8 unusual places and walks in Mulhouse

Would you like to visit Mulhouse? In addition to the must-sees, here are a few ideas for unusual places and activities in Mulhouse. Street art, panoramic views of the city, a stroll through a Japanese garden, a ride on a boat without a license or on a bike, discovering a place of artistic creation… Mulhouse is a dynamic city with plenty of original things to do!

The Quai des Pêcheurs: street art has its place of expression!

This visit is recommended by Nathalie and Marie-Eve from the blog My Mulhouse – When you first arrive, you don’t really know where you are. We left the agitation of the main boulevard, and we enter a dead end… on one side the “graffiti wall”, on the other, the Ill canal. This is the unusual side of this place: you can come here to enjoy the water running down the slope, the trees, the birds singing… or the graffiti decorating the wall. 🙂

The Quai des Pêcheurs is particularly animated during the Jam Session of the BOZAR festival in spring: famous graffiti artists are invited to redecorate the wall entirely. It’s worth a look!

Mulhouse also has other places, including the M.U.R., where artists can express their talent and get their message across. But this one is the longest!

The Mulhouse market, just unmissable!

Tuesday, Thursday and (especially) Saturday all day long, visit the Mulhouse market, the largest in eastern France and one of the biggest in the country! You can see it by visiting it: it is impressive. You can find all the flavors of the world or almost, and also very small producers of honey, bread or goat cheese on Saturday morning.

Mulhouse Covered Canal Market is organized in 3 parts: the covered hall houses products such as meat, fish, cheese, bread, tea and coffee, the fruit and vegetables are located outside the hall and finally the part dedicated to textiles and accessories is located in the continuity.

Good to know, the fruit and vegetable stands from local producers are on the right side of the market (when you have the hall at your back). Otherwise, what’s the point of going to the market? Some stands are no better than supermarkets, so be careful…

The Mulhouse market also offers a small catering service allowing visitors not only to do their shopping but also to have a bite to eat at the market. I love this kind of atmosphere, very friendly and representative of what a French market is and of the cosmopolitan character of Mulhouse. Note that the Marché restaurant, on the first floor of the market hall, serves delicious, hearty home cooking… a gourmet stop-off after your shopping spree :-).

Le Belvédère and surroundings: take a step up in Mulhouse!

This visit is recommended by Nathalie and Marie-Eve of the blog My Mulhouse – Located very close to the Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse (which is also worth a visit, of course 🙂 ), the
Mulhouse Belvedere
is a metal structure offering a unique panoramic view of Mulhouse and the surrounding area. It is about twenty meters high and you can climb to the top (provided you are not afraid of heights…) to reach 330m of altitude.

After this short climb, continue with a visit to the Tambow Alumni Memorial right next to the Belvedere to admire its spectacular statue. Further on, but still accessible on foot, discover a part of Mulhouse’s history with the gardens of the Society of Natural Hygiene, created more than a century ago by the industrial bosses to “provide an activity for the working population”.

Graffitipolis in Mulhouse – Street art galore!

This visit is recommended by Charlotte – You’re probably familiar with Mulhouse’s Kinépolis cinema, and if you’ve ever been there to see a film, you’ve probably parked in its multi-storey parking lot. There wasn’t much to see at the time, but now, film or not, you MUST go there: this huge parking lot has become Graffitipolis, and the thousands of square meters of walls have taken on magnificent colors under the bombs, brushes and stencils of some sixty artists.

This magnificent urban art project was born thanks to the association of several partners: the Kinépolis, the MUR Mulhouse (wall located on the rue de la Moselle, which is decorated each month with new drawings and colors), the MUR Colmar and the urban art gallery of Orlinda Lavergne in Mulhouse.

Whether you like street art or not, I think it’s a place to see: you can admire different techniques, frescoes, lettering, and even works in “3D” … I do not say more, it is to discover. If you have kids, they’ll love it too. Alone, as a couple, with family or friends, you will have great photos to take!

