A bastion of outdoor entertainment is place de la Cathédrale, where you can find an assortment of performers and artists. Dancers perform spontaneously against the illumination of the cathedral. From mid-July to early August, additional folk dances take place in La Petite France on Monday night in the places des Tripiers, Tuesday in the place Benjamin Zix, and Wednesday in the place du Marché aux Cochons de Lait. Performance dates vary; check with the Office de Tourisme (tel. 03-88-52-28-28; www.ot-strasbourg.fr) for a schedule.
The Performing Arts -- For opera and ballet, seek out the Opéra du Rhin, 19 place Broglie (tel. 03-88-75-48-23; www.operanationaldurhin.fr); tickets cost 11€ to 75€ ($14-$98). The Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg performs at the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès, place de Bordeaux (tel. 03-88-15-09-00; www.philharmonique-strasbourg.com). Tickets cost 6€ to 50€ ($7.80-$65). The Théâtre National de Strasbourg plays a busy schedule at 1 av. de la Marseillaise (tel. 03-88-24-88-00; www.tns.fr). Tickets cost 16€ to 33€ ($21-$43).
Clubs -- Head to the streets surrounding place de la Cathédrale: rue des Frères, rue des Soeurs, and rue de la Croix. One of your best bets is Le Gayot, 18 rue des Frères (tel. 03-88-36-31-88), with occasional guest performers. Jeannette et les Cycleux, 3 rue des Tonneliers (tel. 03-88-23-02-71), is a wine bar with a juke box playing rock 'n' roll and other hits from America in the 1950s. Entrance is free.
Le Seven, 25 rue des Tonneliers (tel. 03-88-32-77-77), has a below-street-level dance floor that features all types of music except disco. The place packs in a stylish crowd ages 20 to 35. Cover ranges from 10€ to 15€ ($13-$20).
One of the biggest and most visible discos in the region, Le Chalet, 376 rte. de Wantzenau (tel. 03-88-31-18-31), lies 8km (5 miles) north of Strasbourg. The 8€-to-18€ ($10-$23) cover buys the first drink and access to two huge and distinctly different sections. One is designed for techno fans, another for less harsh dance music, with a good mix of disco classics. Open 10pm to 4am Thursday to Saturday. To get there, follow signs to Wantzenau.
