THE GUIDE MUSEUMS 2020/21


Museu di a Corsica Corte, Haute-Corse With mainland France hogging the limelight, it’s all too easy to bypass the wonderful


Mediterranean island of Corsica. That’s why we would


La Maison de Louis Pasteur, where the great biologist once lived


history, art and science to tell the age-old story of man’s relationship with the ocean. With a strong focus on Bordeaux and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the beautiful exhibits cover the journey from prehistory through to modern- day environmental hot topics such as marine life and preservation issues. With more than 10,000 marine objects (scale models, life-size boats, instruments and atlases), the Musée Mer Marine collection spans several millennia of the history of navigation. www.mmmbordeaux.com


Atelier-Musée du Chapeau Chazelles-sur-Lyon, Loire


Mad about hats? Then you really need to visit this delightful homage to le chapeau. Charting the rise and fall of luxury felt headwear produced in Chazelles- sur-Lyon, this space is packed with imagination-tickling displays: industrial machines, mannequins and all sorts of colourful noggin-toppers dating back to the 18th century. You can even try some of them on for size. Whether you’re into the manufacturing side of things, or you can’t get enough of cloches and coifs, this factory-cum- museum is a fitting tribute to the marvel of milliners. www.museeduchapeau.com


Musée de la Bande Dessinée Angoulême, Charente Billions of blue blistering barnacles! If you’re a fan of


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Tintin, Captain Haddock, Asterix, Obelix, Lucky Luke or the Smurfs, then you’ll love this museum in Angoulême, dedicated to the art and literature of comic books, especially the famous Franco- Belgian school. There’s even an area for younger visitors to immerse themselves in books, play games and dress up as comic book characters. And why Angoulême? Well, this is the city that, every year, hosts one of the world’s best and most important comic book festivals. www.citebd.org


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 laboriously-titled Musée des Nourrices et des Enfants de l’Assistance Publique 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


recommend a trip off the beaten track to visit its most important museum. Here you’ll discover the island’s general history and the evolution of local industry, all combined with stunning views over jagged, precipitous Corte. There are temporary exhibitions on until the end of March 2021, all dedicated to the island’s medieval citadels. www.musee-corse.com


Le Cassissium Nuits-Saint-Georges, Côte-d’Or Here’s a museum dedicated to all things cassis. Located in the pretty town of Nuits-Saint- Georges, on Burgundy’s famous Côte d’Or escarpment, Le Cassissium is all about


blackcurrants (“the black pearls of Burgundy”, as they call them), including most importantly, the famous crème de cassis liqueur. As well as an interactive museum, where you’ll learn about this fruit’s varied uses in the fields of medicine, perfumery and of course gastronomy, there is also a guided tour of the Védrenne liqueur factory next door. Don’t miss the tasting bar, with both crème de cassis and non-alcoholic samples available to try. Delicious. www.cassissium.fr


Maison de Louis Pasteur Arbois, Jura


Preserved in its original state, exactly as it was when the great biologist lived here, this museum offers an intriguing insight into the life and work of the man who invented the pasteurisation process. As well as his family living areas, you’ll discover the private laboratory where Pasteur carried out his vital work on fermentation. A brand new digital guide (available in English as well as in French) allows visitors to experience the house through the voices of Pasteur’s friends, colleagues and relatives. Apparently, you can even capture a selfie with the great man himself. www.terredelouispasteur.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 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. Prepare to be amazed. www.arts-et-metiers.net


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The marvellous and magical Musée des Mille et Une Racines


IMAGE © MUSÉE DES MILLE ET UNE RACINES, MAISON DE LOUIS PASTEUR


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