Strasbourg enchanted me when I visited last week. It’s a colorful city filled with flowers, half-timbered medieval buildings, and a soaring Cathédrale Notre Dame that sits on the skyline like a moody, Gothic giant. Its canal flows blue-green in the daylight and shimmers peacefully under street lamps at night. And, perhaps most wonderfully, books spill onto every street from countless book markets and bookstores. I was in heaven.

Strasbourg is a French city with Germanic influences (it sits near the German border) and houses the European Parliament. I only had 24 hours there, but it was long enough for me to be wholly charmed.

Friday night my friends and I ate at La Corde à Linge, an amazing French restaurant. We sat outside and people-watched and enjoyed the crisp fall night, lingering for hours in typical French fashion. I had melt-in-your-mouth canard with ratatouille and stole bites of mushroomy spaetzle (a staple of the restaurant) from my friends’ plates.

Now. The dessert. Definitely one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. We all split pana cotta, cheesecake with lime and speculoos, and violet and raspberry ice-cream with freshly whipped cream. As odd as the cheesecake combination sounds, the flavors were heavenly, and the ice-cream was exquisite. It was a spiritual experience.

After a night of mild debauchery involving a ~few~ glasses of sangria, Saturday morning was sunny for a blissful hour! The views of the sky above the canal and gold-burnished trees were breathtaking.

We wandered through the streets of La Petite France, the historical center of Strasbourg. With all the books and roses and medieval houses, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I saw Belle from Beauty and the Beast when I turned the corner. The city just has that magical atmosphere. Especially in the fall, with all the fiery leaves and cute markets.

I flipped through old postcards at a book market, tried a marron crêpe (huge in Strasbourg, but I prefer a crêpe sucre or Nutella), and gawked at the cathedral.

For a late lunch we ate at a vegan place and I had possibly(?) my first vegan burger, which was delightful! It started drizzling as we headed to the train station, and it reflected my mood because I was sad to leave such a sweet city! Maybe it’s the autumn charm, but it might be my favorite place I’ve visited in France so far.