France that stands out for its gastronomy. Some examples: sauerkraut (fermented cabbage, with different complements); baeckeoffe (mixture of beef, sheep and pork, marinated in white wine, lightly cooked along with potatoes and onions); bretzel (or pretzel, type of bread in knotted, sweet or salty); tarte flambée (thin crust covered with bacon, cream of cream and onion, baked in firewood, similar to pizza). Another delicacy served in the winstubs is the kougelhopf, cake that can be sweet – with raisins to rum, to savor in the dessert; or salted – with bacon and nuts, for appetizer.
Speaking in appetizer reminds us that Alsace is considered one of the French wine regions of the highest excellence, mainly in the production of white wines from the Riesling, Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer grape varieties. However, there are also famous red wines, such as Pinot Noir, considered to be the most difficult grape to grow, source of the most elegant wines in the world, as well as champagne. In addition to that the Alsatian region is responsible for the largest production of French beers.
How to get there – International airlines – Air France, KLM, Latam, Lufthansa, Swiss Air and others operate flights from the cities of Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Recife, Brasilia and other major Brazilian capitals. These are flights with one and up to three connections. On average, the flight time from Brazil to Strasbourg is 25 hours, ending at the city’s International Airport, 10 km from the city center.
Another way is to fly to Paris (the duration of the flight is 11 hours on average), and from the Gare de l’Este (connected with Charles de Gaulle Airport) board the TGV. On direct exits, the journey time by high-speed train to Strasbourg is 2h20min. A third option is to fly to Zurich, Switzerland (average duration of 11h20min), from where begins a river cruise on the Rhine River, with stop and stroll in Strasbourg.
Photos: ZVardon; Agence d’Attractivité de l’Alsace.