Filming in Strasbourg and Alsace
On the Rhine, facing Germany, two hours from Paris by high-speed train. Strasbourg gives you half-timbered streets, a Gothic cathedral and the European institutions, and a film office that does not charge for public space. Its Christmas market is another matter. Here is how a Strasbourg shoot clears.
01
One desk for the Eurométropole
The ruleStrasbourg makes the first step easy. The Eurométropole de Strasbourg runs a film office (the Bureau d'accueil des tournages) that presents itself as the single contact for requests and procedures across the metropolitan area: filming authorisations, and the link with the departments for security, traffic and green spaces. Its support is free, and it states that filming on public space is free of charge. The Eurométropole also has its own production fund, which can be combined with the Grand Est regional fund for eligible projects that spend locally.
Beyond Strasbourg, the Grand Est film commission covers Alsace and the rest of the region, with a network of partner towns that each name a single filming contact. Colmar, the wine villages and the Vosges are separate town halls, with the forestry office for state forests and the Département for roads outside towns.
We are a production service company working across France from Paris and Cannes. Strasbourg is about two hours from our Paris office by high-speed train. Zacharie brings a core unit from Paris or hires locally, Élie files the town, the operators and any drone request in parallel.
02
Who issues what in Strasbourg and Alsace
Indicative, confirmed per projectLocationAuthorityLead time
Strasbourg streets, quays, squaresGrande Île, Petite France, the NeustadtEurométropole film office, single contact for the city's departments2 to 4 weeks
Other Alsace townsColmar, wine villagesEach town hall, with the regional film commission's partner network2 to 4 weeks
European ParliamentStrasbourg buildingThe Parliament's own media accreditation office, not the cityPer session
Cathedral and heritage sitesMonuments, museumsEach site's operator4 to 10 weeks
Tram and public transportNetwork, stationsThe transport operatorCase by case
Vosges forests and roadsHills, passes, wine routeONF for state forests, the Département for roads outside towns3 to 5 weeks
DroneAny flightDGAC and the prefecture, always separate3 to 6 weeks
The European Parliament is not a French location
Strasbourg is one of the seats of the European Parliament, and producers often assume a city permit or a French accreditation opens its doors. It does not. The Parliament runs its own media accreditation, and its Strasbourg accreditation desk only operates during plenary sessions. Camera operators and photographers working for a non-media project, such as an event, communication or promotional work, need a separate recording permit requested at least 24 hours ahead, and that permit does not give access to the building on its own: a visitor access request is needed as well. Build the plenary calendar into your schedule before you book flights.
03
The Christmas market
Strasbourg's own peak seasonStrasbourg's Christmas market usually runs from late November to 24 December, and it changes the city. The historic centre, the Grande Île, is turned into a protected perimeter with controlled access points during market hours, heavy police presence, and adjusted pedestrian routes between the main squares and the cathedral. Hotels fill with visitors from across Europe and beyond.
For a production, that means two things. If the market is your subject, you are filming inside a security perimeter: file early, keep the kit light, and expect conditions on access and vehicles. If it is not your subject, do not shoot in central Strasbourg in December. The weeks before and after, and the long Alsace spring and autumn, are easier for permits, crew and rooms.
For German productions. Kit coming from Germany or any other EU country needs no customs formality. German crew working in France are usually covered by posted-worker rules, with a declaration filed by the employer before the shoot. See ATA Carnet, visas and crew paperwork.
04
What shoots in Alsace
And how we run it01News and documentaryThe European institutions, the border, the Rhine, regional identity. Access and context are the work, and plenary weeks set the calendar.Access
02Commercials and brand filmsHalf-timbered streets, canals, vineyards and Christmas imagery for food, drink and retail brands.Brands
03TV documentaryHistory on the border, from cathedral to bunker, with heritage operators and memorial sites each on their own clock.Heritage
04Crew and logisticsA core team from Paris, local crew for longer shoots, kit from Paris or from across the border.Logistics
Do you need a permit to film in Strasbourg?
For anything beyond a handheld shot with no impact on the public, yes. The Eurométropole de Strasbourg film office is the single contact for filming authorisations on public space and coordinates the city's security, traffic and green spaces departments. Its support is free and it states that filming on public space carries no fee.
Can we film the Strasbourg Christmas market?
Yes, with planning. The market usually runs from late November to 24 December, and the historic centre becomes a protected perimeter with controlled access points during market hours. File early, keep the crew and kit light, and expect conditions on access and vehicles. If the market is not your subject, avoid central Strasbourg in December.
How do we film inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg?
Through the Parliament's own media accreditation office, not French authorities. Its Strasbourg desk operates only during plenary sessions. Non-media camera and photo work needs a recording permit requested at least 24 hours ahead, plus a separate visitor access request.
Do German crews need anything special to film in Alsace?
Kit from Germany moves freely within the EU, with no customs formality. Employers sending technical crew to work in France normally file a posted-worker declaration before the shoot. We tell you exactly what applies to your crew list.
How far is Strasbourg from your base?
About two hours from Paris by high-speed train. For short shoots we bring a core unit from Paris; for longer ones we hire locally, with one producer running the whole production.
Shooting in Strasbourg or Alsace?
Send your dates, the locations and the size of your crew. We tell you what the city and the other owners need from you.
Or email [email protected]. We reply within 3 hours.