MULHOUSE AND CYCLING
Mulhouse, which has been a stage town for the Tour de France sixteen times, has some great cycling stories to tell, notably that of the Buysse brothers, the only siblings in the history of the race to have worn the Yellow Jersey in the same edition. Winner of the first stage of the 1926 Tour in Mulhouse, Jules Buysse donned the jersey on that occasion, before his brother Lucien won the Tour de France GC three weeks later in Paris. The Buysse brothers were a true cycling dynasty, as their older brother Marcel won six stages of the 1913 Tour and also wore the Yellow Jersey for two days. All of them had children who also became professional cyclists. Mulhouse was also the starting point for the Tour on two occasions, in 1959 and 1971. As for the list of winners in the city, it includes no fewer than three Tour winners: Nicolas Frantz, Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon. The last finish in the city, in 2014, marked the crowning glory of Tony Martin, stage winner after a long 59-km solo breakaway, but also of Tony Gallopin, who took the Yellow Jersey for a day before handing it over to its rightful owner that year, Vincenzo Nibali.
As with the Buysse family, this jersey was a form of recognition for the Gallopin dynasty, as Tony's father Joël competed in several Tours de France in the 1980s, while his uncle Guy was also a professional cyclist. As for his other uncle Alain, long-time sports director at Trek, he shed a few understandable tears that day. The Tour returned to Mulhouse in 2019 for the start of a stage punctuated by a victory for Dylan Teuns at La Planche des Belles-Filles ahead of Giulio Ciccone, who had taken the Yellow Jersey.
Mulhouse is the birthplace of Axel Zingle, who competed in two editions of the Tour de France, in 2023 and 2024, and is now part of Team Visma-Lease a Bike. Alsatian sprinter Hugo Hofstetter is from Altkirch, 20 km away.
MULHOUSE
Former town hall
Construction: 16th century.
History and characteristics: destroyed by fire in 1551, the Town Hall dating from 1432 was rebuilt on the foundations of the previous building. The work was supervised by Michel Lynthumer from Basel. Passing through Mulhouse in 1580, Montaigne described the building as a "magnificent, gilded palace". In 1698, Jean Gabriel took over the trompe-l'oeil decorations. These decorations have been restored and modified several times over the centuries in 1779, 1846, 1893, 1966 and 1988. The building's ex s have also changed: among the alterations made, we can mention the construction of the rear gallery in 1637 and the raising of the second floor in 1778. The exterior decorations depict allegorical figures, symbols of good government and justice, as well as the coats of arms of the Swiss cantons with which Mulhouse was once allied. The double staircase is slightly off-centre. In the Grand Council Chamber, there is something to catch the eye in every direction: the coffered ceiling, mullioned windows and sculpted columns, the safe, painted decorations (coats of arms of the Swiss cantons, mayors' crests), stained-glass windows, etc.
Current use: it houses the Mulhouse History Museum, which traces the history of the former Republic.
Listed as: historic monument since 21 July 1961.
Saint-Étienne Protestant Temple
Construction: 12th to 19th century.
Style: Gothic and Neo-Gothic.
History and characteristics: at 97 metres high, Saint-Étienne Church is the tallest Protestant monument in France. A Romanesque building was consecrated in 1186. In 1351, the choir was rebuilt in the Gothic style. The side aisles were rebuilt in 1504. The tower was raised in 1510 and given a Baroque bulbous dome in 1707. In 1523, Catholic worship gave way to Reformed worship. In the mid-19th century, the municipal council decided to construct a new building. The Neo-Gothic plans were drawn up by the architect Jean-Baptiste Schacre. The spire was inspired by that of Thann Collegiate Church and, more generally, by the spires of buildings in the Rhenish Gothic style. The first stone was laid in 1859. The official inauguration of the building took place in 1866. The building has retained its stalls from 1637.
Special feature: the high tower houses the largest Protestant peal of bells in France, cast in Zurich in 1867.
Listed as: historic monument since 27 July 1995.
Mieg House
Construction: 16th century.
Style: Renaissance.
History and characteristics: The Mieg House is a bourgeois residence bordering Place de la Réunion. The windows on the first floor, as well as the faux stone trompe-l'oeil painted on the façade, are inspired by the architectural style of the Town Hall. The house, in its current form, dates back to the 1560s and was probably built by Valentin Fries. The turret was raised in 1639 and the owner at the time, Louis Witz, affixed his coat of arms to it. The house was given the name Mieg because it subsequently belonged to this family of Mulhouse industrialists, who occupied it until 1840. It is Mathieu Mieg who is responsible for the murals that adorn the façade.
Listed as: the façade and the entire roof were listed as historic monuments in 1929. The interior and the antique decorations were listed in 1994.
Zoological and Botanical Park The Zoological and Botanical Park covers 25 hectares and is home to more than 1,200 animals of 170 different species and 3,500 species and varieties of plants. The third most popular tourist attraction in Alsace is also committed to preserving biodiversity. An innovative and fun educational trail helps visitors understand the challenges of climate change and the actions that need to be taken to protect wildlife. The Mulhouse Zoological and Botanical Park is one of the oldest zoos in France. Founded in 1868, it celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018.
www.zoo-mulhouse.com
National Automobile Museum
Opened: 1982. Housed in a former textile mill run by the Schlumpf brothers, who were passionate car collectors, it is the largest automobile museum in the world. With 600 masterpieces, it traces the fabulous adventure of the automobile from 1878 to the present day. Exceptional for its history and collections, it includes more than 400 items classified as historic monuments, including the world's largest collection of Bugattis.
Listed as: Historic monument since 1998.
La Cité du Train - French Railway Museum This museum is the largest railway museum in Europe. It presents the major themes of railway history in an animated display, featuring magnificent locomotives and carriages. The other part of this gigantic collection traces the epic story of the railway, from the first locomotive to the present day.
www.citedutrain.com
Museum of Printed Textiles Today, it holds more than 6 million designs, making it the largest centre for textile images in the world. Designers from all over the world come here to seek inspiration. 50,000 textile documents, fabrics, scarves, shawls and more are presented in temporary exhibitions, providing an opportunity to welcome the big names in contemporary textile design: Hermès, Prada, Lacroix, Castelbajac and more.
www.musee-impression.com
Electropolis Museum This museum tells the fascinating story of electricity, which has spanned centuries of experiments, discoveries, theories and inventions, from ancient times to the present day! The multimedia show "La Grande Machine" (The Great Machine), the jewel in the crown of Mulhouse's industrial history, along with games, experiments and videos, provide a better understanding of what happens when electricity flows...
www.electropolis.edf.com
