Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Mulhouse, France

As an industrial hub in Alsace, Mulhouse boasts an impressive array of museums that reflect its manufacturing legacy.

No railway museum in Europe surpasses the Citée du Train in scale, and the EDF electricity museum also holds similar significance. Additionally, the Museum of Printed Fabrics narrates centuries of textile craftsmanship.

The attractions are thoughtfully arranged to ensure both experts and casual visitors, including children, find satisfaction in their experiences.

Mulhouse is particularly noted for its fabrics, a tradition showcased during Christmas when the historic Place de la Réunion is adorned with vibrant textiles.

Let’s explore the top attractions in Mulhouse:

1. Cité de l’Automobile

This museum is more than just a car exhibition; it represents a remarkable collection that is almost incredible.

Automobile enthusiasts often travel long distances for a glimpse of a single Bugatti. Here, you will find more Bugattis in this former textile facility than anywhere else globally.

With over 400 vehicles, more than a quarter of which are Bugattis, the collection dates back to the inception of automobiles, including Léon Bollée’s unique “tricar” from 1896. This impressive collection was lovingly gathered by the Schlumpf brothers, textile entrepreneurs who secretly amassed these vehicles in a decommissioned mill, only to be discovered during labor strikes in the 1970s.

2. Cité du Train

If the Cité de l’Automobile is considered the world’s premier car museum, then the same accolade applies to Cité du Train, which undoubtedly holds the title of the largest railway museum worldwide.

Spanning from the earliest locomotives of the 1840s to the state-of-the-art TGV, the vast array of trains is truly overwhelming.

What stands out is how Cité du Train presents its exhibits in a modern, interactive manner without avoiding the technical details that enthusiasts and engineers seek.

The newly refurbished building features displays that delve into the workings of steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, including an opportunity to examine the internal mechanisms of a steam locomotive.

3. Musée de l’Impression sur Étoffe

This textile printing museum serves multiple purposes, examining decorative arts, fashion, local history, and industry.

Visitors can observe early industrial printing machinery, such as the Lefèvre copper roller from 1809, alongside various sewing machines and pantographs.

Moreover, the museum showcases stunning printed fabrics produced by this equipment, all presented in extensive exhibition spaces.

This institution is also an invaluable resource for designers, housing six million print samples dating back 200 years, accessible to students, researchers, and industry professionals.

4. Musée EDF Electropolis

Standing as a key example of Mulhouse’s technological heritage, the largest electricity museum in Europe features a 1901 steam generator paired with a Sulzer BBC alternator, an impressive display for physics enthusiasts.

Electropolis invites visitors to explore humanity’s connection with electricity, tracing early experiments from the 17th and 18th centuries to iconic figures like Volta, Edison, and Tesla in the 19th century.

Antique machinery, including Voss’s electrostatic machine from 1881, Edison’s dictaphone and phonograph, along with early telephones and household appliances such as radios, TVs, and refrigerators, can all be discovered here.

5. Hôtel de Ville

The former city hall of Mulhouse, constructed in 1552, displays a renaissance style characteristic of the Rhône region.

Its exterior features trompe l’œil paintings, adorned with allegorical motifs representing justice, courage, temperance, faith, and charity.

Notably, a stone head, known as the klapperstein, dangles from a chain on one side; this weighted artifact, which weighed 12 kilos, was once used as a punishment for gossips and scandal-mongers, who were paraded through the city backward on a donkey. Now, the city hall serves as a location for weddings and ceremonial events.

6. Musée Historique de Mulhouse

Located within the city hall, this informative museum chronicles the history of Mulhouse.

Exhibits provide insights into the period of the city state, the Republic of Mulhouse, which endured until the French Revolution, and detail Mulhouse’s evolution into an industrial powerhouse starting from the 18th century.

Displays evoke the city’s life over the years, featuring antique costumes, stained glass, furniture, maps, portraits, and toys.

Additionally, the museum recreates a traditional kitchen from the Sundgau and depicts a typical winstub, or tavern.

The original klapperstein is also displayed for public viewing.

7. Parc Zoologique et Botanique

Established in 1868 by a group of philanthropic industrialists, Mulhouse’s zoo occupies 25 hectares adjacent to the Tannenwald forest.

Approximately one thousand animals, representing 170 different species, are conserved within its boundaries.

The zoo features themed environments, including an arctic sector housing polar bears and arctic foxes, as well as extensive habitats for Asian lions, Siberian tigers, snow leopards, squirrel monkeys, and meerkats.

