What to see and do in Mulhouse? This week, I am delighted to take you to southern Alsace to visit Mulhouse! I have wanted to show you my hometown for a long time! Little known, Mulhouse is much less visited than Strasbourg or Colmar, probably because it does not have as many half-timbered houses!
However, this unusual city, a former industrial town nicknamed “the French Manchester” in 1800, also has many attractions! A mecca for mural painting for centuries and now a leader in street art in the Grand Est region, Mulhouse is a wonderful blend of tradition and modernity. It is also famous for its incredible technical museums…
A great getaway if you want to visit Alsace in a different way! So, if you’re wondering what to do in Mulhouse, here are my tips and must-see attractions if you come to visit Mulhouse…
Read also :
6 Places to Visit in Colmar in one day
Visit Strasbourg at Christmas: My Local Tips for 2025
Discover all my blogposts on the Alsace region !
VISIT MULHOUSE – PRACTICAL TIPS
How to get to Mulhouse?
By car: Mulhouse is located 1 hour 15 minutes from Strasbourg, 3 hours 40 minutes from Lyon, and 5 hours 30 minutes from Paris.
By train: Mulhouse is only 50 minutes from Strasbourg and 2 hours 40 minutes from Paris. The train station is located in the city center, making it easy to visit Mulhouse on foot.
By plane: The nearest airport is Basel-Mulhouse, 25 minutes from Mulhouse city center. It is served by all airlines, with daily connections to major French cities.
Where to stay to visit Mulhouse?
3 recommended accommodation to visit Mulhouse
HÔTEL BRISTOL
- In the city center
- Modern rooms
- From €140
POP ART JACUZZI & SPA
- Colorful appartment
- In the city center
- From €110
DOMAINE DU MOULIN
- Hotel & Spa
- Quiet setting
- From €150
How to get around Mulhouse?
You can easily visit Mulhouse on foot! The historic center is not very large and you can also explore the street art on foot.
Visiting the Mulhouse museums and Motoco, located outside the city center, couldn’t be easier: the tram will take you there! However, if you’re short on time, a car can be handy for saving time between the museums and the Motoco site.
Compare car rentals to find the best price in Mulhouse!
How long does it take to visit Mulhouse?
It takes about 3 hours to visit Mulhouse on foot, exploring the historic center and the highlights of Mulhouse street art. A visit to the Automobile Museum takes about 2 hours, as does the Cité du Train. But you’ll spend much more time there if you’re passionate about the subject, as the collections are huge.
In total, if you come to visit Mulhouse in one day, you can stroll through the historic center and visit the two most famous museums “quickly.” If you have more time, two days will allow you to really enjoy the museums, the city center, and the street art tour, and also discover the Museum of Printed Textiles, which is definitely worth a visit!
What to bring back from Mulhouse?
You can bring back all the Alsatian specialties from Mulhouse. Preserves (sauerkraut or Baeckehoffe, for example), gingerbread, bredalas (small Christmas cookies) are must-haves. Alsatian kelsch fabric and traditional earthenware molds are also great souvenirs to bring back from Mulhouse! Head to the Mulhouse Tourist Office shop to find something you like!
You can also bring back a beautiful piece of fabric from Mulhouse, which you will find at the Impression sur Etoffes museum shop! Finally, the car museum and the train museum also offer many souvenirs related to cars and miniature trains, for children of all ages!
1. VISIT MULHOUSE : THE HISTORIC CENTER
One of the must-see attractions in Mulhouse is, of course, its historic center! It stretches across the few shopping streets surrounding the Place de la Réunion. This colorful and lively square symbolizes the union of the Republic of Mulhouse with the young French Republic in 1798. Before that, Mulhouse was allied with Switzerland!
The Place de la Réunion is the real heart of Mulhouse… And I don’t think I’ll ever tire of its beautiful colorful facades! Here you can discover the Saint Etienne Temple, the tallest Protestant temple in France, as well as the former town hall, which is all dressed in pink. It is decorated with superb trompe-l’œil frescoes and dates back to the 16th century. Yes, street art is nothing new in Mulhouse!
Just opposite, among the narrow, colorful houses, the Mieg House also dates from the same period. Its white stones are also trompe-l’oeil!
