I visited Strasbourg a couple of weeks ago during my holidays in the Alsace. As always when I visit a UNESCO site I tried to figure out the exact parts forming the inscription.In Strasbourg that is quite easy: it is the Grande Île surrounded by the two arms of the river Ill . It is supposed to form the old city dating from the 15th to the 18th century. On the map this seems a very elegant and convincing solution. But while the area around the magnificent cathedral and along the southern shore of the island refers well to this description you have two walk just a few blocks north to find a mix from very different periods including buildings on the 19th and 20th century. Among them many modern buildings with no historical connection or asthetic value. Are they also protected by UNESCO and cannot be altered?

On the other hand you find just south across the river of the Grande Île the Krutenau, originally the fishers' quarter dating from the 13 century and one of the nicest areas of the city. Here you find many half timbered buildings, Renaissance palaces and especially the hospital. One of the oldest hospitals in France it forms a whole city block with the hospital gate from the 14th century, the last remaining gate of the old ramparts, the hospital chapel and a huge hospital building from 1725 that replaces an older building destroyed by fire. In its basement you can visit the medieval wine cellar that is still used to support the hospital, a practice also still in use at the hospital of Beaune and a very French way to support a charitable cause!

Just across the river to the north-west off the Grande Île there is another impressive building complex that does not seem to be included: The Commanderie de Saint-Jean, first a monastery and hospital, later in prison and nowadays an elite university.

As nice as the concept seems that the old city is congruent with the Grande Île the reality is different: The old city stretches along the southern shore of the island on both sides of the river while the north of the island is from various periods.

While Strasbourg is a delightful city to visit and walk around the only building of real individual OUV is the Cathedral. If you look for a city that reflect the late medieval or the Renaissance period Colmar and Besançon for example are more homogeneous, splendid representatives of their period.