alsace - Office de Tourisme de Mulhouse

MULHOUSE
A L S A C E
Press Kit
Issue2015
Contact
Office de Tourisme
me et de
d s Co
Cong
ngrè
rèss
de Mulho
ous
use
e et sa ré
r gi
gion
on
Laure Gaau er
La
Preess
Pr
ess Officeer
Tél : 03 8
89
9 354 743
lgau
lga
gau er@
@to
tourisme-mulhouse.com
1
5
4
Mulhouse, living Alsace in a creative
way
Help with your report
You have the idea ? We might have the key!
Culture is everywhere in Mulhouse. Street
scenes, urban art, Mulhouse is creative and
attractive.
8
14
10 “must sees”
What’s new ?
So many things to see and
do in Mulhouse ! Let’s start
with 10!
Everything you have to know about
Mulhouse and the surrounding region at a
glance!
16
A customized day
Just trust us and let us guide
you
2
24
18
26
Exceptional museum
It’s all happening here!
Mulhouse and Southern Alsace
are home to Europe’s number 1
cluster of industrial museums.
Take a breath of fresh air
What happens? and when? Here
are the events!
Mulhouse and its region provide a
wonderfully green environment for
holiday makers.
28
Behind the scenes, look at
our local skills
How is a car assembled? How
is beer brewed? How is a local
newspaper made from A to Z?
And what does “Made in Alsace”
mean?
29
Mulhouse, ideal for
business tourism
Let’s talk business together!
Yes but where? Discover our
Business Tourism destination
30
And what do we do for
groups?
We pamper them of course!
3
Help with
your report
The Tourist Office and Conven on Bureau of Mulhouse and its region can provide all
the services you need to help organise your reports:
A dedicated team: Guillaume Colombo, Director, and Laure Gau er, Press Officer,
will be happy to help you for all types of press coverage.
A personal welcome: we are on hand to help you, depending on your specific needs:
organisa on, contacts and advice upstream, varying levels of support on site…
A Flickr account to download High Defini on visuals
A press area on our website www.tourisme-mulhouse.com to download press packs
and press releases, brochures…
Laure Gautier
Press Officer
Tél: 03 89 35 47 43
lgau [email protected]
4
Guillaume Colombo
Director
Tél: 03 89 35 47 48
[email protected]
Crea ve Alsace
Mulhouse was men oned for the
entrepreneurs: Samuel Koechlin,
1st me in 803 under the name
Jean-Jacques Schmalzer, Jean-
of Mulinhuson (mill houses)
Henri Dollfus and Jean-Jacques
and, legend has it, was founded
Feer. By the me the Kingdom
around a mill. It belonged to the
of France legalised Indiennes in
Germanic Roman Holy Empire
1759, the industry in Mulhouse
when it was founded, and
already had a considerable head
obtained the status of an imperial
start! This was the beginning
town in 1308, thereby answering
of an industrial golden age:
directly to the Emperor himself.
in a few years, the small cra
In 1354, it joined the Decapolis,
town of the 18th century was
a federa on of 10 imperial
profoundly
towns. In 1515, it signed an
1798, the small, prosperous
alliance treaty with the thirteen
republic of Mulhouse chose to
Swiss cantons. At the end of the
become part of France. In 1846,
Hundred Years War, the whole of
Mulhouse had 45 spinning mills.
Alsace became French...except
This period also saw the crea on
Mulhouse, which obtained the
of the forerunner of the SACM
transformed.
In
status of independent republic.
and ALSTOM, and the commissioning of the 1st railway
Mulhouse, a Protestant enclave in the Kingdom of France,
line in France, between Mulhouse and Thann (1839). The
was unaffected by the prohibi on on the produc on of
paternalis c, Protestant ruling classes of Mulhouse, who
Indiennes (floral printed fabrics) which had been in force on
were mainly freemasons, were responsible for a great deal
French territory since 1686. Its des ny was sealed in 1746
of economic, technical and social progress. In 1822, Europe’s
when the first Indienne factory was founded by four young
first chemistry school opened - it s ll enjoys an excellent
5
reputa on to this day. In 1826,
its flagship industry, tex les, move to
into an a rac ve city with great
22 young industrialists founded
the Asian countries. Yet it remained
crea ve poten al. A major page
the Mulhouse Industrial Society
dynamic and reinvented itself, with
has been turned for Mulhouse and
(Société Industrielle de Mulhouse
the opening of the Peugeot factory,
the many changes bear witness
- SIM), which is s ll ac ve today,
the
of
to the ability of the city and its
thus helping to improve local
Clemessy and the crea on of the
inhabitants to adapt. Nowadays,
people’s living condi ons: they
University of Upper Alsace. In 2006,
it a racts more than 2.5 million
interna onal
expansion
created the zoological
visitors a year. Mulhouse is not
and botanical park
short of examples in industrial
(1868), a day nursery,
Hasenrain
(1899),
heritage
hospital
the
workers’
first
reconversion.
“Mulhouse is not short of examples in
Here, if you do not come
industrial heritage reconversion ”
to art, art will come to
housing
you! It can be found in
in
old industrial wastelands,
development
France (1853)...
in the street, on the walls, in the
1945,
the arrival of the tram gave the town
parks. In short, it is everywhere,
Mulhouse, like the rest of Alsace,
a new vision, and was followed in
and it is well worth keeping your
changed na onality 4 mes. The
2010 by the introduc on of France’s
eyes peeled. Mulhouse has a park
town suffered severe damage at
first ever tram-train, connec ng
full of important contemporary
the end of the 2nd World War.
Mulhouse to the Thann Valley (30
works.
