Strasbourg, France: Palais Rohan

It's easy to be overshadowed by the Cathedral in Strasbourg, if only because of the height of the structure. However, there's a building a short distance away that is spectacular in its own way.

The Palais Rohan was opened in 1742 as a home for a family from nobility; the guest list has included Napoleon and Marie Antoinette. It was passed on to the public sector around the French Revolution, and it has gone through a variety of uses including that of an Emperor's royal residence. But during the last 120 years or so, its fame has come as the home of three important Strasbourg museums: Archeological, Fine Arts, and Decorative Arts. 

Want something a bit more recent? Ronald Reagan had dinner here on May 8, 1985. In, Barack Obama met with French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

We didn't get past the courtyard just inside the main gate, although the exhibit there was quite striking. Guess a video is in order.