Personally, what I liked the most were the frescoes. Animals, famous people – real or fictional, manga-like drawings, futuristic scenes, there is something for everyone. Many stencils were also made on the columns of the parking lot. A great way to discover another Mulhouse, whose streets are already very decorated by street art. By the way, I recommend the visit of the Tourist Office on this theme, which I had the chance to do a few years ago – and loved it. I take this opportunity to thank Clémence and Bénédicte who were my guides for Graffitipolis this time 😉

It’s great, it’s really original and it’s free access (just be careful with the opening hours of the parking). I think we can classify it as a must-see in Mulhouse! Another good reason to come – and even to come back since artists regularly come to paint the still bare walls. The promise to see many more beautiful works at
Graffitipolis
!

Guinguette d’Illfurth – Bike ride and rhubarb pie

La Guinguette d’Illfurth, near Mulhouse, is a place that I discovered a few years ago and that I immediately fell in love with. It must be said that the place is charming: a nicely decorated guinguette located on the banks of the Rhone-Rhine Canal, that’s a good base, isn’t it?

A small restaurant accessible by bike

Even if it is possible to get there by car, one of the big advantages of the Guinguette d’Illfurth is to be easily accessible by bike from Mulhouse. It takes 10 kilometers, or about 30 minutes by bike from Mulhouse station. The itinerary, which follows the Rhone-Rhine canal on a bicycle path, is very easy and pleasant. It allows you to make a nice little ride (nothing like pedaling along the water!) with a nice goal at the end. It also makes it easy to get back from the guinguette, even if it’s dark when you decide to leave: having a real bike path and not riding on the road is a big advantage, even more at night in my opinion.

The Guinguette of Illfurth is very nicely decorated, in a brocante style, with a lot of various objects to observe. It is really successful! Once past the entrance, you suddenly feel totally elsewhere, it is very nice.

On the menu, pies to fall down (but not only…)

It’s possible to stop for a drink only, but I really recommend trying a slice of rhubarb meringue pie if there is one when you arrive (usually late afternoon, but it can be later depending on the heat). It is the specialty of Roselyne, the owner of the place with her son Julien, who prepares it on the spot every day… And it is a delight!

The Guinguette d’Illfurth also offers home-made tarts and salads in the evening. Think about booking for the evening, the locals appreciate the address and the guinguette is often full!

Visit Motoco, a place of creation in Mulhouse

Motoco, a strange name for an unusual place in Mulhouse. It actually means“More to come” and refers to an association located in one of the buildings of the former DMC factory in Mulhouse. I had often heard about it but it took me a while to really understand what it was all about. Motoco is in fact both a place of work for the 140 artists in residence and a place for events, for anyone who wants to rent the huge room on the first floor. It must be said that the place all in brick has a crazy charm!

Motoco is therefore a place of work but can be visited on the occasion of open days, events or workshops organized by Motoco artists. The visit is worth it, it’s not a simple coworking space but a place full of history (DMC was a huge textile factory in Mulhouse, so its industrial wastelands are extremely impressive) where an incredible creative atmosphere reigns. We go from an ultra-modern recording studio to a huge painter’s studio, a photo exhibition, a ceramics workshop, textiles, furniture or a space where a short film is being shot… Fascinating!

You can also climb on the roof of the building to see the immensity of the industrial wasteland left by the DMC factory, which still exists but now occupies a very small space. No doubt about it, Motoco is really a must-see place in Mulhouse if you haven’t had the opportunity yet!

Sekitei Japanese Garden – Escape to Mulhouse

This visit is recommended by Léa and Vivine – The Sekitei traditional Japanese garden was created in Mulhouse by Éric, an enthusiast who spent 15 years developing it. Guided tours of an hour and a half are offered to discover the symbolism of all the garden’s elements, such as the layout of the stones, the “dry garden” motifs, the tsukubai, the lanterns and the orientation of the pond. The beauty of the garden, its tranquility and Eric’s passion are impressive! Find out more in our article on Alsace’s Parks and Gardens.

Electric boat trip on the Rhone-Rhine canal

Looking for a fun activity to do with family and friends in Mulhouse in summer? I recommend you try out the electric boat trip offered by Alsace Plaisance. This one-hour tour allows you to discover the Rhone-Rhine Canal at a leisurely pace. The boats are comfortable and easy to handle, even if you don’t have a license. Along the way, you’ll come across barges, bridges and buildings, while enjoying the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside. See our article dedicated to electric boat rental in Mulhouse for more info.