In the 1970’s, Mulhouse was hit
km). Once a grey industrial city,
created in 2001 on the banks of
hard by the 2 oil crises and saw
Mulhouse
the Nouveau Bassin, has several
Between
1870
and
has
metamorphosed
The
sculpture
park,
La Fonderie, an example of the
regenera on of our industrial
heritage
A University and a contemporary
art museum in a giant industrial
building? A bold move, which the
Town of Mulhouse has pulled off
successfully. Since 2009, in the old
mechanical foundry building of the
SACM (see opposite) at the heart of a
neighbourhood in mid-regeneration,
La Fonderie hosts some of the
teaching and research activities
of the University of Haute-Alsace
and is home to the Kunsthalle, a
Contemporary Art Centre which is
available for private events (dinners,
seminars…)
6
sculptures on display. Every year since 2000,
the Town of Mulhouse celebrates sculptures
by an ar st in town, usually a local one. Every
year, it buys a work, thus crea ng a real outdoor
exhibi on all across town.
In 2006, the launch of the tramway was a
chance to proclaim the interest in contemporary
art by entrus ng each of the 2 lines to a top
interna onal ar st. Daniel Buren, known for his
black and white stripes, which can be found in
the Palais Royal garden in Paris amongst other
places, created a number of arches along line 2.
In bright colours, they mark the stops and provide
an element of con nuity. Along line 1, Tobias
Rehberger installed 9 works which emphasise the
characteris cs of the tramway.
More tradi onally, but very typical to the
Mulhouse area, a large number of painted walls
tell a story and inspire the imagina on. In 1698,
the Mulhouse painter Jean Gabriel was already
pain ng allegorical figures and trompe-l’œil
on the façade of the Town Hall. Themes which
inspired the ar sts include significant figures
in the history of Mulhouse (the scien st Jean
Henri Lambert, the founders of the first factory,
the li le Henrie e Reber, the 1st child born a er
Mulhouse became part of France…).
Finally, the M.U.R. (Modulable Urbain Réac f ) on
Rue de la Moselle, a concept founded in Paris in
2003 and imported to Mulhouse in June 2013. As
a result, it became the third city in France to offer
a monthly gathering in this crea ve space. The
M.U.R. enables local ar sts to borrow codes from
adver sing (its format, its ritual) whilst promo ng
an even less well known ar s c technique: street
art.
7
Whats’
new ?
THE GREAT NORTH AREA
The “Great North” (“Grand Nord”) area at the Zoological and
Botanical Park has officially opened on 1 April 2014, with a
special area dedicated to polar bears. This brand new area of
10 000 m2 is designed to improve animals’ living condi ons,
make the park more energy-efficient, and raise public awareness
of the threat of climate change.
Muskoxen, great grey owls, snowy owls and arc c foxes were the
first animals to move into these new facili es in June 2013. The
Zoological and Botanical Park hosts a couple of polar bears -Tina,
a 3-year-old female, and Vicks, a male of the same age and Sesi,
a 27-year-old female.
The 1000 m2 enclosure has two areas, one to see the bears
under water, and a training pool for any bear cubs that are born.
Adjoining it is a maternity hut to separate females and males
during the gesta on period and maximise the chances of a future
birth.
The Great North area also has an educa onal role. A visitor’s trail
allows the public to see species from the Holarc c region, with
interac ve games. The goal is to educate all genera ons about
the problem of global warming and help them learn about the
ac on that needs to be taken to safeguard species in the Great
North.
8
PARC DU PETIT PRINCE
A theme park has opened its doors
on 1st July 2014, dedicated to the
Li le Prince and his wonderful world
- the first of its kind in France. This
event marks the 70th anniversary
of the death of the author who
created him, Antoine de SaintExupéry. A poe c project also fun
and educa onal, the Parc du Pe t
Prince, the first aerial park in the
world, revolves around two worlds
in three dimensions, with thirty
“experiences” such as two giant
mazes, 3D movies, many
challenges for all ages, a Rose
Garden, shows, the first na ve
Lepidoptera (bu erfly) farm
ever to open to the public,
animals throughout the park
and more.
On the ground, on the Li le
Prince’s planet B612, there are 4
themes: Space, Avia on, Water
and Animals and Plants. In the
air, the planets of the King and
the Lamplighter, the names
given to two tethered balloons,
will float to a height of 150
metres for a breathtaking view
of the en re region, from the
Alps to Germany, and also the
Vosges mountains. Finally, the
planet of the Drinker, the name
given to the park’s aerobar, takes
visitors on an unusual trip, glass
in hand, to a height of 35 metres
with a spectacular 360° view.
9
MOTOCO
Motoco, from the acronym More To
Come, is an interna onal experience.
In France, it has chosen Mulhouse as
its base, on the industrial wasteland
of the DMC tex le factory. At the
crossroads between three countries
(France, Switzerland and Germany),
it is the perfect place for giving body
to the Motoco project and the vision
of its President, Mischa Schaub, in a
10.000 m² building, on 100,000 m² of
wasteland.
WifiLib
Since the start of 2014, Mulhouse
has become the first city in France
to welcome a free Wi-Fi network.
Wifilib simply requires prior
registra on: which you have to
do only once using a valid e-mail
address.
10
CHINESE PRESIDENTIAL CAR :
HONG QI CA 770
The Cité de l’Automobile welcomes
the famous Chinese Presiden al
car: the Hong Qi CA 770, a model
from the 1970s. A er being restored
in China, this emblema c vehicle,
which used to belong to the former
leader of the People’s Republic of
China, Deng Xiaoping, comes to
the Cité de l’Automobile, thanks
to a dona on from Y. K. Wong, an
entrepreneur from Hong Kong.
