Mulhouse: City History, Technology and Wildlife Park
Accommodation in Mulhouse
Mulhouse combines the history of the city and its industry with technology, textiles, wildlife observation and international specialities. You can therefore tailor your trip to suit a range of interests. When choosing a hotel, it may help to start by considering which topics particularly interest you during your stay: historic urban spaces, museums with hands-on activities, or a green zoological and botanical park.
City history in the historic centre
The Sentier du Vieux Mulhouse is one of two walking trails that allow visitors to explore the city’s history in the historic centre. The former town hall now houses the Musée historique. This means a historic city walk and a museum offer two different ways to learn about Mulhouse’s past.
The Musée historique offers educational activities, creative workshops and guided tours throughout the year. Admission is free. As access conditions may change, check them before your visit. The Maison du Patrimoine Edouard Boeglin has two permanent exhibition rooms explaining the city’s origins and industrial development. The Maison du Patrimoine offers around fifteen different themed guided tours. They are led by cultural guides recognised by the French Ministry of Culture.
Industry, technology and textiles
The Musée National de l'Automobile – Collection Schlumpf is housed in a former 19th-century wool mill. Visitors can also get hands-on with historic vehicles: they can drive them on the museum’s Autodrome. A museum visit and the driving experience are therefore two different ways to explore the subject of automobiles.
The Cité du Train – Patrimoine SNCF is described as Europe’s largest railway museum. At the Musée Electropolis, you can take part in experiments like those conducted in the 18th century. So, rather than simply observing a historical subject, you can also try out the recreated experiments yourself. The Musée de l’Impression sur Etoffes complements these technical and industrial topics with textiles: alongside its regularly updated permanent exhibition, it offers remarkable temporary exhibitions.
The different attractions focus on different things. You can encounter city history on a walking tour and in exhibition spaces; technology can be explored through museums, historical experiments and driving vehicles. When planning your trip, it is therefore helpful to consider which topics particularly interest you, rather than reducing Mulhouse to a single museum.
Green spaces, animals and the market
The Parc Zoologique & Botanique de Mulhouse covers 25 hectares of green space in the heart of the city. Visitors can observe almost 2,200 animals there. The park also holds the “Jardin remarquable” quality label. The combination of wildlife observation, botanical features and designated green space makes a visit here quite different from the mainly historical and technical themes of the museums.
The Marché de Mulhouse offers a different focus: it features products from a variety of local regions and specialities from around the world. This adds a culinary perspective to the museum and nature attractions, without narrowing the focus to a particular regional cuisine. Together, these provide several points of interest for a stay in Mulhouse, from the history of the city and its industry to wildlife observation and a wide variety of international specialities.
Discover more destinations: Issenheim, Wittelsheim, Houssen, Osenbach, Dannemarie, Brunstatt, Lutterbach, Bischwihr
Go to the broader travel overview: Haut-Rhin.
