Council of Europe
Council of Europe is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Strasbourg audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~60 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Strasbourg Strasbourg guide
About Council of Europe
Europe's oldest international political organisation (founded 1949), guardian of the European Convention on Human Rights, housed in Strasbourg's Palais de l'Europe.
The Council of Europe, founded in Strasbourg on 5 May 1949, is the continent's oldest international organisation dedicated to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and it should not be confused with the European Union. While the EU has 27 member states, the Council of Europe has 46, including countries that are not EU members such as Ukraine, Georgia, and (until 2022) Russia. Its most important achievement is the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), adopted in 1950, which created the European Court of Human Rights, the body to which citizens of member states can bring complaints against their own governments when they believe their human rights have been violated. The Palais de l'Europe, the Council's headquarters on the banks of the Ill in Strasbourg's European Quarter, was built in 1977. It contains the Parliamentary Assembly chamber, committee rooms, and the administrative offices of an organisation that has processed hundreds of thousands of human rights cases. The Court itself sits in a separate building next door.
Did you know? The Council of Europe is NOT the EU, it has 46 members (vs 27 for EU), was founded in 1949 (before the EU), and focuses specifically on human rights rather than economic integration.
How long should you spend at Council of Europe?
Plan about ~60 min at Council of Europe. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Council of Europe worth visiting?
Council of Europe is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Strasbourg, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Strasbourg
Hear the story of Council of Europe
Preview the Strasbourg tour free in the Gingerguide app.