For the occasion, the exhibi on
“Drapeau Rouge, soixante ans
d’histoire automobile chinoise” (Red
Flag, sixty years of Chinese automobile
history) was inaugurated and is open
to the public up un l 29 March 2015.
The hope of an en re na on, the
adventure of the Hong Qi (which means
“Red Flag”) entered the history books
and contributed to China becoming
one of the major players in the
automobile sector in the 20th century.
A er the release of the Dongfeng CA
71 car, commissioned by Chairman
Mao Zedong in 1958, the FAW
group (First Automobile Works)
presented an original crea on in
1965: the HONG QI type CA 770.
With an extremely accomplished
design, this limousine is a sort of
technical and stylis c summary
of the work of the designer,
Yanliang JIA, who was also a
painter and an industrial engineer.
The car’s lines are simple and pure,
the outline is elegant and clean
crea ng an idea of movement.
The interior fi ngs, which mirror
the bodywork, are understated, but,
nevertheless, make a few original
allusions to common references such
as the shape of Tiananmen gate on
the dashboard and the drawing of a
sunflower on the steering wheel.
Nicknamed the “Chinese Rolls Royce”,
the CA 770 was reserved for state
dignitaries and for welcoming foreign
heads of state. Thus the car donated
was used, among others, by Chairman
Den Xiao Ping between 1978 and 1992.
The 56530 cm3 V8 engine with
a 4-barrel carbure or offers 161
kW of power at 4400 rpm and
its maximum speed is 160 km/h.
11
THE TOWN’S MOST TYPICAL
DISTRICTS
The Cité Ouvrière and the Cité Manifeste
In the mid-19th century, people started to become
aware of the condi on of the working classes.
The industrialists founded the Mulhouse Society
of Workers’ Housing Developments (Société
Mulhousienne des Cités Ouvrières - SOMCO)
in 1853. It built 1 200 homes on 60 ha of land,
designed for the workers employed in the factories
of Mulhouse. It offered three types of construc on,
and finally the “Carré Mulhousien” (“Mulhouse
Square”), consis ng of four houses grouped
together under one roof, each with its own separate
garden, would change the face of social housing.
These houses enabled working families to own
property and therefore become more se led.
This scheme was one of France’s most successful
examples of the integra on of the working class by
the bourgeois industrial ruling class. Today, you can
enjoy a lovely walk among the poe cally named li le
alleys, and admire the small houses which have in
many cases been transformed by a series of owners.
12
2
Le Rebberg, home of the industrial bourgeoisie
The district of Le Rebberg also became a symbol of
Mulhouse’s prosperity. In order to provide workers
with wholesome distrac ons outside of work, a
group of industrialists and philanthropists from
Mulhouse decided to open a “people’s garden”
in 1868: walks, animals, gymnas cs, concerts...
These same industrialists played an ac ve role in
founding the Hasenrain hospital in the late 19th
century, by buying land which they then gave to the
town. However, it is the villas built by the captains
of enterprise on this former vineyard site that are
really worth a look. The large parcels of land enabled
the owners to create gardens full of plant species
from all over the world, and build masters’ houses
in styles inspired by many different influences and
architectural periods.
St-E enne Protestant Church
The Place de la Réunion, in the heart of the old town,
formerly known as Place Saint-E enne, was thus
named when Mulhouse became part of France in
1798. In the Middle Ages, it was already the centre
of poli cal, religious and economic life, as the site
where fairs and markets took place. Nowadays,
Place de la Réunion is s ll lined by a series of narrow,
colourful houses, which are among the oldest in the
town, along with the old Town Hall and the Saint
E enne Protestant Church.
This Protestant church was built
between 1858 and 1868, and
contains magnificent 14thcentury stained glass windows,
which used to be part of the old
Romanesque church that once
stood on this site. As the only
Protestant church to stand on
a main square in France, and
the tallest Protestant building
in the country, it confirms the
importance of this religion in the
town’s development
The former Town Hall
Built in 1552, this Renaissance
gem symbolises the small
republic’s a achment to its
liber es. The frescoes, repainted
in 1699 by the Mulhouse painter
Jean Gabriel following a fire,
illustrate the virtues extolled by
the reformed religion as well as
the coats-of-arms of the Swiss
cantons to which Mulhouse
was allied. Upon the right-hand
gable hangs the Klapperstein, or
“ra le stone”, which malicious
gossips were forced to wear
round their necks on market
days as punishment. The original
is preserved in the History
Museum.
The Nouveau Quar er, the symbol of
Mulhouse’s flourishing industry
In the 1820s, the town was suffoca ng behind
its medieval ramparts, due to the growing
number of factories and workers. Built from
1826 to 1841 near to the sta on, this business
district symbolises the success of Mulhouse’s
industrialists. It is also known as the Quar er de
la Bourse (the exchange district), as it contains
the Industrial Society building where the co on
exchange originally had its headquarters. Built
in the Empire style, it is also inspired by Rue de
Rivoli in Paris. The square’s triangular shape is a
sign of the industrialists’ links to Freemasonry.
This urban heritage became a listed historic
monument in 1986.
