Things to do in Strasbourg : Palais Rohan
The Palais Rohan in Strasbourg is the former residence of the prince bishops and cardinals of the House of Rohan, an ancient French noble family from Brittany. Its a huge cultural and historical monument in the city, built next to the Cathedral in the 1730s – its a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture.
Famous guests
Since completion in 1742 the palace has had a lot of French monarchs such as Louis XV, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon and Joséphine and Charles X.
Louis XV : the only reigning French king to have officially stayed at the palace, residing there for a few days in the 18th century. Engravings capture him greeting crowds from the palace balcony.
Marie Antoinette: The young archduchess of Austria spent her very first night on French soil at the Palais Rohan in 1770 before continuing her journey to meet King Louis XVI at Versailles.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Joséphine: The French emperor and his wife stayed at the palace multiple times, and custom-decorated rooms were maintained for imperial visits.
Charles X: The later Bourbon king also visited and stayed at the episcopal residence during his travels.
Barack and Michelle Obama: In modern history, the palace grounds and surrounding French-German diplomatic settings welcomed high-profile global leaders, with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama being hosted nearby/regionally via local state visits coordinated through French leadership in 2009.
The Palais Rohan today
Since the end of the 19th century the palace has been home to three of Strasbourg’s most important museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts décoratifs): Located on the ground floor, featuring the opulent royal/episcopal apartments and applied arts collections.
Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts): Located on the first and second floors, featuring European paintings from the Middle Ages to 1870.
Archaeological Museum (Musée archéologique): Located in the basement, showcasing local history from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages.
