How do I get to Strasbourg?
By Train
Strasbourg is quite connected via rail to many surrounding European cities. Trains from Paris, for example, take approximately 2hrs, and from Basel about 1.5 hours. The main train station in Strasbourg is the Gare Centrale (Pl. de la Gare, 67000 Strasbourg, France), which connects easily to the city centre and all other city trams.
By Plane
As far as plane travel goes, you can fly to Strasbourg from most major European cities. Low cost companies such as Ryanair and Easyjet offer flights in the 3 nearest airports. The following are convenient airports nearby:
- Strasbourg International Airport (SXB) is located 10 minutes from Strasbourg’s city centre by train. It offers frequent flights to and from London, Porto, Amsterdam, Brussels, and to various cities in France. A train is running every 15 minutes to and from the central train station. www.strasbourg.aeroport.fr.
- Frankfurt airport, third in Europe, offers a service of bus shuttles to Strasbourg
- Paris various international airports are only two hours away by TGV
- Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Europairport (BSL) is located on the French border with Switzerland, one hour from Strasbourg by train. It serves a broad range of destinations throughout Europe and in North Africa. www.euroairport.fr;
- Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport (FKB) is located in Germany, a 45-minutes drive north of Strasbourg. www.badenairpark.de.
If you do take a connecting flight into Strasbourg itself, it is a very quick and convenient tram ride into the city proper.
By Car
If you are driving to Strasbourg, we recommend you go to the Relay-Tram (P+R) car parks located alongside the tram lines. After parking here, you can easily get to the city center by tram. Here is a map of nearby Park&Ride car parks.
By Bike
You can also get to Strasbourg by bike on the EuroVelo 5 and 15 European cycle routes. You can check the EUROVELO website for more information.
Where are the main festival venues located?
- Phare Citadelle is our home base for the days of the event: 13 Rue de Nantes, 67100 Strasbourg, France
- Kaleidosco-op is where we will be holding the majority of our workshops: 5 Rue de la Coopérative, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- There will also be a number of activities taking place around the city center (Grande-Ile); notably, our opening ceremony on Tuesday evening (Hotel de Ville) and our closing ceremony on Friday evening (Temple Neuf).
Where are the main festival venues located?
Tuesday, Sept 26th
18:00-19:20 – Welcome Ceremony @ Hotel de Ville (9 Rue Brûlée)
Wednesday, Sept 27th & Thursday, Sept 28th
8:30-9:45 – Early Morning Session (Various Locations)
10:00-11:20 – Morning Keynote (Phare Citadelle)
11:45 -13:00 – Morning Block (Phare Citadelle, Kaleidoscoop)
13:00-14:30 – Lunch
16:00 – 17:15 – Afternoon Block 1 (Phare Citadelle, Kaleidoscoop)
14:30 – 15:45 – Afternoon Block 2 (Phare Citadelle, Kaleidoscoop)
18:00-19:20 – Evening Keynote (Phare Citadelle)
19:45-21:00 – Fun Activity (Phare Citadelle)
Friday, Sept 29th
8:30-9:45 – Early Morning Session (Various Locations)
10:00-11:20 – Morning Keynote (Phare Citadelle)
11:45-13:00 – Morning Block 1 (Phare Citadelle, Kaleidoscoop)
13:00-14:30 – Lunch
14:30-17:30 – Local Challenges (Various Locations)
18:30-19:30 – Closing Event @ Temple Neuf (Pl. du Temple Neuf)
When will the detailed programme be announced?
We aim to publish our full programme via SCHED by the 1st of September. Once published, you may use SCHED to organize your week and register for the sessions that are of interest to you. Although registration for these workshops and sessions is not explicitly required, we do suggest that you sign up for those that interest you so that we all can better organize our festival week!
What language(s) are spoken in Strasbourg?
The official language used throughout Strasbourg is French. The indigenous language of Alsace however is called Alsatian, a southern German dialect influenced over time by French. It is closely related to the Alemannic German dialects spoken in the adjacent border regions of Germany and Switzerland. English is also widely spoken across Strasbourg.
What language will the sessions be in?
The sessions will be held in English, with the exception of a panel offered at our closing night ceremony hosted by the City of Strasbourg, which will be in French.
Will meals be provided?
Meals will be available for purchase throughout the days at the cafes onsite at both of our main venues (Phare Citadelle and Kaleidosco-op). During your lunch break and in the evenings for dinner, you are also welcome to venture into the city and go to local eateries. We will provide coffee, tea, water and fruit for you at all venues on all of the festival days.
Where should I stay in Strasbourg for the festival?
The city of Strasbourg is very walkable, bikeable, and well connected via their tram system. For this reason, you can stay very close to our main venues, or you can opt to stay a bit more in the historic city centre, which is a different vibe and has quite a bit of charm, and where a few activities will take place, like our opening and closing ceremonies. Anywhere in between the two locations would suit, as well. There are a number of hotels and hostels around the city.
Some closeby hotels include:
- Ibis Styles Strasbourg Avenue du Rhin (29 Av. Aristide Briand, 67100 Strasbourg, France)
- OKKO Hotels Strasbourg Centre (46 Rue du Bass. d’Austerlitz, 67100 Strasbourg, France)
- Hotel Esplanade (1 Bd Leblois, 67000 Strasbourg, France)
What should I pack?
Our festival is casual – come as you are and wear whatever you feel great in! We do highly recommend bringing comfortable walking shoes, as the main venues are at a bit of distance (20 minutes walking, 10 minutes by tram, 7 minutes by bike), and as our programme includes a number of outdoor sessions and visits to local sites. Not to mention some evenings of music, dancing, and fun!
Bring anything that you wish to have with you for note-taking during the workshops and keynote sessions – pen, notebook, laptop, etc. There will be wi-fi available at our venues.
What is the weather like in Strasbourg at the end of September?
The climate in Strasbourg at the end of September is quite agreeable, with average temperatures varying between 10°C (50°F) and 20.5°C (68.9°F). Of course, as weather can change unexpectedly, please do come prepared by bringing a few layers and clothing that can withstand the possibility of rainy days.
In the last days of September in Strasbourg, sunrise is generally at 7:30 and sunset at 19:00 CEST.