13
3
10 things not to miss in
Mulhouse Alsace
1
Meet a Greeter for an insider’s view of Mulhouse
and its region
2
Follow the Nouveau Bassin and enjoy a picnic along
the contemporary works of art which occupy the
park
3
Discover tradi onal Alsace all brought together in
one site at the Ecomusée d’Alsace
4
Marvel at the produc on of a Peugeot 2008 at PSA
Mulhouse
5
Taste sauerkraut and other Alsa an speciali es in a
tradi onnal Winstub
6
Dream of being a racing driver at the Automobile
museum
7
Buy clothing “Made in Mulhouse” from a local tex le designer
8
Fall back into childhood and draw a sheep at the
Parc du Pe t Prince
9
Follow in the footsteps of the rich Mulhouse manufacturers who created the Zoo
10 Admire the purity of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul
Romanesque Abbey Church
14
10 things not to miss near
Mulhouse Alsace
on your skis and enjoy the slopes at the
1 Put
Markstein or at the Lac Blanc
aboard the Tram-Train and discover Grand
2 Climb
cru Le Rangen in Thann
the Hill of Notre Dame du Haut and its chapel
3 Visit
built by Le Corbusier
at a Black Forest spa in Bad Krozingen or
4 Relax
Badenweiler
a local train and visit Colmar, Strasbourg or
5 Take
Basle
a bike and discover the legends of the Sundgau
6 Ride
region
a thrilling adventure with your family or
7 Enjoy
friends at Europa Park
the Alsace Wine Route to Eguisheim,
8 Follow
Kaysersberg and Riquewihr
your respects at Hartmannswillerkopf, a key
9 Pay
stage of the 1st World War
yourself in the interna onally famous
10Immerse
contemporary universe of Vitra in Weil-am-Rhein
15
A TAILOR-MADE
DAY
The Tourist Office and
Conven on Bureau invites
you to enjoy a tailor-made
day adapted to your pace
and your wishes.
Mulhouse City Pass
Spend less, enjoy more! For 3 days, the Mulhouse City Pass
lets you enjoy a range of a rac ons in the Mulhouse area. It
includes: one free admission to a tourist site of your choice,
one discounted admission, public transport, a free aperi f
in par cipa ng restaurants, a discount at the Tourist Office
shop... Available in 3 languages, it consolidates Mulhouse’s
posi on as a welcoming, ac ve town in the field of city
tourism, by displaying a dynamic a tude and a varied,
appealing range of a rac ons on the one hand, and great
value for money on the other.
16
will reveal the history of
the region’s outstanding
monuments and sites.
During your excursion,
no fica ons
appear
about the surrounding
How about star ng with monuments. Available for
an immersion in Alsa an Smartphones on App Store
culture?
and Google Play, the app
And why not with a Greeter? also exists in English and
They are volunteers who are German.
very enthusias c about and
involved in local life and who A er all these discoveries,
want to help visitors discover how about enjoying a bite
and experience their city to eat?
in a unique, authen c and Whatever the season you
convivial way for at least choose to visit Mulhouse, the
two hours. They share their area’s gastronomic offering
knowledge of the Mulhouse is very large and will delight
area according to themes as even the most serious food
varied as contemporary art, lovers. Of course, there
urban walks, sport, cycling, are the tradi onal Alsa an
parks and gardens, culture Winstubs, but also gourmet
or gastronomy, and more. and crea ve cuisine and
Mulhouse is a member tastes from around the
of the France Greeters world, a nod to the different
steering commi ee and is cultures which made their
a member of the Global home in Mulhouse and its
Greeter Network!
region. Among its major
restaurants, Mulhouse has
Find a Greeter on:
the privilege of hos ng the
www.greeters-mulhouse.com only Michelin-star Italian
restaurant in France, Il
Do you prefer guided Cor le.
tours? The Municipality of
Mulhouse offers individual In the a ernoon, why not
guided tours with “Ville stroll around the largest
d’Art et d’Histoire” guides market in eastern France
at any me in the year and visit some Mulhouse
which will sa sfy your creators?
hunger for knowledge. They More than a hundred years
are available for groups old, Mulhouse market is,
throughout the year.
without a doubt, the largest
If you have a more market in eastern France
independent
nature, with 250 stall holders who,
Monument Tracker®, an three days a week, offer a
intui ve mobile applica on, very large variety of food
to be sweet. The hotels
in Mulhouse offer 3,000
It bears witness to the rooms, from 4-star hotels
cosmopolitan spirit of to budget hotels, to sa sfy
Mulhouse: a place of life, all tastes and budgets. One
conviviality and exchanges, of the city’s gems, the Hotel
it a racts local residents as du Parc, decorated in an Art
well as tourists and offers Deco style, used to belong
them speciali es from to the Schlumpf brothers
Alsace as well as from all who created the fantas c
collec on of the Automobile
around the world.
museum. Chain, tradi onal
When
it
comes
to and family hotels complete
shopping, whether it is the offering.
large interna onal brands,
small independent shops, The list of accommoda on,
tradi onal establishments restaurants and sugges ons
or
fashionable
spots, for evening ac vi es is
Mulhouse and its region is provided in our guides as
packed with a large offering well as on our website.
which allows visitors the
opportunity to abandon
themselves to the joys of a
leisurely stroll and shopping.
All the assets of a city in a
human-sized centre!
To round off the day, and
before falling into a deep
sleep, depending on the
season, make your way to
the Christmas market for a
glass of mulled wine and a
bague e flambée, or se le
down on a terrace in the
summer and savour the
peace and quiet of early
evening.
As for your night, it promises
and non-food products.
Our favourites in Mulhouse
LA BOUTIQUE
1 avenue Robert Schuman - 68100 Mulhouse
Tél. +33 (0) 389 35 48 48
[email protected]
Offering a range of souvenirs from Mulhouse and Alsace,
including tradi onal and more contemporary items, LA
BOUTIQUE, the shop of the Tourist Office and Conven on
Bureau, has over 700 products for sale. Take a bit of
Mulhouse home with you or give your loved ones a treat.
LA VITRINE
53 Avenue Kennedy - 68100 Mulhouse
Tél. +33 (0) 389 33 11 11
www.danslavitrine.com / [email protected]
This is a temple for designers from Mulhouse and Alsace!
