Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
three are in Palais Rohan, a stately former palace. The
Archaeological Museum,
the best
one, has a stellar presentation of Alsatian civilization through the millennia (includes free
audioguide). The
Museum of Decorative Arts
feels like the Versailles of Strasbourg,
with grand reception rooms, a king's bedroom (where Louis XV and Marie-Antoinette
both slept), a big library, and rooms displaying ceramic dishes, ancient clocks, and
more—borrow the English booklet. The
Museum of Fine Arts
holds a small, well-dis-
playedcollectionofpaintingsfromtheMiddleAgestotheBaroqueperiod,somebyartists
you'll recognize. The
Museum of the Cathedral
(Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame) is a
well-organized museum near Palais Rohan that has plenty of church artifacts.
Cost and Hours:
€6foreachmuseum,€10daypasscoversallfour,freeforthoseun-
der18andonthefirstSunofthemonth;openWed-Mon10:00-18:00,closedTue—except
for Museum of the Cathedral, which is closed Mon but open Tue 10:00-18:00; Palais Ro-
han—2PlaceduChâteau,MuseumoftheCathedral—3PlaceduChâteau;tel.03885250
▲
La Petite France
The historic home to Strasbourg's tanners, millers, and fishermen, this charming area is
laced with canals, crowned with magnificent half-timbered homes, carpeted with cobble-
stones, and filled with tourists. As quaint as it looks, keep in mind that this neighborhood
was leveled in World War II.
From the cathedral, walk down to Place Gutenberg and continue straight, following
Rue Gutenberg (on the square's right side). Cross big Rue des Francs Bourgeois and keep
straight (now on Grande Rue). Turn left on the third little street (Rue du Bouclier, street
signs are posted behind you), and make your way to the middle of the bridge (Pont St.
Martin) for a good view. Find your way down to the river and follow the walkway over
the lock deep into La Petite France. Make friends with a leafy café table on
Place Ben-
jamin Zix,
or find the siesta-friendly parks between the canals across the bridge at Rue
des Moulins. Notice the sloping roofs with openings in the roofs where leather hides were
dried. Climb the once-fortified grassy wall (Barrage Vauban) for a decent view—the glass
structure behind you is the splashy modern-art museum (interesting more for its architec-
ture than its collection).
La Petite France's coziest café tables line the canal on
Quai de la Bruche
near the
barrage. From here it's a 10-minute walk back to the station: With the river on your left,
walk along Quai de Turckheim, cross the third bridge, and find Rue du Maire Kuss.
