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Mulhouse

Make the most of your time in Mulhouse, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links to plan your visit.

With a population of 271,000 inhabitants in its metropolitan area, Colmar is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin department. Close to the Swiss and German borders it is a sprawling industrial metropolis, a huge contrast to the chocolate-box charms of the Alsace Route du Vin.

The first written records of the town date back to the 12th century. The town was Swiss until 1798 when, at the peak of its prosperity, it voted to become part of France. Even today many people who live in Mulhouse work in Basle in Switzerland. Mulhouse owes much of its development to the textile and tanning industries. The town expanded further from the mid 18th century due to the growth in the chemical and engineering industries. For a long time Mulhouse was known as the French Manchester.

Medieval Mulhouse consists of a lower and upper town. The pedestrianised lower town, developed around the Place de la Réunion, was formerly the quarter of merchants and craftsman .The upper town was developed from the 18th century onwards and was previously the site of several monastic orders including the Franciscans and Augustinians.

Mulhouse is a very interesting city and, despite its industrial nature, has much to offer. It is home to several important and fascinating museums that delve into its manufacturing past; the most notable of which are the Musée National de l’Automobile and the Musée Français du Chemin de Fer, as well as museums for firemen, wall hangings, electricity and printed textiles. Outside the town the Écomusée D’Alsace is also worth a visit.

The Parc Zoologique et Botanique is worthy of a visit. It houses over 1200 animals with 190 different species. It also contains a major botanical collection with many rare species of trees.

Every August Mulhouse hosts a Jazz Festival. There are concerts all over the town – in the museums, schools and the streets as well as in the cafés and bars.
 

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