Strasbourg, France: Exceeding expectations.

I feel as though I say this every time about every place I travel to, but, WOW. If there is a european city I suggest anyone visit while in northern France, STRASBOURG! I kid you not, it has a little bit of everything you might look for in a city you're either backpacking through or simply visiting: sights, food, nightlife, culture, and most importantly its amazing people.

I made this trip with little hopes and expectations, but lots of energy and anticipation. I came back from this trip with absolutely no disappointments or moments I wish I would have changed, along with many learned lessons and a heart/mind wishing to embark on all the emotional and intellectual highs I experienced throughout, for a very...VERY long time. My weekend consisted of many random moments that would seem considerably insignificant to most, but made a world of difference for me and my friends.

While we arrived and partied lightly on Friday night, Saturday consisted of touring parts of Le Centre-Ville and La Petite France (perhaps the most gorgeous and warm/welcoming district in any city I've ever been, think of Montmarte in Paris or Foggy Bottom/Dupont Circle/Eastern Market in DC....but 10x better.)  The big cathedral was an enormous and breathtaking site, and all of the street performers outside of it give it a truly touristy feel.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the city were its diverse culture, mix of languages between French, German, and the local Alsatian tongue, and of course its long-extended history. While you're walking down a street, you'll pass local people speaking French, while the following person will be speaking in German...and so on. Furthermore, they really go out of their way to communicate with you especially while you're out at night. However, if the nightlife isn't your scene you could always do what we indulged in on Sunday afternoon. I came up with the idea to, per my college days, grab a blanket and lunch, and head out to a patchy area of grass right next to the river that flows throughout the city and bask in the sun. Find yourself a friend to go with, a bottle of wine, and I promise you'll dream of doing it forever.

Siiigggghhh. It was that good :) Will be definitely going back at some point, so any of you are traveling nearby or visiting, I'll keep this destination in mind. For this coming weekend, I'm debating between Munich or going back to Prague. Updates to come.

Strasbourg, France