The story of this place
The picturesque Petite France district grew up in the 16th century as the quarter of Strasbourg's tanners, millers and fishermen, its steep-roofed, half-timbered houses lining canals where hides were once washed and dried in open lofts. Its curious name derives from a hospital for sufferers of the 'French disease' (syphilis) founded here around 1500. As Strasbourg passed repeatedly between French and German rule, the district preserved the distinctly Alsatian architecture that blends both cultures. Spared major war damage, its covered bridges (Ponts Couverts) and lock-lined waterways now form part of the UNESCO-listed Grande Île, one of France's most photographed historic townscapes.