Parc de l'Orangerie, Strasbourg

Great place to have a break from the distinctive tourism in the center. Beautiful green area and great wild birds and playgrounds to find.

The city's oldest park is the preferred meeting place for lovers, joggers and Sunday walkers. The children love its playgrounds, its vintage train, its animal park and mini petting zoo (free).
The stork, which had been threatened with extinction for some time, was also made at home again here. More than 800 stork chicks have seen the light of day in the Orangery Park since 1971. This beautiful bird, the symbol of Alsace, can be admired here in all seasons. The lake with its romantic waterfall invites you to enjoy rowing trips. Special exhibitions and events are organized in the Joséphine Pavilion. The Buerehiesel, a beautiful half-timbered house, houses a gourmet restaurant. The bowling alley and the wonderful terrace round off the leisure activities.

ORANGERY
The Orangery district in the north of the city has a rich cultural heritage in which nature plays an important role.
Since the 18th century, the Parc de l'Orangerie, with its English garden, mini zoo and bowling alley, has been Strasbourg's favorite place for walks.

THE JOSÉPHINE PAVILION - HOMAGE TO THE EMPRESS
In the classic French avenue park from 1692, the Orangery building was built between 1804 and 1807 according to the plans of the architect Valentin Boudhors.

The city wanted the building to provide dignified accommodation for Count Johann Reinhard III's orange tree collection. of Hanau-Lichtenberg, which decorated his castle in Bouxwiller until the French Revolution. As a reminder of Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais's stays in Strasbourg, the orangery was named after her. After a fire in 1968, the building was rebuilt true to the original. The two sphinxes sitting opposite each other at the entrance come from the gardens of Klinglin Castle in Illkirch, which were redesigned in the 18th century.

ENGLISH GARDEN, ZOO AND BOWLING ALLEY
Under the influence of Jean Frédéric de Turckheim and Georges Frédéric Schutzenberger, two Strasbourg mayors who were open to currents from England, the park became a romantic English landscape garden with avenues that, following the example of nature, surround a cleverly constructed "disorder" meander.

On the occasion of the International Industrial Exhibition, which took place in the Orangery in 1895, the area of the park was doubled and idyllic half-timbered houses such as the Buerehiesel, pleasure palaces such as the Cupid Temple and water features with bridges, fountains and streams were created. Two sculptures are particularly worth mentioning: the traditional “Gänseliesel” and the poetic “Puits voleur”, designed by Patrick Bailly-Maître-Grand in 1994.

The small zoo is located in the west of the park near the bowling alley, which is located on the site of a former restaurant.
int.strasbourg.eu/de/orangerie