Palais Rohan, Strasbourg: Three Museums Guide (2026)
Standing on the south flank of Strasbourg Cathedral, the Palais Rohan is the city's grandest Baroque building — a former episcopal palace whose sober riverside stone facade hides some of the most opulent state rooms in Alsace. Built in the 1730s for the powerful prince-bishops of the House of Rohan, it was designed to look every bit the equal of a Parisian hôtel particulier, and it later welcomed Louis XV, Marie-Antoinette, and Napoleon. Today the palace works double duty: the historic apartments are themselves a museum, and the building also houses three distinct collections — the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Decorative Arts, and the Archaeological Museum. This 2026 guide covers the architecture, what each museum holds, current ticket prices and opening hours, and how to get there.
The Palace & Architecture
The Palais Rohan was built between 1732 and 1742 as the residence of the prince-bishops of Strasbourg, then drawn from the aristocratic House of Rohan of Brittany. The commission went to Robert de Cotte, First Architect to the King and a leading figure of the French Baroque, who modelled the palace on the grand Parisian town houses of the day. The result is a building of deliberate restraint on the outside — a long, classical river facade overlooking the Ill — and lavish ceremony within. Its construction was as much a political statement as an aesthetic one: in a city that had long been Protestant, the palace and its Catholic iconography announced the church's renewed prominence.
The most impressive spaces are the 18th-century state apartments on the ground floor along the river. The Grands Appartements — among them the Synod Hall, the Bishop's Bedroom, the Library, and the King's Bedchamber — survive with their gilded boiseries, painted ceilings, and period furnishings, and rank among the finest Baroque interiors in France. They were grand enough to host Louis XV in 1744, the young Marie-Antoinette on her way to Versailles in 1770, and Napoleon and Joséphine in the 1800s. After the Revolution the building briefly served as the town hall, then the university, before settling into its modern role as a museum complex; it has been listed as a monument historique since 1920.
The Three Museums
Three separate museums share the palace, stacked roughly by floor, so a visit can be as short or as deep as you like.
The Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts), on the first and second floors, traces European painting from the Middle Ages to 1870, with works by Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, El Greco, Goya, and Canaletto among the highlights — a compact but genuinely first-rate old-master collection.
The Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts décoratifs), on the ground floor, combines the sumptuous state apartments themselves with celebrated collections of Strasbourg ceramics — the faience and porcelain of the Hannong workshops — along with clocks, including the original mechanism of the cathedral's astronomical clock.
The Archaeological Museum (Musée archéologique), in the basement, is one of the most important in France for its period, covering Alsace from prehistory through the Roman era and into the early Middle Ages. Allow at least two to three hours if you intend to see all three; art and archaeology lovers will happily spend longer.
Tickets & Hours
Admission is paid. As of 2026, each of the three museums costs €7.50 full price, with a reduced rate of €3.50 for students and concessions; entry is free for visitors under 18, and the museums are free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. Because the collections are ticketed separately, a combined city-museums pass or day pass is usually the better value if you plan to see more than one — ask at the desk or check the official site before you go.
The palace and its museums are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesdays and on certain public holidays (including 1 January, Good Friday, 1 May, 1 and 11 November, and 25 December). The last tickets are sold at 17:30, so arrive with time to spare. Hours and prices can change year to year, so confirm on musees.strasbourg.eu before your visit.
Getting There
The Palais Rohan stands at 2 Place du Château, 67000 Strasbourg, directly behind the cathedral on the cathedral square — you genuinely cannot miss it once you have found the Gothic spire. From Strasbourg's main train station it is a flat 15-minute walk east into the Grande Île, or two stops on tram lines A or D to Langstross/Grand'Rue, from where it is a short stroll. The historic centre is largely pedestrianised, so most visitors arrive on foot; drivers should use one of the central garages, such as Parking Austerlitz or Parking Gutenberg, and continue into the old town on foot.
The palace is the cornerstone of any culture-focused day in the city, so it features prominently in our complete things to do in Strasbourg guide and in our roundup of the best museums in Strasbourg. While you are in the old town, it pairs naturally with a walk around the Grande Île, the UNESCO-listed island at the heart of the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do tickets to the Palais Rohan cost in 2026?
Each of the three museums costs €7.50 full price (reduced €3.50 for students and concessions). Entry is free for under-18s and free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. If you plan to see more than one museum, a combined city-museums pass is usually better value.
Which three museums are inside the Palais Rohan?
The palace houses the Museum of Fine Arts (paintings to 1870, on the upper floors), the Museum of Decorative Arts (the state apartments plus Strasbourg ceramics and clocks, on the ground floor), and the Archaeological Museum (prehistory to the early Middle Ages, in the basement).
What are the Palais Rohan's opening hours and which day is it closed?
In 2026 the museums are open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 and are closed on Tuesdays, as well as on certain public holidays. The last tickets are sold at 17:30, so allow at least two to three hours to see all three collections.
