20 Beautiful Photo Spots in Strasbourg You’ll Love at Christmas

If you’re looking for the best photo spots in Strasbourg, Alsace? You found the right place. I went out with my camera early in the morning, then returned to several places after dark. Some places looked great in daylight, while the teddy bear house deserved a second visit when lit up.

My timing tip: During the Christmas season, go early for Rue Mercière, the cathedral and Petite France. Expect serious crowds in the late afternoon and evening. Weekdays are usually easier for photos than weekends.

These 20 spots make a walking tour through the city center, mostly around Grande Île. This historic area, together with the Neustadt quarter, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many locations work year-round, but the Christmas trees, carousel and shop decorations are seasonal and may change each year.

If you are planning the full trip, my 👉 guide to 15 things to do in Strasbourg, Colmar and the Alsace villages covers food stops, Christmas markets and the villages worth adding beyond Strasbourg. If you want more information about Christmas Markets check this post 👉Best Alsace Christmas markets: ultimate guide.

If you’re combining Alsace with a few days in Paris, you can also check my 40 best things to do in Paris before planning your train to Strasbourg. In addition, for more on Paris, see other articles:

👉5 day itinerary in Paris: your ultimate guide
👉20 Most Instagrammable Cafés, Restaurants, Bars in Paris
👉20 best hotels with Eiffel tower view for all budgets

This article contains affiliate links. If you book a hotel or experience through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support Sparkling Escapes and allows me to keep creating detailed travel guides like this one. ♡

Where to stay for the best Strasbourg photo spots

If you want to photograph Strasbourg early in the morning, staying in the historic center makes a big difference. It is convenient for both early and after-dark shots. Most of the places in this guide are walkable from Petite France, the cathedral area or Place Kléber.

Stay in Petite France

Best if you want easy access to the canals, Pont du Faisan, Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes and Barrage Vauban. Hôtel & Spa Régent Petite France sits right in the middle of the neighborhood and is the most convenient option if Petite France is your priority. Pavillon Régent Petite France is another good choice nearby, especially for the canal-side photo spots.

Stay near Strasbourg Cathedral

This is the best area if you want Rue Mercière, Place de la Cathédrale, Maison Kammerzell and Place du Château just outside your door. Hôtel Cour du Corbeau is one of my favourite options because the hotel itself is also one of the photo spots in this guide.

Stay near Place Kléber

Choose this area if you want to be close to the Grand Sapin, Galeries Lafayette and the Christmas lights after dark. Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa is just off Place Kléber and works especially well during Christmas. BOMA is another central option(we stayed here), with an easy walk to both Place Kléber and Petite France.

More options here:

Best photo spots in Strasbourg’s Petite France

1. Pont du Faisan

Find it: At the end of Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes in Petite France.
Best shot: The turning bridge with the canal and half-timbered houses.

Pont du Faisan is one of my absolute favourite photo spots in Strasbourg. It is small, but the view changes depending on which side of the canal you stand. I would take one wider shot with the bridge and cobblestone streets, then a closer one with someone crossing. Locals also call it the Pont Tournant because it can turn to let boats pass.

2. Petite France Canal and Half-Timbered Houses

Find it: Along the Ill River in Petite France, near Place Benjamin Zix.
Best shot: Stand on the canal path and frame the half-timbered houses with their reflections in the water.

This is one of the prettiest classic views in Petite France. The pastel houses line the canal, and the reflections make the scene work especially well in a vertical photo. Walk a little along the river before choosing your angle because even a few steps can completely change the composition. Early morning is best if you want more space and fewer people in the frame.

3. Le Lohkäs and Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes

Find it: Le Lohkäs, 25 Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes.
Best shot: The timber-framed house as part of the street, rather than a tight photo of the sign.

Le Lohkäs has the kind of façade that made me stop walking. Take a street-level shot of this half-timbered building with its neighbours, then look for the smaller details on the house. This is a good example of why I would not hurry through Petite France with only the canal views saved on my map.

