Schiltigheim does not appear in guides to Alsace, and partly deserves not to: you do not come here to sightsee. You come because you are in Strasbourg without paying Strasbourg prices, and because the town has enough to fill an evening. Here is what is worth your time.
The brewers’ town
Schiltigheim was the brewing capital of Alsace. Fischer, Adelshoffen, Schutzenberger, Heineken: as many as five breweries operated here at once, and the industrial architecture along the route de Bischwiller still shows it.
Most of the sites have closed or changed use, but the brewing identity is very much alive: several bars and restaurants make it their subject, and the August beer festival still brings the town together.
Les Nuits de la Schilick
Every summer, the Nuits de la Schilick street festival turns the town’s squares into stages. It is free, family-friendly, and gives Schiltigheim the only days of the year when it is busier than Strasbourg.
Check the dates with the town hall: they move from year to year.
Eating and drinking
The area has neighbourhood restaurants, a few genuinely good tables, and brasseries in the literal sense. You eat better and cheaper than in central Strasbourg, with tables still free on a Saturday night.
Local shops, bakery included, are within walking distance of most streets.
Getting into Strasbourg
This is the town’s main argument. Trams and buses run by the Compagnie des transports strasbourgeois reach the centre in about a quarter of an hour, the station in ten minutes or so, and serve the European quarter.
For a stay, that means spending the day in Strasbourg without a car, and coming back in the evening to a quiet area where parking is possible.
Where to stay
Schiltigheim has limited hotel capacity, mostly aimed at business travellers. Holiday flats are more numerous, at noticeably lower rates than central Strasbourg and with better comfort.
The CinéSTAY, on rue de l’École, is a particular case: a private cinema room for two, with a 77-inch screen, Bose sound and a popcorn machine, a quarter of an hour from the centre by tram.
Frequently asked
Is Schiltigheim worth visiting?
As a sightseeing destination, no: the town has no major monument or historic centre. As a base for visiting Strasbourg, yes: it borders the city, it is on the tram network, it is cheaper, and its brewing history is still alive.
How do you get from Schiltigheim to central Strasbourg?
By tram or bus, in about a quarter of an hour to the cathedral and around ten minutes to the station. A car is not needed, and parking in the centre is expensive.
