Sculpture among the trees
An open-air exhibition inside an eighteenth-century château garden.
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An eighteenth-century château in the Robertsau district east of Strasbourg, surrounded by extensive grounds open to the public. The château became known in the nineteenth century for its salon: the Countess Mélanie de Pourtalès made it a cultural centre receiving musicians and writers from across Europe, among them Franz Liszt, who played there. The building today is a conference centre and academic residence and is not generally visited inside. What is open is the park. The park is the reason to come: a wide space of huge old trees, lawns and paths, with contemporary sculpture distributed among the trees as an open-air exhibition. That combination of an eighteenth-century château garden with modern sculpture is what distinguishes it. The place is entirely quiet because it lies off Strasbourg's visitor route, and people from the district use it for walking. It stands east of the city near the Robertsau forest and the river Ill, and needs a tram or bus from the centre. The park is free and keeps hours.
An open-air exhibition inside an eighteenth-century château garden.
The Countess de Pourtalès received Europe's musicians; Franz Liszt played here.
A wide space of lawns and paths at the edge of the Robertsau forest.
Robertsau, east of Strasbourg
Generally no. The building is used as a conference centre and residence for academic programmes, and entry is for residents and participants. Occasionally open events or heritage days give access to parts of it — check if that matters to you; otherwise the park is the visit.
The Robertsau forest adjoins it, a large nature reserve with waterside paths and among the best walking around Strasbourg. The district itself was a farming village and still holds old houses and market gardens. The European Parliament and the Council of Europe stand on the road between it and the centre.
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