4. Au Pont Saint-Martin

Find it: The restaurant Au Pont Saint-Martin, 15 Rue des Moulins.
Best shot: The building beside the water, photographed from the bridge.

I would photograph this one from across the canal so the terrace, timbered façade and water all fit. Move a little along the nearby stone bridge before you take the photo. The best angle may not be the first one you see. It is especially useful if your camera roll has lots of close-ups and needs another wider Petite France scene.

5. L’Éveil des Sens and Rue des Dentelles

Find it: The corner of Rue des Dentelles and Rue Escarpée.
Best shot: The timbered restaurant building and the narrow street around it.

L’Éveil des Sens is another building I would include on a Petite France photo walk. Let the street lead towards it rather than standing directly in front of the door. It gives you a different composition from the canals, with the old buildings close on either side.

6. La Petite Alsace half-timbered house

Find it: In Petite France, on Place des Meuniers.
Best shot: Stand directly opposite and frame the full half-timbered façade with the Christmas decorations above the restaurant entrance.

This is one of those simple Strasbourg photo spots that works because the building itself is the subject. The dark timber, white walls and old tiled roof give you a classic Alsatian look without needing a wide street scene. During Christmas, the greenery and hanging stars add even more detail. Come early in the morning if you want a clean shot without people or tables in front.

7. Barrage Vauban panoramic terrace

Find it: Barrage Vauban, beyond the Ponts Couverts.
Best shot: The covered bridges and towers, with the cathedral in the distance.

After all those close street photos, go up to the terrace of Barrage Vauban, also called the Vauban Dam, for panoramic views. The covered bridges and towers below were part of Strasbourg’s defensive structures. I like to include the bridges in the lower half of the frame and let the cathedral appear farther back. Check access and opening hours before counting on the rooftop; you can still photograph the water and bridges from ground level.

Best photo spots in Strasbourg around Notre-Dame Cathedral

8. Rue Mercière: my favourite cathedral view

Find it: Rue Mercière, approaching Place de la Cathédrale.
Best shot: Strasbourg Cathedral framed by the buildings on both sides.

If you only choose one cathedral street photo, make it this one. Stand farther down Rue Mercière and let the street frame the façade. Then move closer for a second shot. I prefer this to trying to squeeze the entire cathedral into every photo from the square. At Christmas, the overhead decorations add to the scene, but the view works in other seasons too.

9. Place de la Cathédrale

Find it: Place de la Cathédrale, the cathedral square.
Best shot: Cathedral stonework by day, or Christmas stalls with the cathedral behind them.

The cathedral of Strasbourg is enormous, so decide what you want in the picture.

For the best photo spots in Strasbourg, arrive early to capture Notre-Dame Cathedral’s façade.

Later, step back and include a stall or people in the foreground to show the famous Christmas market.

If you go inside, look up at the stained-glass windows and find the astronomical clock.

Interior shots require a different approach from the square.

10. The carousel on Place du Château

Find it: Place du Château, behind the cathedral.
Best shot: The carousel with part of the cathedral or the square behind it.

This was such a fun change from another straight-on building photo. If the carousel is there during your visit, try one wider image that shows where it is, then a closer one with its lights and painted details. Christmas installations are not guaranteed to look the same every year, so check what is in the square when you arrive.

11. Palais Rohan courtyard

Find it: Palais Rohan, Place du Château.
Best shot: The courtyard and the palace façade.

The palace gives your photos a break from Strasbourg’s half-timbered houses. Photograph the exterior first, then look into the courtyard if it is open. I also went inside on my Christmas visit, and the rooms made a welcome change from the crowded streets. Check museum hours and any photography rules if you plan to go in.

12. Quai des Bateliers across from Palais Rohan

Find it: The riverbank opposite the back of Palais Rohan, towards the Krutenau side.
Best shot: Palais Rohan, the riverside Christmas market and lights reflected in the Ill.

