Rohan Palace -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opposite the south Portal of the cathedral is the Château des Rohan, an elegant eighteenth-century palace built for Cardinal Armand de Rohan-Soubise, one of several members of his family to be prince bishop of Strasbourg. Designed by the royal architect Robert de Cotte, it is particularly lovely when seen from the banks of the River Ill. You can visit the very grand rooms lived in by the cardinal, all white and gold, and the museums now housed here. Nearby hotels: Hotel Suisse ** L'Ancienne Douane (Old Custom) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Situated at the heart of a heavy river traffic, Strasbourg specialized early in storing and transforming goods and merchandises coming down and up the Rhine river. The old custom bulding dates from 1358 and was the house of the port and taxes authorities. This medieval building hosts a good restaurant serving alsatian specialties. A l'Ancienne Douane Restaurant Saint -Thomas Church -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doctor Schweitzer played the organ in this church which is dominated by the tomb of Marechal de Saxe, commissioned by a grateful Louis XV from the sculptor Jean Baptiste Pigalle. The winner of the battle of Fontenoy was foreigner, protestant and a natural child ! He could not be buried, against the wish of Louis XV, in Saint-Denis near Paris. At last, Saint-Thomas was chosen for being Lutheran and...in France ! The enormous but delicate marble sculpture is a must see. Open from April to November from 10 am to noon and 2 pm to 6 pm. Free entrance. No visiting during masses. Nearby hotels: Hotel Maison Rouge *** Covered-bridges -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the heart of the Petite France Quarter, the Covered-bridges with their three defensive towers offer the visitors a charming view on the river Ill and the Barrage Vauban. On its top, from the Terrasse panoramique, you can see the Petite France Quarter with its old houses reflected in the still waters of the river Ill and in the background the Cathedrale. The Barrage Vauban is a defensive dam built on the river Ill in the seventeeth century. Nearby hotels: Hotel Regent Petite France**** and Hotel Pax** The picturesque Petite France Quarter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not far from the center of the city, just beyond the panoramic embankment (the Vauban dam), the river Ill spreads out into five different arms. The largest arm flowing north is named the Fossé du Faux-Rempart and takes the shape of an insular ellipse. To the north-east, the four smaller arms reunite at the the school of Saint-Thomas. This "capricious" topography allowed for the construction of mills which attracted tanners to the area whose industry consumed great quantities of water. The outbreak, at the beginning of the 16th century, of patients with venereal diseases who had been contaminated during the wars in Italy, incited the Magistrate to isolate the ill in a building which has since been replaced by the square of the "Ponts-Couverts" or "Covered Bridges". As popular belief held, at the time of the hospital, a convinction that the French were responsibile for the outbreak of the venereal diseases, the hospital was referred to as "Zum Französel" or "Little France". The Tanners district continues to be referred to as "Petite France" or "Little France" today. Nearby hotels: Hotel Regent Petite France****