Maison Kammerzell
Maison Kammerzell is a Renaissance house with a carved timber frame, standing on Place de la Cathédrale in Strasbourg. Its stone ground floor dates from the 15th century and its wooden upper storeys from the late 16th. Listed as a historic monument since 1929, it houses a brasserie known for its choucroute, with a hotel alongside.
A house built in two stages
Construction began in 1427, and the stone ground floor is the only part of that first house still standing. In 1571 a cheese merchant, Martin Braun, bought the building and had timber-framed storeys added on top. The house reached its final form in 1589. You can still read these layers clearly from the square: the solid stone base below, then the upper floors jutting out over the heads of passers-by.
A façade that reads like a picture book
Take a moment to look up: the wooden façade is covered in carvings. There are religious and secular scenes, medieval legends, the five senses, the four ages of life, faith, hope and charity, and the signs of the zodiac. Figures from history and legend appear too, such as Caesar, Charlemagne, Hector and Godfrey of Bouillon. A restoration in 1892 added polychrome paintings to the façades in the 16th-century Rhenish style.
Named after its last private owner
The house bears the name of Philippe-François Kammerzell, its last private owner, who sold it in 1879 to the Fondation de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, the body that looks after the cathedral. In Strasbourg dialect it is also called 's'Kammerzellhüs'. Inside, the Alsatian painter Léo Schnug created painted decoration in 1910, including a Strasbourg culinary anecdote from 1576. The way to see it is to sit down for a meal in the dining rooms.
Dining in the shadow of the cathedral
Today Maison Kammerzell is a brasserie that puts its choucroute centre stage, including seafood versions, and a hotel occupies part of the building. Its position facing the cathedral makes it a sought-after table, so booking is wise, especially at weekends and during the Christmas season. Even if you are not eating there, come and see the façade late in the day, when the square empties a little and the light brings out the carvings.
Practical information
Address: 16 Place de la Cathédrale, 67000 Strasbourg
Frequently asked questions
Where is Maison Kammerzell?
At 16 Place de la Cathédrale, on Strasbourg's Grande Île, a few steps from the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Why is this house so well known?
For its late 16th-century carved timber façade, set on a stone ground floor begun in 1427, and for its spot facing the cathedral. It has been a listed historic monument since 1929.
Can you visit the inside?
The interior is seen as a guest of the brasserie, which keeps the decoration painted by Léo Schnug. The façade can be admired freely from the square at any time.
What is there to see nearby?
Notre-Dame Cathedral is right opposite, and the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame and the Palais Rohan are a few minutes' walk away on the other side of the cathedral.
Wikimedia Commons — Morio60
