For a stay in Haguenau, culture and forest offer different avenues of discovery: the Musée Alsacien and the Musée Historique explore the history and traditions of Alsace; around the Gros-Chêne, trails, wildlife watching and art in the forest take center stage. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are more interested in collections and architectural history or would rather explore a variety of forest themes.
Alsatian everyday life and urban history
The Musée Alsacien is housed in Haguenau’s former medieval chancery. Its extensive collection includes everyday and decorative objects that bear witness to Alsatian daily life since the early 19th century. It focuses on objects from everyday life as well as decorative pieces. The Musée Historique offers a different perspective: its holdings include objects from more than 750 Bronze and Iron Age graves discovered in the necropolises of the Haguenau Forest.
The Musée Historique’s collections also span a wide range of areas. They include numismatic and archaeological objects, as well as items from the applied arts and folk traditions. Together, the two museums offer two distinct perspectives: the Musée Alsacien focuses on Alsatian ways of life since the early 19th century, while the Musée Historique also features archaeological finds from much earlier periods.
The Porte de Wissembourg is a striking testament to the city’s history and a remnant of Haguenau’s former city walls. Its lower gateway dates from the 14th century; its present appearance reflects a modernization in the 16th century. Those interested in architectural history can therefore explore different historical layers, from the medieval gateway to the museum collections.
Forest trails, nature and art at Gros-Chêne
The Gros-Chêne site is the starting point for numerous signposted hiking trails, cycle routes and mountain bike trails. There is also a fitness trail and a path accessible to people with reduced mobility and to strollers. The site itself is accessible year-round. The path accessible to people with reduced mobility and strollers is a separate option from the signposted hiking trails, cycle routes and mountain bike trails.
Another option is the access route to the GR®532: it leads from the center of Haguenau to Walbourg, passes through the heritage of the Forêt d’Exception® de Haguenau and is part of the Way of St. James routes. The Grand tour Haguenau-Eschbach route has a different focus. It connects historical and natural heritage and heads northwest through the Forêt d’Exception® de Haguenau, through pine and broadleaf forests, across fields and along the forest’s edge by the charming village of Eschbach. The routes described differ in their destinations and in the character of the landscapes they cross.
The ornithological observatory is a good place for wildlife watching. Species found there include herons, moorhens, ducks, kingfishers and great crested grebes. The observatory is located at a former clay extraction site that has been restored to nature. A section created by underwater extraction was preserved as a pond; wildlife watching here takes place in a landscape whose present form is also linked to its former clay extraction.
Art and nature can also be explored as distinct themes at Gros-Chêne. The Monument du Chêne, a work by internationally renowned contemporary German artist Gloria Friedmann, stands in the forest a few hundred meters from the site. A path with seven steles leads to it. The short texts invite visitors to reflect on their relationship with trees and nature. Gros-Chêne is also home to a small chapel built in 1955; the Saint-Arbogast patronal festival is celebrated there every year at the end of July.
Excursions and seasonal information
The annual “Trésors cachés de la forêt indivise de Haguenau” program offers expert-led excursions on topics such as biodiversity, history and forestry. The excursions take place throughout the year, are open to all audiences and are available from March. The program complements the trails and established nature and culture themes with guided activities covering changing topics.
When planning a trip to Haguenau, you can prioritize the museum collections, urban history and forest activities according to your interests. When looking for hotels in Haguenau, these themes can help you organize your own plans for culture, hiking, wildlife watching or art in the forest.
Discover more destinations: Stotzheim, Rottelsheim, Mittelhausen, Reinhardsmunster, Hunspach, Stundwiller, Soultz-sous-Forêts, Betschdorf.
Back to the overview of the region: Bas-Rhin.
