It's hard not to like the wide open space that is the Place Broglie in Strasbourg. The light rail passes right through it, and if you happen to be there at Christmastime, you undoubtedly meandered through part of the Christmas market in this location.
My first visit there was actually when I was on a mission. I have some photographs of old family members from the area that were taken at a photography studio on the Place Broglie. After finding the place and doing some digging, I learned that the current Banque de France was built in the 1920s on the site of several old mansions, including the one housing the studio. In a way I was sad that the building was no longer there, but I also loved learning about the evolution that makes up Strasbourg's history.
And speaking of history, check out the plaque at the Banque de France! At that point you're standing in the location where France's national anthem "La Marseillaise" was performed for the first time! Close your eyes and you can almost picture the crowds dressed in late 18th-Century attire listening to the rousing melody (if you think you don't know it, you're wrong, it features prominently in other songs and movies, including the opening strains to the Beatles "All You Need is Love").
Make sure that your stop in Strasbourg includes a stroll through the Place Broglie ans appreciate a place that's truly living history! read more