Musée des Arts décoratifs

Why go

This museum connects the palace’s courtly setting with Alsatian craft. Silver, clocks and faience show the skill and tastes of local makers, while the building gives those objects their original social context. Check the current room access if seeing the furnished princely apartments is your main reason to go.

What to look for

• Strasbourg silverwork shows the city’s skilled metal trades.
• Clocks and faience are displayed in the former service rooms.
• The museum occupies the ground floor of Palais Rohan.

The full story

The Musée des Arts décoratifs occupies part of Palais Rohan, the former residence of Strasbourg’s prince-bishops. Its collections join two related stories: the rooms and furnishings of an elite household, and the craft industries that flourished in Strasbourg and Alsace. Porcelain from the Hannong family and silverwork by local masters show how technical skill became a form of display. The palace itself was damaged during the Second World War, and its interiors were restored over many years, adding another layer to the experience of the rooms. Look closely at a clock, piece of faience or silver vessel to get a concrete sense of the workmanship that served wealthy patrons in this city. Those objects also reveal how domestic interiors were assembled from the work of many specialists, from metalworkers to ceramic makers. The museum’s value lies in that connection between a prestigious address and the practical arts that filled it.

Useful to know

• Check the museum’s current room access before visiting.
• Choose the Fine Arts Museum separately if painting is your priority.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.