Grand Est
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

Although the peak of Mount Donon is dominated by a tall transmission TV tower, since at east the 17th century, antiquarians have known it was an archaeological site. In 1862 a ‘Greek Temple’ was constructed, even though there is no evidence for such a temple being present. Archaeological excavations did not begin until the 1930s, when artefacts from the Bronze Age were recovered. Massive rectangular blocks are the remnants of a pre-Roman enclosure wall, with a gate. Roman statues removed in the 19th century can be seen in museums in Strasbourg and Epinal. Popular with hikers, a trail around the archaeological site is marked with information panels.

The German-French border between Gersheim (Saarland) and Bliesbruck (Moselle) has a wonderful concentration of Iron Age and Roman archaeological sites. Consequently the European Archaeological Park of Bliesbruck-Reinheim is a cross-border venture between the two countries. The park is well set up for visitors. On view are excavations and reconstructions of Iron Age and Roman villages, an Iron Age tomb and a Roman villa.

At 32 metres wide the Porte de Mars in Reims is one of the largest known triumphal arches in the Roman world. This was one of four, and excavations at the other sites suggest they were all just as big. The style of the arch and the iconography suggest it was built in the late 2nd century AD – the last period of grand public building projects in the early Empire. Situated on a large traffic island, the structure looks impressive from a distance. Closer inspection , however, reveals it the decoration and finer detail has not weathered well.

What started out as an early 15th century fortified manor with a priory, developed over the years into one of the largest fortified castles in Europe – covering an area of 35,000 square metres with two rings of walls and four bastions. The Château de Sedan was implicated in the plot to overthrow King Louis XIII, and was involved in conflicts from the Franco-Prussian War to WWII. Visitors can take a guided tour, or tour the castle at their own pace to explore the architectural features and the history of the castle. You can also stay the night in the castle’s hotel and enjoy a night-time tour of castle walls by torchlight.

Built between 1260 and 1265 by Rudolf Habsburg on a rocky outcrop, Ourtenbourg Castle is said to be one of the most beautiful ruins in the Rhine Valley. The 32m high pentagonal keep surrounded by defensive walls that reach up 6 levels, with arrow slits, this is one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture in Alsace. Although ruined by the Swedes in 1632 during the Thirty Year’s War, the castle still dominates the valley. On the same ridge, a few hundred metres southwest are the ruins of Château de Ramstein. Both are on the Castles Trail, and only by foot. From Scherwiller take the D35 to Huhnelmuhle and then follow the trails to the castles.

Although the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg is considered one of the finest examples of Royannant Gothic architecture, considerable parts are Romanesque in date. Construction of the church began in 1015,with completion in 1439. For a small fee, and throughout the year, visitors can climb the 330 steps or 66 m to ‘the platform’ at the base of the spire, for breath-taking views of the city of Strasbourg. The cathedral houses the Astronomical Clock. At 142 m high, it is the sixth tallest church in the world and the tallest surviving construction built entirely during the medieval period.

Built in 1843, during the first French occupation of Strasbourg, this Renaissance masterpiece attracts millions of visitors annually. Each day at 12h30 the bells toll, and the parade of the Apostles begins. Housed in the cathedral, access is via the Saint-Martin entrance on the Place du Château. It is not possible to buy tickets in advance or skip the line. Tickets are on sale on the day only from 10h00 in the cathedral, and from 11h30 at the Saint-Martin entrance. A film about the history of the Astronomical Clock starts at noon – except Sundays, when access to the clock is free from 11h00.

Himmler, as head of the SS, ordered the construction of the concentration camp near Natzweiler to exploit a vein of pink granite. The camp opened in May 1941, with the first internees forced to construct the infrastructure. Granite quarrying did not start until March 1942. By 1945, over 52,000 people from 30 countries passed through the camp, 17,000 of which died. Besides the camp and the quarrying, an experimental gas chamber was built. Today visitors can take a tour of the various features of the camp, as well as the exhibitions in the European Centre of Deported Resistance Members

Between 1871 and 1945, people in Alsace and Moselle changed nationalities four times. With a focus on the period between 1939 and 1945, during which the region suffered the harshest conditions, the memorial recounts the history of this area. Further exhibition spaces, the Journey of Europe, are dedicated to the construction of Europe in the aftermath of 1945 to the present. The Memorial faces Struthof, the site of a concentration camp, now the location of the European Centre of the Deported Resistance Members, on the other side of the valley.

Inaugurated in 2010, this very modern art museum is known for its remarkable and striking white roof – modelled on a Chinese hat found in Paris. The attraction features temporary and semi-permanent exhibitions of modern and contemporary art from the French National Museum of Modern Art. Of the semi-permanent exhibition, the museum is noted for its Beacons exhibition, which highlights artworks rarely exhibited due to their enormous size. One of these being Picasso’s stage curtain for the ballet Parade. Centre Pompidou-Metz also supports the local art scene in the Metz area.