THE GUIDE MUSEUMS


It’s been a tough 16 months for France’s museums and art galleries as the pandemic mothballed virtually all public visits. But the forced closures have given managers and curators plenty of time to prepare for their grand reopening this summer. According to the country’s Ministry of Culture, there are more than 1,250 museums and galleries dotted around l’Hexagone. The Louvre, in Paris, is the biggest, best known and most popular, with over nine million visitors in normal years. But don’t overlook the lesser- known, quirkier venues. What about the limestone caves of the mushroom museum in Maine-et-Loire? Or the rather creepy museum of automata in the Lot? Be sure to wear garlic around your neck at the Musée des Vampires in the Paris suburbs. And of course, remember to check online for altered opening times and online booking procedures…


WORDS BY DOMINIC BLISS Aug/Sep 2021 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 127


IMAGES © MAISON DES CANUTS, ALEXIS LAYOUS, LUDOVIC COMBE, ATELIER DE FABRICATION, MUSÉE INGRES BOURDELLE, YANN CARADEC, FORT DE DUNES, MUSÉE DE LA GENDARMERIE, UNSPLASH


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14