You’ll find accessories, clothing, decora ons, tableware...
The shop also hosts mini-exhibi ons and events.
LE MARCHE DE L’ONCLE HANSI
Passage de la Réunion 68100 Mulhouse
www.hansi.fr
17
MULHOUSE,
visi ng excep onal museums
Cité de l’Automobile - Na onal
Automobile Museum, Schlumpf
Collec on
At the Cité de l’Automobile,
car enthusiasts can admire
some 400 vintage cars made
by 97 different manufacturers,
making it one of the world’s
finest collec ons. The museum
is based in an old 19th-century
woollen mill, which was bought
by the Schlumpf Brothers
in 1957, and turned into a
showcase for their fabulous
collec on a few years later. The
cars are arranged by theme
and chronological period. The
“Automobile Adventure” area
features “Ancestors” (Panhard,
Peugeot, De Dion and Benz)
and “Classics”. The “Racing
Car” area displays a group of
excep onal sports cars from
the early days of racing to the
present day. The “Automobile
Masterpieces”
collec on
immerses the visitor in a world
18
of pres ge and escapism,
with some of the world’s most
pres gious models, including 2
famous Buga Royales.
Since 2011, the Cité de
l’Automobile has had its own
racing circuit, where it can host
events and give a new lease of life
to the vehicles in its collec on,
for example the “Tous en piste!”
show which takes place from
April to September.
www.citedelautomobile.com
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
EDF-Electropolis Museum
The showpiece of the EDF-Electropolis Museum’s collec on is the “grande
machine Sulzer-BBC”, which the museum was originally based around,
an alterna ng current generator acquired by the DMC factory in 1901.
Over 12 000 objects were later added to the collec on, a thousand of which
are on display in the permanent exhibi on. There are objects rela ng to
the scien fic discovery of electricity and its industrial applica ons - from
electrosta c machines to generator groups - as well as objects from the
domes c sphere, which illustrate the radical changes that have taken place
over the last century, in the field of comfort, food prepara on, communica on
and audio-visual technology... As a complement to this collec on, there
are large collec ons of documents, posters, and technical and commercial
archives.
h p://electropolis.edf.com or www.musees-mulhouse.fr
Cité du Train - French Railway Museum
Open since 1971, the French Na onal Railway Museum, now known as the Cité du
Train, has a range of fun, educa onal exhibits on the most amazing masterpieces of
railway history.
The collec ons are divided into 2 parts. Since 2005, a new building has housed a show
trail consis ng of 2 areas: the “golden century of the railway” and the “return to the
golden age”, with 6 themes exploring the emo onal roots of the railway. The museum’s
other star a rac on, the railway adventure, tells the story of trains. Some thirty trains
and locomo ves have been carefully selected and renovated to illustrate the technical
history of the railway, from its origins to the present day, for a more educa onal but
equally lively visit!
Since 2013, the Cité du Train is opening up to the outside world: children and grownups will be able to enjoy locomo ve rides, take part in many train-themed events and
admire an impressive miniature train.
19
www.citedutrain.com or www.musees-mulhouse.fr
The Rhenish motorcycle museum (Bantzenheim)
Based in a renovated barn covering 750 m2 and boas ng many original displays, this motorcycle museum exhibits 90 vintage vehicles from the “Lemoine collec on”, including a unique collec on of RAVAT motorbikes and other
French and foreign models. It enables visitors to enjoy a unique, thrilling experience, as they “relive” the history of the motorbike.
The museum is arranged into four sec ons. The “corridor” presents the adventure of vintage motorbikes to the sound of period music, in the form of a
parade. The “tous motards !” (“everyone’s a biker!”) exhibit lets visitors experience the joy of straddling and riding a vintage motorbike, as well as a documentary about motorcycle history and the representa on of motorbikes in
the main ar s c fields. The “dans le detail” (“in detail”) exhibi on is dedicated
to motorcycle parts. The last stage of the tour takes visitors behind the scenes
in the museum, its reserve and its workshop, where the Amis de la moto associa on restores the motorbikes
www.lagrangeabecanes.com
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
Ecomusée d’Alsace
Covering over 15 hectares, the Ecomusée d’Alsace brings the history of an en re
region to life. In its village of 73 authen c buildings renovated by enthusiasts,
visitors can learn about the daily lives of local people in the olden days, and
the treasures of Alsa an architecture, through unique, hands-on experiences.
Life runs its course: cra speople ply their tradi onal trades, the lady of the
house rustles up delicious dishes and shares her secrets, the schoolmistress
gives lessons, the peasants are busy in the fields... All year round, the ac vi es
change with the seasons to highlight key moments in peasant life: harvests,
grape-picking, annual fes vals... Hands-on workshops, cra and gastronomy
demonstra ons, exhibi ons, fes vals, shows, concerts and late-night openings
are among the unmissable events on offer here.
20
www.ecomusee-alsace.fr
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
Wesserling Park, Tex le Museum
30 km from Mulhouse, at the foot of the
moutains, Wesserling Park tells the story of
the extraordinary industrial adventure of an
old royal factory. Innova ve, full of heritage
and environmentally friendly, it amazes visitors
with its sumptuous “Remarkable Garden”
listed gardens, and its collec on of industrial
buildings, unique in France. The Tex le Museum
is an animated place that brings the old factory
trades back to life, with drama sed tours and
astounding sound and light shows... It combines
the history of the site with contemporary art,
and hosts exhibi ons by interna onal designers
every year. The interna onal “Fes val des
Jardins Mé ssés” and “Christmas in the Garden”
are unmissable annual events at the park
www.parc-wesserling.fr
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
Museum of Printed Tex les
Founded in the 19th century by Mulhouse’s tex le factory owners to
provide an inexhaus ble source of inspira on, this excep onal museum
is a tes mony to Mulhouse’s industrial saga. It takes a look back at
leading figures in prin ng history, and displays industrial achievements
from all over the world. Its collec on highlights the role of prin ng in
the history of decora ve arts since the 16th century. Today, there are
over 6 million samples in this Museum’s excep onal collec on, a real
monument to Mulhouse’s industrial past. Pieces from this impressive
collec on are used in one or two major exhibi ons at the Museum every
year, in collabora on with leading designers (Hermès, Chris an Lacroix,
Prada, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac…) and are regularly lent to other
pres gious establishments. The pa erns stored in the archives remain a
source of inspira on for professionals, and are regularly found in fashion
designers’ collec ons and series by major companies (Ladurée, IKEA…).
