Strasbourg – Petite France to St. Thomas

We started our Strasbourg morning wandering through Petite France, one of the most beautiful old quarters in Europe. Half-timbered houses, narrow cobblestone streets, and quiet canals made it feel like stepping back into the 1500s. It was the perfect place to begin a day tracing the story of the Reformation.
From there we walked to Gutenberg Square, honoring the man whose printing innovations helped change the world. Strasbourg was one of Gutenberg’s early homes, and this city became a printing powerhouse. Standing by his statue, it’s easy to see how his invention prepared the way for Scripture and Reformation ideas to spread across Europe.

Next we entered the Notre-Dame Cathedral, a towering Gothic masterpiece that took over 400 years to complete. Its beauty and scale are overwhelming — a reminder of the power and grandeur of medieval Christianity. This is the world the Reformers inherited, and standing beneath that massive spire helps you feel the contrast between old and new.

We finished at St. Thomas Church, the true home of Strasbourg’s Reformation. This is where Martin Bucer pastored, Matthias Zell preached, and Katharina Schütz Zell poured her life into caring for refugees and the poor. Even John Calvin worshiped here during his exile. It was powerful to stand in the sanctuary where the pastoral, compassionate side of the Reformation took shape.

A morning of beauty, history, and meaning — and a reminder that the Reformation wasn’t only about ideas, but also about people, hospitality, and transformed communities.Read more