This is the view I nearly missed while thinking about the palace from the front. Walk around to the river and look back at the terrace. If you have a bridge shot from the Krutenau side, use it here: the bridge and river give the palace and market some breathing room. The Christmas stalls are seasonal, but the river view is worth keeping on the route at any time of year.

13. Cour du Corbeau hotel courtyard

Find it: The courtyard entrance at 1 Quai des Bateliers; the hotel also has an entrance on Rue des Couples.
Best shot: The timber galleries around the courtyard.

Cour du Corbeau is a beautiful historic building you could walk straight past without knowing what is inside. Go through the passage and photograph the courtyard rather than only the hotel entrance. We stopped here for cocktails, so this works nicely as a slower break in the photo walk. Be considerate of hotel guests and check access if there is an event.

14. Le Tire-Bouchon teddy bear house

Find it: 5 Rue des Tailleurs de Pierre, on the corner of Rue du Maroquin.
Best shot: The whole bear-covered corner by day and after dark.

This is the Strasbourg Christmas house I came back to photograph after dark. In daylight, I could pick out the individual teddy bears; once the lights came on, the whole corner looked different. Take a full-building photo from across the street before moving closer for the details.

15. Le Gruber on Rue du Maroquin

Find it: 11 Rue du Maroquin, near the teddy bear house.
Best shot: The timbered façade with some of Rue du Maroquin in the frame.

After photographing Le Tire-Bouchon, keep walking along Rue du Maroquin to Le Gruber. Step back so you can fit the building and part of the street into your photo. It is a different shot from the bear-covered corner, even though the two stops are close together.

16. The souvenir shop on Rue du Maroquin

Find it: Farther along Rue du Maroquin, below the teddy bear house as you continue down the street.
Best shot: The decorated shopfront and the surrounding old-town street.

Do not put your phone away as soon as you have the famous teddy bear photo. I also found a lovely souvenir shop façade farther down Rue du Maroquin. It makes a good second stop on the same street, especially if your photo shows the shop and part of the lane rather than only a decoration. Shop displays change, so look for the façade you like on the day instead of expecting an identical setup.

17. Place Gutenberg and its cathedral view

Find it: Place Gutenberg.
Best shot: The opening towards the cathedral from the square.

I would use Place Gutenberg for a different cathedral composition, with more of the historic center around it. Walk around the square until you find the gap that gives you the view you want. In the Christmas season there may also be decorations or stalls to include, but the buildings are the reason to stop here.

Strasbourg Christmas photo spots around Place Kléber

18. The Christmas tree inside L’Aubette

Find it: The shopping area in the L’Aubette building on Place Kléber.
Best shot: The indoor tree with enough of the space around it to show where you are.

I found this a cute stop while walking through the centre. It gives you an indoor Christmas photo, which can be useful when it is cold or raining. Photograph the tree you find during your visit rather than counting on the exact same display each year.

19. Galeries Lafayette Strasbourg

Find it: Galeries Lafayette by Place Kléber, on Rue du 22-Novembre.
Best shot: The decorated exterior after dark.

The lights on Galeries Lafayette give you a different Christmas photo from the timbered houses and market stalls. Step across the street to fit the façade into one frame, then move closer for your favourite detail. The display changes, so photograph what is there during your visit.

20. Place Kléber and the Grand Sapin

Find it: Place Kléber.
Best shot: Strasbourg’s giant Christmas tree, with space around it for scale.

Finish with the obvious Christmas photo. Place Kléber is big enough to try several angles: the whole tree, a closer detail, or a photo of yourself with it behind you. Come early if you want more space, and return after dark if the lights are the reason you came. It is busy for a reason, so do not wait forever for a completely empty square.

Planning beyond Strasbourg

These are the best photo spots in Strasbourg from my trip, but the Alsace region of France has much more to see. For a day trip or a longer stay, my full Alsace travel guide covers Colmar and the charming villages, including how I would split a short trip between them.

For the current year’s markets, lights and displays, check Strasbourg’s official Christmas website before you go.