THE GUIDE MUSEUMS 2019


Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac 7th arrondissement, Paris


Most of us visit museums pretty much exclusively for their galleries and exhibitions. When it comes to the Musée de Quai Branly, however, there’s just as much reason to swing by the neighbourhood for a glimpse of its incredible – and undeniably Instagram-friendly – exterior, which is clad entirely with plant life. Come for the vertical garden and stay for the rich collection of cultural gems from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, from Kongo masks to Taiwanese paper palaces. And once you have had your fill of the arts, why not try one of Alain Ducasse’s onsite restaurants? www.quaibranly.fr


Musée des Arts et Métiers 3rd arrondissement, Paris Trains, planes and steam- powered aircraft – that’s what little scientists' dreams are made of! Acting as a portal through


The Musée du Quai Branly is the perfect antidote to the crowds of the Eiffel Tower


centuries of industrial innovation, the Musée des Arts et Métiers makes for one heck of an educational outing. The Foucault Pendulum, Ader’s Avion III (a bat-like, experimental aircraft that pre-dated the Wright Flyer by six years), and the original model for the Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, are all housed here. Anyone who


gets giddy over scientific inventions will be in seventh heaven. Set aside half a day and don’t skimp on the multi- language audio guide; it breathes life into the exhibits. www.arts-et-metiers.net


Musée des Nourrices Alligny-en-Morvan, Nièvre Had you been a well-heeled Parisian lady in the 18th or 19th century, the last thing you would


have needed to spoil the pleasures of your wealthy bourgeois life was a baby to carry about. That’s where Morvan’s wet nurses (nourrices) came in. Often abandoning their own infants, these young women sought a better life in the capital, and were rewarded handsomely for their services. Well worth a visit, the Musée des Nourrices brings this amazing story to life with a collection of moving memorabilia. Bonus tip: if you need somewhere to stay nearby, there are chambres d’hôtes on site from €65 per night. www.museedesnourrices.fr


Musée du Champignon Saumur, Maine-et-Loire


Mushroom lovers, champions of champignons, this is the museum for you. Deep in subterranean troglodyte caves carved out of tufa limestone, this treasure trove of fungi boasts 250 species or so to (s)pore over, educational titbits and ❯❯


EXPOSITION


DU 22 MAI AU 15 OCTOBRE 2019


DES


OFFRANDES DIEUX ?


POUR LES


LES DÉPÔTS D’OBJETS MÉTALLIQUES À L’ÂGE DU BRONZE EN SARRE ET LORRAINE


Saint Valerie sur Somme Saint Valerie sur Somme


Saint Valerie sur Somme 148 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Aug/Sep 2019


Saint Valerie sur Somme


IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK, MUSÉE DU CHAMPIGNON


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