Château de Pourtalès

Strasbourg, France

Château de Pourtalès is a château situated in the Robertsau district of Strasbourg. It was built around 1750 as a small manor house in the Robertsau neighborhood by Joseph Guérault, then contractor of the works of the king in charge of the construction of the fortifications of Strasbourg. In 1802, Baron Paul-Athanase Renouard de Bussierre, who was from a wealthy industrial family from Strasbourg, bought the house and expanded the manor into a gracious Château.

Between 1870 and 1914, the château was the residence of Comtesse Mélanie de Pourtalès and her husband, Count Edmond de Pourtalès (a son of the Swiss banker and art collector, Count James-Alexandre de Pourtalès). Comtesse Mélanie, a renowned French salonnière and Lady-in-waiting to Empress Eugénie, was the only surviving child of Baron Alfred Renouard de Bussière, head of the Royal Mint of Paris.

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the château suffered fire damage. Prominent guests of the château included European aristocracy and members of the arts, including Albert Schweitzer, Franz Liszt, Napoléon III and his wife, the Empress Eugénie, the Princes of Belgium and Russia, Ludwig I of Bavaria, the Grand Duke of Baden and the Princess Metternich.

After Comtesse Mélanie's death in 1914, the château was inherited by her youngest daughter, Agnès de Pourtalès, who was married to Henri, Marquis de Löys-Chandieu (who had been engaged to Victoria Sackville-West before her marriage to Baron Sackville).

During World War I, it was occupied by the Germans, and later liberated by the Americans. The owners of the château in 1939 closed the property and during World War II, it was confiscated by the Germans and used to house high-ranking officers before it was occupied by Allied Forces for a short period following the war. After the War, it was the site an Eastern European University for a short time, but was closed again following the construction of the Berlin Wall.

In 1972, the nearly falling down château was bought by Dr. Walter Leibrecht, the founder of Schiller International University, to house students of the university. For more than 25 years, Schiller's students resided in the château.

In 2009, the Château de Pourtalès was converted to a hotel and has housed many Members of the European Parliament during the session.

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Details

Founded: c. 1750
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ewout Schalkwijk (8 months ago)
A very nice hotel in Strasbourg. Very friendly staff. They offer a good breakfast and they even have a few car chargers. A flat fee of 20 euros and charging all the way to full regardless how long it takes. My 100D got a 16kw per hour charge speed. Very nice? My wife loved the sauna. It was clean and stylish. A very good offer is: parking at the P&R and traveling downtown with the tram for only 4,20 euros. This is up and down for 1 to 7 individuals. From 04:30 to 02:00. Amazing????.
Two Sundays (8 months ago)
Sleeping like queens and kings. Great experience. Lovely surroundings. Biergarten just around the corner.
Frederik van Alkemade (9 months ago)
Best price quality ratio I had in many many years! Wonderful location in huge park, classy historic building, where they kept the atmosphere intact. Relax and great staff. Quiet. Just go And if you have a dog, he she will thank you a lot:-)
Sandeep Sen (11 months ago)
Excellent place for a relaxed weekend. Beautiful gardens to walk around, super service and nicely renovated rooms. There is no restaurant on site so having a car is a good move. Located about 20 mins from the city and parking is free and ample. Decent breakfast.
Tara Meyer (14 months ago)
A beautiful hotel full of interesting history and art. We enjoyed our quick one night stay at the bar and salon, and surrounded by historical artifacts and interesting art. I would definitely stay here again, especially if I come with a dog. Lots of walking and cycling routes available from the front door. It was also helpful that even though there is no restaurant on site, but they provide a big list of nearby spots to enjoy. One note: the rooms were so hot at night, even with the heater off and windows open it was over 25C. Maybe they should regulate that better, also for environmental reasons.
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