The botanical park is categorized as “Jardin remarquables,” particularly enchanting during spring and summer, when a variety of over 400 irises and 100 types of dahlias bloom.

Exotic trees, including a giant cedar from America and a Japanese cedar, were initially planted in 1867.

8. Musée des Beaux-Arts

Founded by industrialists in the 1860s, Mulhouse’s Fine Arts Museum provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of European art, notably emphasizing the 19th century.

A highlight of the museum is “La Scène de Patinage” (Skating Scene), an exquisite oil painting on wood by the Flemish renaissance master Pieter Breughel the Younger.

The works of 19th-century Alsatian artist Jean-Jacques Henner also illustrate societal life in the Sundgau during this period, featuring his family, friends, and affluent patrons as subjects in his numerous paintings on display.

9. Tour du Belvédère

Situated near the zoo in the higher southern region of Mulhouse, this eccentric structure from 1898 resembles a mini-Eiffel Tower, reaching a height of 20 meters and constructed from wrought iron.

Visitors can ascend the stairs to an observation platform located 350 meters above sea level, offering a panoramic view of the Vosges, Black Forest, Jura, and Bernese Alps mountain ranges, along with the cities of Colmar and Freiburg.

The tower was restored approximately ten years ago and includes a useful orientation table to assist in identifying nearby landmarks.

10. Temple Saint-Étienne

This neo-gothic church, completed in 1866, stands at 97 meters, making it the tallest Protestant church in France.

It replaced an ancient church that dated back to the 1100s, which was demolished in 1858 due to poor condition.

Fortunately, much of the decorative elements from the original church were transferred to the new structure, including remarkable stained glass windows from the mid-14th century, regarded as one of Mulhouse’s great medieval treasures.

The oak choir stalls, designed in the baroque style, date back to 1637.

11. Sights around Old Mulhouse

In contrast to cities like Colmar and Strasbourg, Mulhouse lacks a prominent historic center for leisurely exploration.

Instead, intriguing fragments are scattered throughout the area.

On Rue de Metz, visitors will discover the Bollwerk tower set between two arches dating back to the 1200s.

At the corner of Rue des Boulangers stands the Pharmacie-au-Lys, a renaissance building established in the 15th century that has operated as a chemist since 1649. The ceiling paintings date back to the 1600s, and the 18th-century cabinets remain intact.

Lastly, the 16th-century Maison Mieg on Place de la Réunion features a turret and trompe l’œil paintings that are easily recognizable.

12. Écomusée d’Alsace

Located in Ungersheim, just north of Mulhouse, is one of Europe’s largest outdoor heritage museums.

Spanning 100 hectares of countryside and village landscape, this site features 70 historic houses salvaged from demolition and meticulously rebuilt on-site.

For those curious about traditional Alsatian practices, the museum offers workshops where artisans such as potters, blacksmiths, and wheelwrights demonstrate centuries-old craftsmanship.

To enhance authenticity, nearly every house is topped with a stork’s nest, a symbol of the region.

13. Parc du Petit Prince

Also in Ungersheim, there exists a new theme park that draws inspiration from the world of Le Petit Prince, created by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 1943.

This whimsical attraction claims the title of “the first aerial park in the world,” featuring tethered balloons referred to as the “balloon planet,” alongside the “Aérobar”—a hybrid of a tethered balloon and observation tower that offers views 150 meters above the Plain of Alsace.

The park also features various animal attractions, including opportunities to interact with sheep and foxes, as well as a butterfly house to explore.

14. Christmas Market

During December, Place de la Réunion hosts Mulhouse’s enchanting Christmas market.

Visitors can savor traditional Alsatian delicacies, including glühwein (mulled wine), pain d’épices (gingerbread), and bredeles, small cakes and biscuits with anise or orange and cinnamon flavors.

The city enhances Mulhouse’s uniqueness during this season by adorning the streets and squares with festive textiles, reflecting the region’s fabric manufacturing heritage.

This festive atmosphere is sure to immerse everyone in the holiday spirit.

15. Food and Drink

In the southern region of Alsace, known as Sundgau, fried carp commonly appears on traditional menus.

This freshwater fish is typically breaded, deep-fried, and served with chips and mayonnaise for dipping.

Alsatian cuisine is renowned for its fusion of French and Central European flavors.

Choucroute, which consists of fermented cabbage served with sausages and potatoes, is a regional specialty.

The primary wines produced in Alsace are white varieties: Crisp and acidic Riesling pairs beautifully with choucroute, while Gewürztraminer, being richer and spicier, is often enjoyed alongside desserts.