World City Guide

Key Attractions

Cathédrale Notre-Dame (Notre Dame Cathedral)
The Cathedral shares Strasbourg’s history of piggy-in-the-middle, falling under Protestant control after the Reformation and returning to the Catholic Church when Louis XIV took control of the city in 1681. Although shrouded in cobwebs of scaffolding, this huge building still stands proud, its steeple (completed in 1439) reaching 142m (466ft). The interior is rather plain but highlights include the intricate façade with its three portals dedicated to the life of Christ and Last Judgement, the Eglise and Synagogue statues (the originals are located at the Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame) and the colourful rose window over the west portal. The Horloge Astronomique (Astronomical Clock) strikes at 1230, as a cock flaps its wings and the stages of life (represented by child, boy, adult and old man) march to meet death. The climb to the top platform, from which there is an outstanding view over the city, involves ascending (and descending) 332 steps; this should only be contemplated by fit and healthy visitors.

Place du Château (south entrance) or Place de la Cathédrale (main entrance)
E-mail: oeuvre-notre-dame@cus-strasbourg.net
Website: www.oeuvre-notre-dame.org
Transport: Tram line A to Homme de Fer or tram line B to place Broglie.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730, Sat and Sun 1000-1730 (Jan-Oct); Mon-Fri 0900-1630, Sat and Sun 1000-1630 (Nov-Dec).
Admission: Free (Cathedral); ¬3 (roof platform); ¬0.80 (Astronomical Clock); concessions available.

Musée de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame Museum)
The original pair of statues (circa 1230) of Eglise (a symbol of the victorious Church) and the blindfolded, defeated Synagogue (representing Judaism), is the main treasure of this museum. Other highlights include the Tête du Christ (Head of Christ), part of a stained-glass window from the mid-11th century, the sculptures of Nicolas Gerhaert de Leyde and the still-life paintings by Sébastien Stoskopff. This rich collection of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance sculpture, furniture and tapestries extends over three floors of 14th- and 16th-century buildings.

3 place du Château
Tel: (03) 8852 5000.
E-mail: oeuvre-notre-dame@cus-strasbourg.net
Website: www.oeuvre-notre-dame.org
Transport: Tram line A to Homme de Fer or Grand’ Rue; tram line B to place Broglie.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission: ¬4 (concessions available).

Palais Rohan (Rohan Palace)
This ‘mini-Versailles’ was built between 1732 and 1742, as a residence for the city’s French princely bishops, including Cardinal Louis de Rohan. The château houses three museums and a gallery. The basement is devoted to the Musée Archéologique and covers the period from the Palaeolithic Age to AD800. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, located on the ground floor, comprises the luxurious apartments of the cardinals of Rohan (used as guesthouses by Louis XV and Marie-Antoinette) and a collection of Strasbourgeois clocks and china. The Musée des Beaux Arts, located on the first floor, displays European paintings from the Middle Ages to 1870.

2 place du Château
Tel: (03) 8852 5000.
E-mail: musees@cus-strasbourg.net
Transport: Tram line A to Homme de Fer or Grand’Rue; tram line B to place Broglie.
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1800.
Admission: ¬4 per museum or gallery (concessions available).

Musée Alsacien (Alsace Museum)
This intriguing museum of day-to-day life and Alsatian traditions is housed in three 16th and 17th-century buildings. The hotchpotch collection includes kitchen equipment, furniture, toys and a miniature 18th-century toy synagogue.

23-25 quai Saint Nicolas
Tel: (03) 8852 5004. Fax: (03) 8843 6418.
Website: www.musee-strasbourg.org/F/alsacien.html
Transport: Bus 10 to place Corbeau.
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1800 (Jan-Mar and Jul-Aug); Mon-Sat 1200-1800, Sun 1000-1800 (Apr-Jun and Sep-Dec).
Admission: ¬4 (concessions available).

Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)
This museum, with its glass façade looking onto the quayside, is an ultra-modern addition to Strasbourg’s buildings. The impressive permanent collection of paintings from the 1860s to the 1950s includes work by Monet, Signac, Arp, Picasso, Magritte and Klimt. From the 1950s to the present day, Brecht, Filliou, Pérez and Manetas are represented. There is also an art library, concert hall and café-restaurant.

1 place Hans-Jean Arp
Tel: (03) 8823 3131. Fax: (03) 8823 3132.
E-mail: mamcs@sdv.fr
Website: www.musees-strasbourg.org/F/art_mod.html
Transport: Bus 4 or 10; tram line B.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun 1100-1900, Thurs 1200-2200.
Admission: ¬5 (concessions available).