This trip was actually a longer loop — Metz to Freiburg (Germany), a day trip to Basel (Switzerland), back to Freiburg, then a final night in Strasbourg before returning to Metz. The Freiburg and Basel legs get their own posts once we cover Germany and Switzerland; this one is about the Strasbourg portion specifically.
Getting there
From Metz, Strasbourg is about 2 hours by bus or roughly 45 minutes by high-speed rail. If you’re taking the train, Ouigo is worth booking — it cost around €10 one way. Buses run at a similar price point. If you have the Carte Avantage Adulte, it applies to Metz-Strasbourg fares too — see our Metz post for why it’s worth having.
The weekend
We arrived at night, coming from Freiburg by bus (about 2 hours), and found a genuinely excellent Ethiopian restaurant, La Petite Éthiopie Restaurant, for a late dinner.
The next day was spent in the city center, starting at Strasbourg’s old hospital, home to the Cave Historique des Hospices de Strasbourg — a wine cellar in its basement holding what’s said to be the world’s oldest white wine. Historically, alcohol was used medicinally, which is why the cellar mattered so much to the hospital. There’s also a restricted room behind a closed door where dissections reportedly took place — notable because the Inquisition prohibited dissection at the time, making this a quietly significant, slightly unsettling piece of medical history.
Beyond the hospital, Strasbourg has a genuinely good riverfront and a well-regarded cathedral worth walking past even if you don’t go in.
Where to eat
La Petite Éthiopie Restaurant from our first night, Le Météor (a well-known brewery restaurant in the city), and La Fignette, for excellent regional flatbread and Alsatian cuisine.
Is it worth more than a day?
Honestly, no — for us, the whole city center was comfortably covered in a day. The old hospital’s wine cellar/museum was the clear highlight and worth prioritizing if your time is tight.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need in Strasbourg? A full day covers the main sights comfortably — the old town, the cathedral, and the hospital’s wine cellar.
Is Strasbourg easy to reach from Metz for a weekend? Yes — under an hour by high-speed train (look at Ouigo for cheaper fares) or about 2 hours by bus.
What’s the one thing not to skip? The old hospital’s underground wine cellar and its history as a medicinal wine store — it’s a more distinctive stop than the more obvious tourist sights.