Place de la République: the Neustadt at a glance
A circular garden ringed by monumental late nineteenth-century buildings: the square sums up the German-built Neustadt, UNESCO listed since 2017.
Cross the bridges at the north of the Grande Île and the scenery tips over: timber framing gives way to monumental sandstone facades, set around a wide circular garden. This was the imperial square of the German city, laid out after 1871 when Alsace was annexed by the German Empire, and it is the best possible summary of the Neustadt, the extension added to the UNESCO listing in 2017.
What lines the square
The Palais du Rhin, the former imperial palace, closes the view to the north. Around it, the former imperial library, the Théâtre national de Strasbourg and the prefecture make up an ensemble of rare consistency.
At the centre stands the garden and its war memorial, whose deliberately neutral inscription says a great deal about Alsatian history. The region changed hands between France and Germany four times between 1871 and 1945, and its sons were conscripted into both armies.
When to go
All year, at any hour: this is public space. Spring and autumn are particularly good here, the garden's trees being one of the few points of colour in the quarter.
What to do next
Walk up the avenue de la Liberté towards the university and its palace, or drop back down to the Grande Île over the bridge and along the rue du Dôme. Twelve minutes on foot separate the square from the cathedral.
Sources: Google Maps data collected in July 2026 (rating, reviews, address), UNESCO for the 2017 extension. Hours and prices change: check the day before you visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Neustadt in Strasbourg?
What is there to see on the place de la République?
Théo Lindner
Théo grew up between Strasbourg and the Vosges. He walks every route before publishing it, times every leg, and would rather cut a stop than pretend a day is longer than it is.
