Sandstone in Strasbourg

Last week, some friends and I took a weekend trip to Strasbourg in France. We saw lots of historical architecture and spent most of our time walking around and sightseeing. We also got to try some authentic French spicy mustard that feels like sulfur fire on the roof of your mouth. 

There’s only one thing cooler than giant buildings made of sandstone, and it’s a giant building made of red sandstone. Incidentally, Strasbourg had many of them. Most notably, the Notre Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg, which towers over the city. It’s a Gothic-style cathedral that was never completed. Only one of the intended two spires was built, giving it an asymmetrical appearance that makes it easily recognizable. The Gothic style is characterized by its pointed arches and elaborate, sharp details. Inside the cathedral is an astronomical clock, which was first constructed in the 14th century and eventually replaced in the 19th century. It displays the time, day of the week, zodiac sign, and season of the year.

The next thing we saw was the Vauban Dam, which overlooked the old town on the river. The dam was initially built as a defensive wall that would also cause flooding to slow an invasion. Like the Cathedral, it was built from red sandstone from the nearby mountains, and because sandstone is awesome. 

After visiting the Dam and the old town, we stopped by the city center, named “Place Kleber” after a French revolutionary general. In the middle of the town square stands a statue of General Kleber. Spanning the side of the town square is the Aubette building, constructed out of red sandstone, because why would you build out of anything else when you have red sandstone? It is a historic building with a theater and art gallery inside. 

We went to a local restaurant for dinner, where we got to try some authentic French cuisine. The first thing the serving staff brought us was a bread basket and some mustard. The waiter warned us that the mustard would be spicy, but what he didn’t tell us was that it would feel like chlorine gas in your mouth, nose, and eyes if it ever so slightly touched the roof of your mouth. We each took a bite of the bread with some mustard spread on it, regretted it, and did it again at least two more times. 

I would absolutely recommend Strasbourg as a destination for a weekend trip. It’s a little bit out of the way from Bonn, but there’s a lot to see and it can be done in a day with some planning. Besides, who doesn’t love red sandstone?

Ben Peterson

Strasbourg.info – Strasbourg Cathedral. (n.d.). Www.strasbourg.info. https://www.strasbourg.info/cathedral/