All around, I invite you to stroll through the charming streets that branch off from Place de la Réunion, such as Rue Henriette and Rue des Tanneurs. A little further on, Rue des Franciscains is home to the Maison Loewenfels, one of the most beautiful mansions in Mulhouse, dating from the 18th century. Don’t hesitate to take a little detour to discover it!
2. VISIT MULHOUSE THROUGH THE LENS OF STREET ART
I really encourage you to explore the pretty streets of Mulhouse to discover all their murals, both centuries-old and contemporary. They’re everywhere! Around every corner and square, you’ll find lots of old painted walls… But also a multitude of street art works.
They cover mailboxes, facades, and even road signs! I think all these new works make visiting Mulhouse even more enjoyable and fun!
The oldest ones evoke trompe-l’oeil facades, while the most recent ones are signed by renowned artists from Mulhouse or passing through. But all of them bring color and a touch of madness to this city in Alsace, which has long been criticized. Ten years ago, few people ventured there, but today it has become an essential stop on any trip to Alsace for me!
A street art tour has been created by the Mulhouse tourist office so you can discover them all (see the “practical information” section at the end of the article).
Here are a few pretty streets and squares not to be missed:
– Place de la Réunion
– Rue de la Moselle, with the M.U.R, which invites a new artist every month to take over this urban creative space with a temporary work of art
– Quai des Pêcheurs
– Rue Lambert
– Cour des Chaînes
Practical information – Street art tour: the tourist office offers a comprehensive walking tour on Cirkwi to discover Mulhouse’s artworks. Feel free to use it to visit Mulhouse on foot.
You can easily visit Mulhouse on foot, but if you like to discover cities in an unusual way, I recommend a boat trip! You can rent small electric boats behind the Museum of Printed Textiles… It’s a lovely way to discover the city from the water, thanks to the Rhône-Rhine Canal that runs through it. There’s even a small marina in Mulhouse!
3. VISIT MULHOUSE AND ITS AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM
Mulhouse is also famous for its museums, and with good reason!
Whether or not you’re interested in old cars, don’t miss the Cité de l’Automobile! It’s a real gem that’s a must-see if you’re visiting Mulhouse! It houses the sumptuous Schlumpf collection and a total of nearly 500 exceptional cars. It’s also the largest car collection in the world!
A visit to the museum takes you on a journey through time and the history of the automobile, from the first cars in 1878 to the present day. As you explore, you will discover the different technical achievements of each car and the incredible charm of these old vehicles. Some of them reached incredible speeds for their time! But each one has its own unique features, history, and aesthetic appeal.
The museum also has a fascinating section dedicated to motor racing since its inception. Finally, the highlight of the museum is the collection of the most beautiful cars from the 1930s, including the Bugatti Royale Coupé Napoléon. You’ll be amazed by the size and beauty of some of the cars…
Practical information – Cité de l’Automobile: open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. – admission: €18 (reduced rate: €12, free for children under 7) – website
4. VISIT MULHOUSE AND THE RAILWAY MUSEUM
Another famous museum in Mulhouse, the Cité du Train – SNCF heritage site, boasts the title of largest railway museum in Europe! This is undoubtedly my favorite museum in Mulhouse, as it has a magnificent collection that is as diverse as it is surprising. Trains used during the war, the first CORAIL trains, state carriages, record-breaking TGV trains, metros, and luxury trains bring this unique museum to life. The oldest date back to 1844!
After visiting nearly a dozen times since I was a child, I remain fascinated by the old luxury trains, such as the Orient Express! You’ll even meet Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective, who is still investigating in the carriage today!
Once again, you don’t have to be a train lover to be fascinated by this museum. As you walk through the carriages, it’s easy to imagine the adventures of the people who traveled in them. The first tourists in the era of paid vacations, presidents of the Republic, wealthy travelers setting off to explore distant lands, or even soldiers from the First World War…
Each train has its own history, color, shape, and charm. Some of them even run, much to the delight of visitors! I really like the lively atmosphere of the Cité du Train, which is sure to appeal to young and old alike…
If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend taking the dramatized tour of the Cité du Train! It is charmingly nicknamed “En voiture, Simone!” (All aboard, Simone!). Guided by fascinating actors who will tell you stories about endearing and colorful characters, you will move through the museum as you follow the chapters of history.
Fun and original, the tour is all the more fascinating because it puts the carriages and their history into context. You can even go inside some of the carriages that are not open to the public!
