Bicycle tour through Strasbourg

Strasbourg can be discovered in many different ways. During our trip, we tested some means of transport for their sightseeing suitability and of course did not leave out the bike. I wouldn’t have thought it at first, but Strasbourg is a great cycling city with a well-developed infrastructure. As a pedestrian, I found it a bit strange to pay attention to the many bicycles. So after a day on foot we switched to the two-wheeler.

Since 2010, there have been various bicycle rental stations throughout the city under the name Vélhop. If you want to rent a bike in groups, it is recommended to register by phone. Otherwise, there are usually enough bikes to choose from. For an afternoon you pay 5 euros per person and bike, which I find very inexpensive. It should be noted that each person must pay a deposit of 150 euros in cash. We didn’t expect it that way and so we had to “scrape together” the money first. In addition to the bike, you will also receive a map showing the cycling routes throughout the city of Strasbourg.

After the formalities were done, the fun could begin. We rented our bikes at the Porte de l’Hôpital rental station, which means that you first have to go through relatively dense city traffic. I was then a bit overwhelmed with the many pedestrians (as before as a pedestrian with the many cyclists) and the trams. But then we chose a nice route on the Quai Mullenheim along the L’Ill to the European Parliament. By the way, you are always allowed in there during the session time for a viewing. However, if there is no session (which was unfortunately the case with us), this is only possible by appointment. Afterwards we drove to the Parc de L’Orangerie, which is very worth seeing, and enjoyed a delicious ice cream. Freshly strengthened, we explored the botanical garden and finally drove back to the rental station.

The great thing about the bike is really that you can quickly cover long distances in a very comfortable way and see so much more of the city. Of course, Strasbourg also offers the ideal topography for cycling, as everything is nice and flat. I found it tedious that you had to look everywhere for suitable parking options and that taking pictures was definitely neglected due to the speed. But you should definitely give it a try.