Mulhouse

Mulhouse is a city and commune in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, in the Haut-Rhin department. It lies near the border with Switzerland and Germany, close to Basel, and is part of the Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg cross-border Eurodistrict. The city has about 110,000 residents and anchors a larger metropolitan area that extends into neighboring municipalities.

Mulhouse developed from a medieval market town into a major textile manufacturing center in the 18th–19th centuries, particularly in printing textiles. Its growth accelerated under both French and German rule as Alsace changed hands after the Franco-Prussian War; it was part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 and reverted to France after World War I. The late 20th century saw a decline of traditional textiles and a shift toward services, logistics and technology.

The city has a notable museum sector reflecting its industrial past. The Cité du Train houses a large collection of locomotives, and the Musée de l’Impression sur Étoffes documents textile printing and design. The Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse is one of France’s oldest zoos. The historic center contains late 19th-century architecture.

Mulhouse hosts campuses of the University of Haute-Alsace and other higher-education facilities. It is linked by rail to Basel and Strasbourg, and the region is served by the EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg, located near Saint-Louis, France.