Place Kléber
Place Kléber features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Strasbourg. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Strasbourg Strasbourg guide
About Place Kléber
The central square of Strasbourg, dominated by a statue of General Kléber and transformed each December into the epicentre of Europe's oldest Christmas market.
Place Kléber is the main public square of Strasbourg, a large open space surrounded by 18th and 19th-century commercial buildings in the heart of the pedestrianised city centre. At its centre stands the bronze statue of Jean-Baptiste Kléber, born in Strasbourg in 1753, who rose to become one of Napoleon's most brilliant generals. Kléber was assassinated in Cairo in 1800, and his body was initially buried in Egypt before being repatriated to Strasbourg. His tomb is directly beneath the statue in a vault below the square. The square is the social heart of Strasbourg: its cafés and terraces are busy year-round, and it serves as the main gathering space for public events and demonstrations. Each December it is transformed by the Christkindelsmärik, the Christmas Market, when an enormous Christmas tree, traditionally donated by the city of Vienna, stands at the centre, surrounded by stalls selling vin chaud, gingerbread, and ornaments. The market, which began in 1570, claims to be the oldest in Europe.
Did you know? General Kléber's tomb lies directly beneath the statue on Place Kléber, in a vault under the paving stones, visitors unknowingly walk over it every day.
How long is a visit to Place Kléber?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Place Kléber. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Place Kléber worth your time?
Place Kléber is among the 18 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Strasbourg, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Strasbourg
Hear the story of Place Kléber
Preview the Strasbourg tour free in the Gingerguide app.