Haguenau travel guide

Visit Haguenau (Grand-Est, France)

Haguenau is a town about 30 kilometres north of Strasbourg in the Bas-Rhin department of the Grand-Est region (previously Alsace)

Explore Hagenau

France This Way review: there are a large number of historic monuments in Haguenau, as well as two important museums, so a visit is an interesting diversion during your visit to Alsace if you are passing nearby: even if few of the monuments are outstanding they are a good introduction to architecture in the region during the 16th and 18th centuries

Most of the monuments in Haguenau were built in the 16th to 18th centuries, although several are older including two towers in the town that were part of Haguenau's defences and date from the 13th century: these are the Tour des Chevaliers and the Tour des Pêcheurs.

The Tour des Pêcheurs is the most impressive because it is an elegant octagonal red brick edifice that retains the adjacent bridge across the river Moder, and the Tour des Chevaliers is an imposing red-brick tower with small openings and now used as a clock tower.

Other monuments include the Porte de Wissembourg, built as part of the defences of the town in the 16th century (an earlier gate was in the same location from the 14th century), and now on a roundabout at the junction of Grande Rue and the Boulevard de la Liberation.

Another building from the 16th century is the Grenier Saint-Georges, on Rue du Grenier and also called the Grange Dimiaire Saint-Georges. The Maison Zuckmantel at 104 Grande Rue is also from this period, and incorporates three arches at ground level as well as a carved stone bow window at the first floor.

The majority of the other imposing buildings you will see in Haguenau were built in the 18th century and include several grand houses such as the Hôtel du Bailli Hoffman, Hôtel Barth, the Hôtel du Preteur Royal and the Hôtel du Commandant de la Place: ask in Haguenau tourist office for a map showing the location of these monuments.

The largest building from this period is probably the building that was once used as the prison for the town, then later the military hospital: it is an elegant and symmetrical building in the classical style with rows of identical windows that is now used as the media centre for Haguenau.

More recent, the circular Theatre in Haguenau was built in the middle of the 19th century using red stone - it is one of the most elegant buildings in the town and still used as a theatre.

There are also several churches in Haguenau that you will see as you explore: the most important among these are the Church of Saint-Nicholas and the Church of Saint-Georges, in gothic style.

Haguenau Museums

One of the museums here is the Musée d'Haguenau, that presents a large collection of items from the town including traditional clothes and furniture. The museum is in the Maison de la Chancellerie, built in the 15th century and one of the most impressive buildings in the town, with a clock and painting on the facade and small towers to either side.

The tourist office for Haguenau is also in the Maison de la Chancellerie

Another Museum is the Musée Historique, that presents items from all areas of Alsace, from prehistoric times to the 20th century; this museum is in rue du Maréchal-Foch in another imposing building, with a neo-gothic appearance and dominated by a large square tower (built at the start of the 20th century).

Attractions nearby

The forest of Haguenau is a large forest - the largest in Alsace - that covers 13 400 hectares and offers many trails and leisure opportunities - there are more than 200 kilometres of paths in the forest.

The city of Strasbourg, south of Haguenau, is one of our favourite cities in France: see the Strasbourg guide. To the north of here you will certainly want to visit the charming town of Wissembourg, which has lots of beautiful half-timbered houses.

You can find more travel ideas in the Bas-Rhin guide and the Alsace guide.