www.musee-impression.com
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
21
Wallpaper Museum
The collec ons cover the whole history of wallpaper, from the 18th century to the present day. This collec on encompasses prac cally all aspects of wallpaper produc on,
from the most common to the most excep onal varie es, such as panoramic wallpaper.
By crea ng these extraordinary panoramic wallpapers over two centuries ago, our ancestors aimed to break through the overly narrow walls of their daily world. Come and
daydream in front of eleven of these designs, which will take you on a journey from the
Indies to Eldorado...
www.museepapierpeint.org - www.musees-mulhouse.fr
History Museum
Founded in 1864, the History Museum boasts very rich
collec ons, chiefly made up of furniture and costumes,
tools and toys, maps and portraits etc., with in par cular
the famous Klapperstein, the statue of the Savage, model
people and reconstructed interiors (bedroom and kitchen
in the Sundgau style). The themed circuit offered to visitors
puts the history of Mulhouse into perspec ve and allows
them to discover life in Alsace in the olden days.
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
Fine Arts Museum
The journey through art history at the Fine Arts Museum
begins in the 15th century with the magnificent
Rheinfelden altarpiece. Then come the classical centuries,
represented by Brueghel, Boucher and Teniers. The 19th
century is the strong point of the collec ons, with Boudin,
Jongking, Géricault, Courbet and Bouguereau. Alsa an
ar sts are also well represented, in par cular JeanJacques Henner, who has a room dedicated to him. The
rooms on the 2nd floor contain contemporary crea ons:
interna onally renowned ar sts are invited there for
temporary exhibi ons, alterna ng with visual ar sts from
the Mulhouse area.
22
www.musees-mulhouse.fr
La Kunsthalle, contemporary
art center
Located in La Fonderie, a
building it shares with the
University of Upper Alsace, La
Kunsthalle presents exhibi ons
and numerous events based
on an interest in ar s c
cera on and research. Every
year, La Kunsthalle is joined
by a visi ng curator, as well as
ar sts taking part in exchange
and research programmes.
La Kunsthalle’s dedica on to
providing many events makes
it part of contemporary art
network which brings it closer
to art centers in and beyond the
border region.
Within 700m2 of gallery space
La Kunsthalle both displays and
produces temporary exhibi ons
dedicated to contemporary art.
These exhibi ons focus either
on the work of one ar st, or on
a wider theme appearing in the
work of various ar sts.
WORKSHOPS
La Kunsthalle interacts ac vely
and crea vely with the public
through workshops, during
which an ar st collaborates
with a task group.
These
workshops
usually
involve the input of local ar sts
and aim to produce a piece of
art which is then displayed at La
Kunsthalle
h p://kunsthallemulhouse.com/
23
MULHOUSE,
a breath of fresh air
Mulhouse and its region provide a wonderfully green
environment for holidaymakers. The town has many
gardens and parks, which are home to some 13.665
trees, with 273 varie es. Our territory is also an ideal
star ng point for enjoying the most beau ful natural
spots: Sundgau, Vosges, banks of the Rhine...
The Zoological and Botanical Garden
The number 1 tourist a rac on in Haut-Rhin and the
3rd most popular in Alsace with 370.000 visitors per
year, the Zoological Garden is also one of the oldest
zoos in France, founded in 1868. It has 1.200 animals
belonging to 170 species, most of whom are rare due
to hun ng or the disappearance of their natural habitat. You can meet some excep onal animals here: Asian
lions, Siberian gers, Persian panthers, lemurs, Grevy’s
zebras, addax antelopes, and many more. There is
also a magnificent botanical collec on in a remarkable
landscaped se ng, which you can explore throughout
the year. A real treat for the senses!
The Jardins du Temps
Located just a few kilometres from Mulhouse, the Jardins du Temps, which carry the “Remarkable Garden”
label, seem to invite visitors on a journey. It comes as
no surprise to learn that these gardens were created
a few years ago by a couple who are passionate about
travel. They consist of 9 different areas, based on an
imaginary line formed by a kitchen garden, a maze, a
copse and a Virginia tulip tree, planted at the edge of
the park. The floral park boasts an excep onal variety
of colours, landscapes and plants.
24
Other parks and gardens of interest in
Mulhouse and its region
“Remarkable Garden” labelled gardens,
French and English-style gardens, parks
open to the public since the 19th century, a
triangular square reminding us of the freemasons... The gardens and parks of Mulhouse and the surrounding area each have
their own unique features, and confer great
botanical diversity on our territory. Here is a
selec on of just a few of them.
On the outskirts of Mulhouse, the Wallach Park, which carries the “Remarkable
Garden” label, is the only real French-style
garden in Mulhouse. Made in 1935 for the
industrialist Alfred Wallach, it contains a
rose garden with over 130 varie es as well
as a parterre de broderie (box hedges in an
elaborate scroll pa ern), a “res ng room”, a
small maze and a “green carpet” connected
by regular paths, as well as steps, statues
and sculpted plants.
