Step back centuries with a stay in this underrated French city

Hotel Cour du Corbeau, Strasbourg, France

Hotel Cour du Corbeau, Strasbourg.

Check-in

It may be a mere youngster when compared to the world’s oldest hotel, namely Japan’s Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan (owned by 52 generations of the same family since AD705), but France’s Hotel Cour du Corbeau is by no means a poulet de printemps. To enter through its discreet entrance from the tourist-jammed streets of Strasbourg’s delightful old town and into its narrow cobbled courtyard is to step back centuries. The origins of this 63-room hotel are traceable to at least the early 16th century. Somehow the hotel (its name means “raven’s courtyard”) has survived Strasbourg’s alternating custodianship which, over the centuries, has changed hands between France and Germany. Since the end of World War II, it’s belonged to France while still retaining a palpable Germanic identity.

The look

It’s dated but in the best possible sense. When Hotel Cour du Corbeau was fully restored this century, its architects toiled more like archaeologists, according to the owners. They did so to restore the extensive carved wood facades and balusters, the dominant feature on the buildings of which the hotel is composed. During the two-year restoration, the original inscription of the establishment’s name, “Zum Rappen”, carved into wood, was uncovered.

The room

Many of the pleasantly decorated rooms and suites, which range in size from 23 square metres to 40 square metres, come in all manner of shapes due to the rather delightful higgledy-piggledy nature of the building in which it’s housed. Some rooms feature ancient timber beams, supports and brickwork from the original structures, while others, such as my 32 square metre deluxe room, overlook the inner courtyard with views of half-timbered buildings or a private garden.

Food + drink

Strasbourg, located in the Alsace region of France – under two hours east of Paris by TGV – is minutes from the German border, which explains why Alsatian cuisine is considerably more German-influenced than it is French (pork, pork and more pork). If you’re up for it, head to Restaurant au Pont Corbeau for a traditional feast in a timber-panelled Renaissance setting. For somewhere decidedly more contemporary, opt for La Brasserie Des Haras. It hosts guests inside a magnificently converted 18th century stud farm built during the reign of Louis XV. Its somewhat lighter menu combines modern brasserie dishes with regional specialities (yep, more pork).

Out + about

Traditional half-timbered houses in Strasbourg.Credit: iStock

With much to see and enjoy, an essential Strasbourg pilgrimage is to its extraordinary Romanesque cathedral. Construction began in 1015, and its spire rises nearly 150 metres above the city’s colourful and huddled half-timbered houses from the Middle Ages, many of which are beside picturesque canals. Cruises can be taken from nearby Notre Dame all the way to the modern European Union Parliament Building in the more austere new city.

THE VERDICT

The Alsatian capital deservedly ranks as one of France’s most underrated and salubrious cities. A stay of a few nights or longer at Hotel Cour du Corbeau is the perfect historical accompaniment to this ancient town.

THE ESSENTIALS

Rooms from $336 a night. Hotel Cour du Corbeau, 6-8 Rue des Couples, Strasbourg, France. Phone [phone]. Qantas operates three weekly direct non-stop flights from Perth to Paris. See qantas.com; mgallery.accor.com; cour-corbeau.com

The writer stayed as a guest of the MGallery Collection

THE SCORE

★★★★

Highlight

The hotel’s superb central location is unrivalled with virtually all of Strasbourg’s must-see attractions almost directly outside it.

Lowlight

There’s no in-house restaurant, other than for breakfast, afternoon tea and drinks, but the hotel is surrounded by dining options.