Traditions of Strasbourg
A half-timbered city on the Rhine, home of the oldest Christmas market in France and Alsatian wine and storks.
Strasbourg lies on the border of France and Germany, and its culture blends both. The Christmas market, the Christkindelsmärik, has been held since 1570 and is one of the oldest in Europe. The stork is a symbol of Alsace, and the region has its own dialect, food and costume.
Christmas and the Alsatian costume
In December, stalls beneath a huge decorated tree sell bredele, small Christmas cookies, mulled wine, and gingerbread. Alsatian women's costumes feature a black ribbon bow of large size. In the villages, the Saint Nicholas procession on 6 December features the saint and his companion Hans Trapp.
At the table
Choucroute garnie, sauerkraut with sausage and pork, baeckeoffe, a meat and potato casserole, and flammekueche, a thin tart with onions and bacon, are Alsatian dishes. Kougelhopf is a yeasted cake, and white wines such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer are served.
Signature traditions of Strasbourg
Also part of it, and being written: Strasbourg Christmas market (The oldest market.), Choucroute (The Alsatian dish.), Flammekueche (The tart.), Bredele (The Christmas biscuits.).
A trail idea for Strasbourg
- Petite France Walk the canals.
- Strasbourg Cathedral See the astronomical clock.
- Christmas market Visit in December.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Christmas market: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source