Musée Alsacien

The Musée Alsacien is at 23-25 Quai Saint-Nicolas, on the south bank of the Ill in Strasbourg, in the Alsace area of France's Grand Est region. It is housed in three linked houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, joined by wooden galleries, inner courtyards and winding staircases, so the building is part of the display. The museum presents the everyday life and traditions of rural and town Alsace. Rooms are arranged as domestic interiors, among them a kitchen, a bedchamber, a winter parlour with a tiled stove and a pharmacy. Collections include regional costumes, painted furniture, pottery, toys, religious objects, tools and devotional folk art. There are displays on craft and trades, on Jewish traditions in Alsace and on seasonal customs. Visitors walk through the rooms in a loose circuit, with creaking floors and low doorways that give a strong sense of period. A visit takes 1-1.5 hours. The museum is closed on Tuesday and open other days about 10:00AM-6:00PM; entry is about €7.50, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of each month. Weekday mornings are quietest, whereas wet afternoons and the free Sunday are busiest. The courtyards and timber galleries make good photography subjects, though some rooms are dim, so a steady hand is useful. The museum is a short walk from the cathedral area and the Palais Rohan, and its riverside setting fits well with a stroll along the quay. It suits visitors interested in local culture, design and history, and children can be engaged by the toys and the costumed mannequins. Hours, ticket rules and temporary exhibitions should be checked at musees.strasbourg.eu before visiting.