09:00 — Strasbourg Cathedral. Start at the pink-sandstone Cathedrale Notre-Dame, its single filigree spire long among the tallest structures of the medieval world. Step inside for the rose window and the celebrated astronomical clock; its main animated show typically runs once a day around midday, so check times on arrival if you want the full parade of automata.
10:30 — Climb the platform. The cathedral's viewing platform, reached by a long spiral stair, delivers rooftops, storks' nests and, on clear days, the Vosges and the Black Forest.
12:30 — Winstub lunch. Choose any traditional winstub near the cathedral for tarte flambee — Alsace's whisper-thin cream, onion and bacon flatbread — with a chilled Riesling.
14:30 — Petite France. Wander into the postcard quarter, where 16th- and 17th-century half-timbered houses of former tanners and millers lean over the channels of the River Ill. Cross toward the Ponts Couverts towers and climb the Barrage Vauban terrace for the classic panorama.
17:00 — Boat loop on the Ill. A covered-boat cruise circles the Grande Ile and glides out to the European Quarter — an efficient, restful overview as the light goes golden.
20:00 — Dinner, the full Alsace. Tonight is for choucroute garnie — sauerkraut heaped with sausages and smoked meats — or baeckeoffe, the slow-baked marinated meat and potato hotpot. Finish with a kougelhopf dessert or an eau de vie.
