Palais Rohan

This is basically 3 museums, on 3 different floors. The day pass would be best if you want to see more than 2 museums. There was also a temporary exhibition. It was amazing to see, but I wish there was an audio guide or a guided tour. There was a written guide which was nice, but it would be much better if you could walk and listen. Also the layout of the museums were a bit confusing. In some rooms there was only French descriptions. There is a locker room that does not need coins.

A beautiful building and art. A lot of religious art in the Beaux Arts museum section but a good variety of later art genres. The archaeology museum in its basement is small but well put together with a few reconstructed Roman rooms which work well. The decorative arts museum has the bedrooms of Napoléon and Marie Antoinette in it. Worth a visit, opposite the cathedral. You can buy a 24 hr pass that lets you into all three museums in the palace.

Great attraction. Free entry fascinating bit of history. Napoleon and Marie Antoinette both slept here.

The museum is definitely worth a visit! We visited the museum on the first Sunday of the month, so the entrance was free. Not only can you walk trough the furnished old palace rooms, but there also is an exhibition with artefacts from times up to the Stone Age! Really impressive! And on top, the staff was really friendly.

Must-see museum in Strasbourg. From the permanent exhibition in the basement with a nice history. And the ground level with the official ballroom, meeting rooms. The first level has an impressive collection of paintings well over hundreds of years old. The advantage would be to visit the museum on a cloudy day. The sunlight reflects on the paintings too much and in a professional way the lights need to be adjusted.

A large and beautiful palace, located near the cathedral. It houses three museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Decorative Arts. The most interesting is the last one, because here there are a lot of rooms/halls furnished and arranged as in the years when the palace was built.

🏰 History of the Rohan Palace, Strasbourg ​The Palais Rohan in Strasbourg is a major architectural, historical, and cultural landmark, recognized as a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture from the 18th century. ​Construction and Purpose: The palace was built between 1732 and 1742 according to the plans of Robert de Cotte, the King's First Architect, and overseen by the municipal architect Joseph Massol. It was commissioned by Cardinal Armand-Gaston de Rohan-Soubise, the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg. The structure served as the opulent new residence for the prince-bishops and cardinals of the powerful House of Rohan, aiming to demonstrate the might of the French crown and the triumphant return of Catholicism in the region. ​Design: Designed to resemble the grand Parisian hôtels particuliers (private mansions), the palace is admired for its noble, classical facades and sumptuous, unified interior decoration. ​Royal Guests: Since its completion in 1742, the palace has hosted many illustrious French monarchs and figures, including Louis XV, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon and Empress Joséphine, and Charles X. ​French Revolution and Beyond: The House of Rohan owned the palace until the French Revolution, when it was confiscated and declared bien national (state property). ​It was bought by the municipality and served as the new town hall (hôtel de ville) from 1791 to 1805. ​In 1805, the city presented the palace to Napoleon. ​20th-Century Damage: The palace suffered significant damage during World War II when it was bombed by the Americans in 1944. A subsequent fire in 1947 also destroyed several famous paintings and parts of the building. It has since been restored. ​Current Use (Museums): Today, the Palais Rohan is a prestigious cultural center that houses three of Strasbourg's major museums: ​The Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts Décoratifs): Located on the ground floor, it preserves the luxurious apartments of the cardinals. ​The Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts): On the first floor, it features works by famous painters like Botticelli, El Greco, and Rubens. ​The Archaeological Museum (Musée Archéologique): Housed in the basement, it explores the ancient history of Alsace.

Once again, very happy that my press card grants free entry bc it is quite expensive to enter for all 3 (or 2 as the Fine Arts was randomly closed) museums. I decided to go to the Decorative Arts section with the palace rooms and furniture. I’ve seen more impressive rooms in many palaces and houses but these were still lovely enough to wander. Also very helpful to have full English placards in each room describing the furniture, furnishings and objects d’art. Photos allowed. Definitely great to visit on a bad weather day like I had. Warning there is a lunch break around 1 or 2 when the museums are closed, with ZERO signage anywhere about this. Typically European 🤦🏽‍♀️