Low sun streaming between half-timbered houses over a still canal in Petite France, Strasbourg, with red geraniums in the foreground
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Be in the right spot when the light is.

Self-guided photo walks through Europe's great cities. Each trail tells you where to stand, when the light lands, how to dodge the crowds, and how to get the shot on your camera or your phone.

One email when the first trails go live. Nothing else.

Stop 07, Strasbourg trailPetite France, into the evening sun

A sample trail: Strasbourg, one afternoon into night.

Eight stops, walked in order, timed so each one meets its best light. We shot every frame below on a phone while scouting the route.

8stops 3.5 kmon foot 15:30 to 21:00late September

  1. Ponts Couverts towers and bridges over the Ill, with the cathedral spire between them and small red boats on the water

    01From 15:30

    Ponts Couverts from the Barrage Vauban

    Where to stand
    The rooftop terrace of the Barrage Vauban, dead centre of the railing, looking back over the covered bridges.
    The shot
    Line the cathedral spire up between the two towers. The afternoon sun sits behind you and lights every stone face.
    Phone tip
    Wait for the hire boats to drift into the lower third, then tap the water to set exposure so the sky keeps its blue.
  2. Two half-timbered houses above a canal wall lined with red and white geraniums

    0216:00

    The half-timber row

    Where to stand
    Across the canal, square on to the façades, with the flower boxes running along the bottom of the frame.
    The shot
    A clean, straight-on portrait of the timber patterns. The shadow on the water gives the frame a solid base.
    Phone tip
    Turn on the camera grid and keep the phone upright, not tilted. Tilt even slightly and the old walls start to lean.
  3. A tall half-timbered house reflected upside down in perfectly still canal water, framed by red geraniums

    0316:30

    The mirror pool

    Where to stand
    Low against the canal wall opposite the tallest timber house, with a basket of geraniums at your elbow.
    The shot
    Half building, half reflection. The crowd on the bridge shrinks to a thin band and the water does the work.
    Phone tip
    Hold the phone as low as you safely can and wait for the breeze to drop. Flowers in one corner stop the frame feeling flat.
  4. Two bicycles leaning on a canal railing covered in red heart-shaped padlocks, with the canal leading away between buildings

    0417:00

    The love-lock railing

    Where to stand
    On the pavement by the lock-covered railing, facing up the canal towards the Petite France terraces.
    The shot
    Parked bikes and red locks in the foreground, with the canal carrying your eye to the vanishing point.
    Phone tip
    Shoot in portrait so the railing, the water and the sky all fit. Crouch a little to make the locks a wall of colour.
  5. A packed tour boat entering the lock beside colourful half-timbered houses in Petite France

    0517:30

    The lock at Petite France

    Where to stand
    On the bridge above the lock, looking down at the water with the painted houses stacked behind.
    The shot
    A tour boat nosing into the lock. The houses turn warm as the sun drops and the boat adds scale and movement.
    Phone tip
    Wait for a boat, then shoot a burst as it glides in. Pick the frame where its bow points at the bottom corner.
  6. A long view down the river Ill with a glass-roofed tour boat, a floating pontoon and tall houses lining the quay

    0618:00

    The long view down the Ill

    Where to stand
    Mid-bridge, looking straight down the river so the quay and the houses run away from you.
    The shot
    A leading line of rooftops and water, with a boat and the pontoon picnics giving it life.
    Phone tip
    Try the 2x lens. It stacks the houses tighter together and makes the street look like one long painted wall.

  7. Golden hour. The sun drops behind Petite France and the canals turn to light.About an hour before sunset. Around 18:25 in late September.

  8. Sun rays breaking through trees between half-timbered houses over a glowing canal

    0718:45

    Into the sun, Petite France

    Where to stand
    On the canal-side footpath, geraniums at your right hand, looking west straight into the setting sun.
    The shot
    Rays breaking through the trees, the water burning gold and the houses in soft silhouette.
    Phone tip
    Tuck the sun just behind a branch or roofline so it throws rays instead of flare, then drag exposure down to keep the sky.

  9. Blue hour, then the floodlights come on.Grab dinner nearby. The last stop is best once the sky goes fully dark.

  10. The floodlit west façade and spire of Strasbourg Cathedral at night, with walkers blurred into ghosts in the square

    08From 21:00

    The cathedral, floodlit

    Where to stand
    At the far edge of Place de la Cathédrale, low down, facing the west front head on.
    The shot
    The whole façade soaring into the clouds, with the passers-by turned into soft ghosts on the cobbles.
    Phone tip
    The square is too tight for anything but the 0.5x ultra-wide. Brace the phone on a bollard and let Night mode run its full count.

Check the light right now.

Every trail is timed around sunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour. Here's where the light is in each city we're scouting.

    Strasbourg

     

     

    Strasbourg first. Twelve more cities to follow.

    London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, Madrid, Athens, Lisbon, Vienna and Edinburgh. Leave your email and we'll tell you when the first trails are ready.