5 Best Sights in Alsace-Lorraine, France

Dominating the 18th-century Place d’Armes, this Gothic masterpiece rises almost 300 feet above the city, its grandeur amplified by soaring flying buttresses, menacing gargoyles, and elaborate stone carvings on its two portals. The slightly grimy interior only serves to accentuate the beauty of its 70,000 square feet of stained glass windows, dappling colored light inside the nave and earning the cathedral the moniker of “God’s Lantern.” In the ambulatory, Chagall’s 1960 stained glass depicts Old Testament scenes in a flurry of blues and reds, while an illuminating yellow dominates his north transept take on the Garden of Eden.

Just beyond the Ponts Couverts is the grass-roofed Vauban Dam, built by its namesake in 1685 to unleash floods against assilants. Climb to the top for wide-angle views of the Ponts Couverts and, on the other side, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Then meander through its echoing galleries, where magnificent cathedral statuary lies scattered among pigeon droppings.

This sleek riverside building testifies to the growing importance of the governing body of the European Union. Eurocrats regularly commute between Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg, hauling their staff and files with them. One week per month (except August), you can slip into the hemicycle and witness the tribune in debate, complete with simultaneous translation. Reservations must be made in advance online. Alternatively, if Parliament is not in session, you can take a self-guided tour and visit Le Parlamentarium, where high-tech, interactive modules explain how the European Union works. For all visits, valid ID must be provided upon arrival.

The city’s rich past is brought to life in this labyrinthine museum of archeology, history, and art. Starting with the remains of Roman baths in the basement, visitors are guided through the vast collection in chronological order. Highlights include superbly preserved Gallo-Roman stone pillars, a remarkable 650-year-old painted wooden ceiling from a local house, and the romanticized landscapes of the 19th-century Metz School. Look out for the 3D model of the city circa 1850, complete with city-wide fortifications.

Designed by Paris architect Henri Bernard in 1977, this continental landmark is headquarters to the Council of Europe, founded in 1949 and independent of the European Union. Guided tours (75 minutes) are availalbe only to groups of at least 15 people, and must be booked online.