The only English-style garden in Mulhouse,
the Square Steinbach, contains a number
of botanical treasures: a superb weeping
beech, beau ful Austrian black pines, a
hackberry tree from Virginia, and a Ginkgo.
This square was developed at the turn of
the previous century in the former park of
the Steinbach property, which has since become the Fine Arts Museum.
Developed in 1890, the Salvator Park is the
number one public park in Mulhouse. This
Roman c-style garden is best known for
its pond, with a small bridge across it, and
shell-shaped auditorium. This is the park
with the widest variety of species in the
town centre.
The town and all its partners
in the Mulhouse Urban
Area earned the Ville
Vélotouris que label in
2012.
A list of Ville Vélotouris que
partners is available on our
website and in the guided
named “Mulhouse, Ville
vélotouris que”.
Further afield
The Mulhouse area is an ideal star ng
point for accessing the Wine Route or the
Ballon des Vosges Regional Nature Park.
The 32 towns, which include the Mulhouse
Urban Area and Porte de France Rhin Sud,
offer a variety of landscapes: from typical
Alsa an villages to the old potash mines,
from the banks of the Rhine to the start of
the Sundgau.
Cycle tourists are welcome here, and
Mulhouse makes a great star ng point for
exploring the area by bike.
25
It’s all happening
here !
Mystery night– Saturday 16 May
2015
This event is unique in Europe
and takes place during Museum
Night, a rac ng tens of thousands
of people. Organised by Musées
Mulhouse Sud Alsace, this treasure
hunt requires par cipants to go
from one museum to another, from
2 pm to midnight, solving riddles
with several levels of difficulty. The
event has a different theme every
year: in 2012, the theme was the
Far West, and the prize was a trip
to the United States. Last year, the
Museums have created a Roaring
Twen es atmosphere!
Météo Mulhouse Music Fes val from 6 to 29 August 2015
Météo Mulhouse Music Fes val
has become one of Europe’s
biggest gatherings for improvised,
experimental, crea ve and current
music. Over a fortnight, some forty
concerts (from jazz to electroacous c, from rock to classical) are
given at ten or so venues in HautRhin. A er a week of jazz wanderings
in the countryside, the end of the
fes val is busier and brings together
the world’s best alterna ve music
over a period of 4 to 5 days.
Scènes de Rue – 16 to 19 July 2015
Deliberately popular, ar s c and
fes ve, Scènes de Rue (“Street
Stages”) is a fes val dedicated
to street arts, a real highlight of
summer in Mulhouse. Over several
days, it acts as a laboratory for
ar s c experiences, and dozens
of ar sts take to the squares,
streets and parks of Mulhouse
town centre, offering passers-by a
chance to share in the experience
and meet new people. Comedy
and enchantment take over all the
corners of the town. All the shows
are open to all and free of charge.
26
Christmas Time
As in the whole of Alsace, Christmas is a special me in Mulhouse and the
whole region. Enjoy a friendly, magical atmosphere as you enter a world
fragrant with the scent of gingerbread and mulled wine.
With illumina ons which are unique in Alsace, Christmas fabrics, Christmas
markets, music, fairytales, sing-alongs and Advent concerts, Mulhouse is
the ideal place to experience the magic of Christmas! Local skills are put
to good use on this occasion, and an exclusive fabric is created which
can only be seen in Mulhouse, then in the Land of Carols and Tex les the
following year. The Christmas market, the monuments and the streets are
decorated with thousand metres of fabric which is also turned into gi s
to bring back from your trip to Alsace.
Mulhouse is also the capital of the Land of Carols and Tex les, which
has long been historically linked to the tex le industry. In recogni on
of this tradi on, the Tourist Offices in the local area organise a “Fabric
Workshop”, where people can learn about tradi onal techniques and
make a decora ve object out of fabric, as well as “The Tex le Minute”,
an amazing short workshop where you can make a postcard out of cloth.
Alongside these, the Museum of Printed Tex les holds its own Christmas
market and a superb exhibi on each year.
www.noel-sud-alsace.com
Save the date!
Carnavalia from 20 to 22 February / Plant market on 11 and 12 April / Workshop open in May /Interna onal Exhibion Fair from 14 to 25 Mai / Fun Car Show and Stock Car Interna onal from 23 to 25 Mai / Le Printemps du Tango
from 11 to 14 June / mulhouse 00 – Contemporary Art from 13 to 16 June / Fête du Patrimoine Industriel from 5
to 12 July / Bêtes de scène Fes val in June / Onion Fes val on 12 and 13 September 2015 / Journées d’Octobre,
Folie’Flore from 1st to 11 October
More informa on at the Tourist Office and Conven on Bureau or www.tourisme-mulhouse.com.
27
BEHIND THE SCENES,
OUR LOCAL SKILLS
How is a car assembled? How
is beer brewed? How is a local
newspaper made, from A to Z?
How do we produce electricity
from waste? And what does
“Made
in
Alsace”
mean?
28
These ques ons and more are
answered during company tours
organised by the Tourist Office
and Conven on Bureau. These
companies in the local area and
southern Alsace, all with their
own specific features and stories,
open their doors to share their
unique exper se, from twice a
year to several mes a week.
Among them we find PSA PeugeotCitroën for example, the biggest
employer in Haut-Rhin, L’Alsace
newspaper and its prin ng
presses, the Soultzma springs,
O marsheim Port or the Brasserie
de Saint-Louis brewery, which
produces “La Mulhousienne” beer.
to put together such an offering in
Alsace, working in three sectors:
science tourism, industrial heritage
tourism and company tourism.
