Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace, is located on the banks of the Rhine on the border with Germany. The city has changed hands between the Germans and the French a couple of times. Today it is a prosperous, beautiful and modern city, big enough to have a metropolitan air. You could call Strasbourg a truly European city: it is the seat of the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights.

The town itself is extremely pretty. The city's cathedral, with its famed astronomical clock and the old towers, is most lovely. The Pharmacy de Cerf is the oldest pharmacy in France and Strasbourgs university is one of the oldest and most active ones of the country.

The older quarters of Strasbourg include "La Petite France", notable for its medieval half-timbered houses situated along the canals. You can take a boat trip on these canals. Also worth seeing are the Cathedral's two museums: Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame and the Musée Alsacien. Gastronomy is an important part of the culture here; the city's winstubs (wine taverns) are a staple of Alsatian art de vivre.