The Art of Travel at the Musée Lalique in Alsace

A visit to the Musée Lalique in Alsace is a surprise not just for the fantastic permanent collection and the spectacular natural setting, but also for the quality of the temporary exhibitions, guided by a different theme each year. Lalique et l’art du Voyage revisits the refinement and mystery of motor, rail and marine travel through a time capsule of precious and rare objects and memorabilia from an era where the passenger list read like a who’s who of the world’s aristocracy and leaders in politics and industry.

Created in the Alsatian village where Lalique set up his famous glassworks – still thriving today – after the First World War, the museum is entirely independent from the commercial brand. It is dedicated to the work of René Jules Lalique, the innovator of transparency and light, who created delicate objets d’art and large-scale installations that elevated glass to a whole new standard. Lalique embraced progress and the new era of communications brought about by more efficient modes of transport, and regarded travel as yet another showcase for the art of high living.

TIP: Plan a lunch break at the Crista’Lion café with its open terrace, friendly staff, siesta-inducing portions, and a legendary mille-feuille.

Pssst. Lalique has opened a new hotel-restaurant called Villa René Lalique. Read correspondent Alexander Lobrano’s France Today review here.

Musée Lalique, Wingen-sur-Moder, Bas-Rhin (45 minutes from Strasbourg). The exhibition runs until November 2, 2016.

From France Today magazine