Strasbourg's EU Complex and the Orangerie

Hi Everyone,

Today’s post will be about the last part of our visit to Strasbourg, France.  Jiri and I had a great time, in spite of my getting sick.  We walked around as much as we could, and were able to see the Grand Island (the most ancient part of this city), along with the EU Parliament and the Orangerie.

EU Complex

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament (the directly elected parliamentary institution of the EU), and hosts twelve sessions of the EU parliament a year.  The Parliament complex is located in the Quartier Européen (European Quarter) of the city, not far from the Orangerie.  The main building is the Louise Weiss building, which was first put into use in 1999.  This site also contains the Council of Europe and the Court of Human Rights.  When you’re viewing this complex in person, it is impressive, modern and very well kept.  The grounds are park-like and beautiful.  The week we visited Strasbourg, there was also an EU parliamentary session taking place, making the city full of nationals from all over Europe.

Orangerie

After visiting the EU Parliamentary complex, Jiri and I walked over to the Orangerie.  It is located just across the street from the Council of Europe.  This park was built in 1804 and was dedicated to Josephine, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.  The Orangerie is a beautiful spot, not far from the Grand Island are, where you can go to enjoy some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

The Oragerie is home to a small zoo with monkeys, birds, lynx and barnyard animals.  The park is also famous for the storks that call it home.  We were amazed to see all the storks not only in the park, but even nesting in trees outside the park.  The storks were flying over our heads, and resembled pterodactyls with their long wing-spans and graceful flight.  Leaving the park, we found one street lined with trees, and each tree had its stork nest. 

The Orangerie is filled with lovely trails and walking paths.  We also found a lovely lake near the center of the park.  The park was alive with people walking, jogging, and sitting on benches enjoying the afternoon sun.  People of all ages use the park.  We found a pretty playground for kids, along with a skate board track, and found many people enjoyed walking their dogs in the park.  Even in early spring, the park is a beautiful spot to spend an afternoon.  I can only imagine what the Orangerie will look like once full spring has taken over, and flowers are blooming and the trees have leafed out.  The park was truly a lovely and restful spot.  We enjoyed our stroll there very much.

Miscellaneous Pictures

Here are some miscellaneous pictures from our trip to Strasbourg.  We found the city to be a beautiful place to visit.  In spite of getting sick there, I had an enjoyable time and am happy to have had the chance to see and experience one more place I never thought to see in my life.

That’s all for today!  Next week’s post will deal with the questions from MiGrant, and other helpful information for tourists and expats coming to visit Prague.

Have a great day!

God bless,

Sher

Czech Off the Beaten Path Website

Czech Off the Beaten Path T-shirts & More

Sher’s Stuff

(c) 2011 by Sher Vacik

Photo credits:  Jiri and Sher Vacik