Rohan Palace

This palace is located in the historic city centre of Strasbourg, and it is one of my favourite buildings in this French city for its look and its elegance. It is witness to the eighteenth century lifestyle in France, which was very princely and royal.

Rohan Palace (Le Palais Rohan) consists of two main facades, one in the Cathedral Square (the one to the left side of it) and another by one of the canals that passes through Strasbourg. The facade by the cathedral is the one that is home to the main entrance, and its design is like two wide, yet quite short buildings joined together by a lower section in the centre with a big patio. I love the main door that has statues that almost "crown" the entrance, as well as the colour of the building itself.

Nowadays, there are two museums located inside this palace:

• Musée des Artes décoratifs [Museum of Decorative Arts]: this museum is located on the ground floor of the palace and consists of two sections. The first section looks at the King's and the Rohan cardinals' apartments, and in the second, you will find collections of the city's decorative arts.
• Musée des Beaux-Arts [Museum of Fine Arts]: this second and final museum is located on the first floor of the palace. Here, you can admire the history of European painting from the Middle Ages until 1870.

I don't how much it costs to visit the museum, but I do know that entry is free on the first Sunday of each month, and that the opening hours are from 9am to 12pm and then from 2pm to 5pm.

I was lucky enough to see Rohan Palace from the cathedral's bell tower, and, as you can see in the following photo, you cannot deny its royal style and how truly beautiful it is:

The two facades are very pretty, but the palace itself is not particularly famous, as I have found myself with people who didn't know what building it was, just that it was beautiful. It's small in size, but I honestly quite like it. If it wasn't for the fact that it is located in Strasbourg, I would say that it is a Parisian palace. In fact, its design was inspired by the huge Parisian hotels back in the day, and, in my personal opinion, Strasbourg is like a miniature version of Paris, just without the fame and the Eiffel Tower.

If you find yourself walking through this area in the evening, don't hesitate in stopping to admire it, as it has a more elegant and majestic feel about it with all the lights turned on.