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About Strasbourg
Strasbourg has all the excitement of a bustling international city, but maintains the charm of a medieval town. Internet cafes are tucked into streets that look much as they did 200 years ago, and medieval neighborhoods are alongside sleek new commercial districts.
Located in the heart of Europe, Strasbourg sits on the Rhine River a short walk from the German border and a short train ride from Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium and just two and a half hours by high speed train (TGV) to Paris. The Vosges Mountains form a picturesque backdrop to a rolling countryside dotted with quaint villages, and the Rhine meanders through the Alsatian wine country nearby. Strasbourg boasts an active cultural scene, including opera, a ballet, a national theater company, and eight museums.
Student life at BCA Strasbourg is truly international; thousands of international students and scholars spend some time here. The result: Strasbourg's local Alsatian culture has a decidedly cosmopolitan accent. The city's position as the crossroads of Europe affects the flavor of city life, too. Strasbourg alternated between French and German control for years. Today, the city is home to some of the European Union's most prestigious institutions.
BCA Strasbourg immerses students in the language and culture of France. Depending on their language ability, BCA students take courses taught in French by faculty from the University of Strasbourg or enroll directly at the university. BCA recommends that students have completed four semesters of college-level French before studying in Strasbourg.
Strasbourg Quick Facts
- Goethe, Metternich, and Napoleon all went to Strasbourg to study.
- An enormous red bonnet, a symbol of the French Revolution, was placed over Strasbourg’s cathedral spire to keep it from being destroyed by Jacobins.
- Gutenberg left Strasbourg suddenly in 1444 after an extended public trial, probably over the rights to his printing press.
- The streets of Strasbourg were originally laid out by the Romans. The two main Roman roads, rue du Dome and Grand’Rue, still run through the center of the city.
- In 1988 Strasbourg’s Grande Ile (Big Island) was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Center.
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