Practical information – Cité du Train – SNCF Heritage: every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (winter) or 6:00 p.m. (April to October) – admission: €16 (reduced rate: €13, free for children under 7) – visit the website for more details about the theatrical tours
5. RECONNECT WITH MULHOUSE’S INDUSTRIAL PAST AT MOTOCO
Mulhouse was best known during the industrial revolution for its textile factories. Today, you can explore one of them, DMC, which left the site a few years ago. A veritable city within a city, the former DMC factory has numerous alleys lined with superb brick buildings that have retained all their charm despite the passing years! Even the huge chimneys rising up into the sky are still in place.
The DMC factory is a prime example of Mulhouse’s successful redevelopment, which has showcased its past. Its old brick buildings now house a huge business park, including a climbing gym, companies, photo studios, and even artists’ studios! The studios are only open during special events, but you can visit the outside.
Another must-see for discovering Mulhouse’s textile past is the beautiful Museum of Printed Textiles, which I highly recommend! It’s hard to imagine the complexity of the printing process and the richness of the patterns that made the city famous in the past…
Practical information – MOTOCO: the workshops are only open during events. Find the collective’s events page here. However, you can visit the outside of the site freely and discover the old factories.
6. VISIT MULHOUSE AND ITS CHRISTMAS MARKET IN DECEMBER
If you visit Mulhouse in December, don’t miss its Christmas market! For me, Mulhouse’s market is one of the six most beautiful Christmas markets in Colmar and the surrounding area, and I love to stroll around it every year! It celebrates Christmas fabrics, paying tribute to the city’s textile past.
A new design is created each year for the occasion and decorates the city center. The stalls are beautifully grouped together on the Place de la Réunion, and lights fill the entire city. It’s a wonderful month to visit Mulhouse!
VISIT MULHOUSE – WHAT TO DO IN THE AREA ?
In the area around Mulhouse, you can discover other facets of Alsace, as well as the neighboring departments!
– Ecomusée d’Alsace (20 minutes away): this open-air village is the perfect place to discover Alsatian traditions. All the houses are original and have been rebuilt on site, and there are lots of activities to help you immerse yourself in the charm and authenticity of Alsatian culture.
– Eguisheim (35 minutes away): this pretty circular village, listed as one of the “most beautiful villages in France,” is the very image of an Alsatian postcard. You can discover it with me in my article Visiting Eguisheim in Alsace
– Belfort (35 minutes away): Belfort is famous for its imposing citadel and its lion, sculpted by Bartholdi. But you can also visit its pretty historic center! It’s a little-known city that I highly recommend discovering at the same time if you come to visit Mulhouse
– Colmar (40 minutes by car and 20 minutes by train): many people hesitate between visiting Mulhouse or Colmar. It’s impossible to choose, as the two cities are completely different! While Mulhouse is more modern and strongly influenced by its industrial past, Colmar is typically Alsatian, with its colorful facades and half-timbered houses. If you want to visit Mulhouse and Colmar, you can discover 6 Places to Visit in Colmar in one day.
– Montbéliard (45 minutes away): this pretty city of princes is located in the Doubs department, not far from Mulhouse. Between the Dukes’ Castle, the Peugeot Adventure Museum, the ancient theater of Mandeure, and the countryside of the Pays de Montbéliard, the city has some lovely surprises in store! To find out more, check out my article Things to do in Montbéliard: must-see attractions and top places to visit!
– Kaysersberg and the Alsace Wine Route (50 minutes away): you can’t visit Alsace without driving along its famous wine route! With its vineyards, hills, castles, and pretty villages, it symbolizes the Alsatian terroir. You can visit the beautiful village of Kaysersberg, my favorite in Alsace!
– Sélestat (50 minutes away): like Mulhouse, Sélestat is a town in Alsace that is not well known, even though it is well worth a visit! The cradle of Humanism, it is a pretty Alsatian town that you can discover in my article Visit Sélestat, the hidden gem of Alsace
For more information or other ideas for things to do in Mulhouse, visit the Mulhouse Tourism website.
This blogpost was written following an invitation from the Mulhouse Tourist Office. However, I remain entirely free to express my own opinions and am completely sincere in my recommendations! A huge thank you to Clémence for allowing me to rediscover my hometown in a new light…
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