A city in the northeast of France, right on the border with Germany, on the River Rhine. Two things make it worth knowing. First, politics: it is one of the homes of the European Parliament, and also the seat of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights — so in news reports "Strasbourg" is often used to mean those institutions rather than the place, the way people say "Washington" to mean the US government. Second, history and beauty: it has a famous tall cathedral, an old university, and a picture-postcard old town of half-timbered houses; its Christmas market is one of the oldest in Europe. Because the region (Alsace) has passed between France and Germany several times, the city feels like both — French language and food, German-looking buildings and place names.