Maison des Tanneurs
Maison des Tanneurs is a half-timbered house from 1572, set on the bank of the Ill in Strasbourg's Petite France district. A former tannery whose façades and roofs are listed as a historic monument, it has housed an Alsatian winstub since 1949. People come as much for the house as for the food.
A Renaissance house on the Ill
The house was built in 1572, at the height of the Strasbourg Renaissance. It stands at 42 Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes, near Place Benjamin-Zix, in the most photographed corner of Petite France. Its gabled façade looks straight onto the Ill, and its outline of timber and tiles is best seen from the water or from the nearby footbridges. It is one of the houses that give the district its riverside-village feel.
The tanners' trade
Before it became a restaurant, the house was a tannery. Petite France was then home to many tanners, millers and fishermen, who all depended on the waters of the Ill. On the river side, the façade had open galleries and lofts where hides were hung to dry. When the house became a restaurant these openings were closed with large glazed bays, but the original structure is still easy to make out when you look at the gable from the opposite bank.
Mullions, stained glass and Alsatian tiles
The house combines timber framing and half-timbering in the Strasbourg Renaissance style. Its arched mullioned windows are fitted with stained glass, and its roofs play with multiple slopes and dormers covered in Alsatian tiles. Its façades and roofs have been listed as a historic monument since 7 March 1927. For the best view, step back onto Place Benjamin-Zix or the waterside rather than standing right beneath the façade.
A winstub since 1949
The restaurant opened in 1949, set up by a group of winegrowers. It is also known as the 'Gerwerstub' or 'Maison de la Choucroute', and the menu stays true to Alsatian specialities. The dining room overlooks the Ill, which makes it a popular address in fine weather and during the Christmas season. Book ahead and check opening days with the restaurant, as they can vary through the year.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Maison des Tanneurs?
At 42 Rue du Bain-aux-Plantes in Petite France, on the bank of the Ill near Place Benjamin-Zix.
Can you visit the house?
It is not a museum: you see the interior by coming for a meal. The listed façades can be enjoyed freely from the street, Place Benjamin-Zix and the banks of the Ill.
What else is nearby?
All of Petite France can be explored on foot: its quays and locks, then the Ponts Couverts and the Barrage Vauban, a few minutes to the west.
Wikimedia Commons — Morio60 · Wikimedia Commons — Aline Vidal