These company tours are the first
building block in the Economic
Discovery Tourism scheme run by
the Tourist Office and Conven on
Bureau of Mulhouse and its region,
in partnership with the Pays de
la Région Mulhousienne and the
Alsace Region. With its industrial
heritage and its close-knit network
of companies, Mulhouse and its
region are becoming the first area
In 2014, to con nue this
process, two schemes have been
announced: the 1st involves the
organisa on of an event promo ng
Economic
Discovery
Tourism
in the area; the 2nd involves
se ng up a digital trail, allowing
tourists to find informa on and
“visit”
businesses
remotely
from a smartphone or tablet.
MULHOUSE, IDEAL FOR
BUSINESS TOURISME
The mission of the Tourist Office’s
Conven on Bureau, which was
founded in 1997, is to promote
and develop Business Tourism and
posi on Mulhouse and its region
in this very compe ve field. The
strength of the Mulhouse area?
Its excep onal venues for hos ng
professional events, the likes of
which you won’t find anywhere
else: the Cité de l’Automobile –
Schlumpf Collec on, Cité du Train,
the Ecomusée in Alsace.
As specialists in the des na on, the
Conven on Bureau assists event
organisers free of charge, providing
advice and contacts to help organise
their
conferences,
seminars,
conven ons, mee ngs etc, from
organisa on to comple on. The
Conven on Bureau centralises all
offers and organises scou ng visits,
thus providing a personal solu on
to suit the client’s objec ves and
budget.
By appearing at trade fairs and
in specialist publica ons, the
Conven on
Bureau
promotes
Mulhouse as a Business Tourism
des na on. A dedicated website
completes the Conven on Bureau’s
range of communica on tools.
Beyond being well-presented, a
website also has to be intui ve and
prac cal. An effec ve new search
engine has therefore been designed
with the aim of quickly finding the
most appropriate place to host your
event: you can run an advanced
search by size of room sought, type
of venue (excep onal, unusual,
hotels and restaurants...) or type
of event (residen al seminar, gala
night, incen ve, cocktail…). In
addi on, there is a promo onal area
where event organisers can regularly
benefit from promo onal offers on
services provided by our partners.
More informa on:
Marie-France Ehret
Tél. +33 (0) 3 89 35 47 49
Fax. +33 (0) 3 89 35 47 46
[email protected]
www.congres-mulhouse.com
29
AND WHAT DO WE HAVE
FOR GROUPS ?
Our team will be happy to provide them with prac cal informa on
about the area and help organise their stay, liaising with local
tourist service providers: advice on accommoda on, where to eat,
sites to visit, ideas for tours and ou ngs...
The Tourist Office organises guided tours by request, all year round,
showcasing its heritage (old town, Le Rebberg district, workers’
housing developments...) as well as themes dear to Mulhouse
(sustainable development, eco-district).
In addi on, we offer several fully modular circuits via our partner,
the TS Loisirs agency. This way, you can discover the Mulhouse area,
its museums and its tex le history, as well as other local tourist
des na ons (rest of Alsace, Basel...).
More informa on:
Nathalie Birling
Tél. +33 (0)3 89 35 48 43
Fax. +33 (0) 3 89 35 47 46
[email protected]
Download our Sales Manual :
www.tourisme-mulhouse.com/fr/manuel-de-vente-2.html
30
31
Ville d’Art et d’Histoire
The award recognises Mulhouse whose many charms
appear as you wander through its areas and amongst its
diverse built and natural heritage. Mulhouse is home to
17 buildings registered or listed as a Monument Historique including the town hall whose beauty Montaigne
praised at the end of the 16th century and the stunning
18th century mansions such as the Maison Loewenfels.
By train
TGV
Paris-Mulhouse: 2h40
Lyon-Mulhouse: 2h49
Roissy Charles-de Gaulle airport-Mulhouse:
3h19
Stu gart-Mulhouse: 2h23
Lille-Mulhouse: 4h06
Trains from outside of France
Bruxelles Midi – Mulhouse : 6h20
Zurich – Mulhouse : 1h23
By plane
Mulhouse-Basel EuroAirport is the world’s
only two na on airport. It runs flights to
more than 100 des na ons (Amsterdam,
Barcelona, Edimburgh, Venice) and is 30
km from Mulhouse (there are shu le
services from Saint-Louis train sta ons and
it is a 15 minute non-stop train ride from
Mulhouse sta on).
By Road
Mulhouse is at the intersec on between
the A36 (east-west) and A35 (north-south)
motorways, and accessible from every
European city.
Ge ng around Mulhouse
Tram and bus : there are 3 tram and 20 bus
lines crisscrossing Mulhouse and 23 towns.
Cycling : “Vélocité” has 225 bicycles
available from 35 self-service stands, 24/7
“Médiacycles”, in the train sta on, rents
bicycles for half days and full days at
unbeatable rates (3.70€ and 6€)
32
Are sites disabled-friendly? We’ll tell you and we’ll
highlight which sites are Tourisme & Handicap approved.
Are sites par ally accessible? We’ll tell you what is possible, what is difficult and what we wouldn’t recommend
so that you can make an informed decision and make the
most out of your holiday.
The French Federa on of Cycle Tourism approved Mulhouse Alsace as a “bike-friendly town.” The award basically means that accommoda on, restaurants, museums,
tourist sites and bike mechanics do everything they can
to ensure your stay goes without a hitch in accordance
with specifica ons drawn up by cycle tourism professionals and the federa on.
Mulhouse became the 7th urban des na on to receive
the na onal Famille Plus award in 2013 and is commi ed
to providing an all-round des na on for families. The
approval iden fies and describes sites, facili es, ac vi es
and rates suitable for families and children.