MUSEUMS 2024 THE GUIDE


Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière Troyes, Aube


The Musée de la Grande Guerre du Pays de Meaux


Battle of the Marne. The 3,000m2


building houses


70,000 or so items and documents pertaining to everyday military life in the Great War. Many of the exhibits once belonged to keen historian Jean-Pierre Verney, who spent much of his life gathering them, before selling his collection to the museum. The venue is closed between August 19 and September 6, reopening September 7 for an historical reenactment weekend. www.museedelagrandeguerre. com


Historial de la Grande Guerre Péronne, Somme


Concealed within the fortified walls of the Château de Péronne, the Historial de la Grande Guerre offers a no-holds-barred look at the First World War, capturing the full scope and magnitude of the war to end all wars and exploring its cultural, social and military dimensions. There are films and interactive displays to help you understand the


perspective of the three main protagonists – France, Germany and Britain. www.historial.fr


Musée de l’Homme Paris, Île-de-France


This museum on the Place du Trocadéro explores what it really means to be human. Covering all regions and races


of the planet, it analyses homo sapiens through the lenses of anatomy, anthropology, history, culture, science and evolution. The last part of the tour questions our future in a globalised and


increasingly artificial world. www.museedelhomme.fr


Fondation Bemberg Toulouse, Haute-Garonne Art collector Georges Bemberg, who was originally from Argentina, set


up this museum to bring his personal collection to the public. It is housed in the Hôtel d’Assézat and first opened in 1995. Included are paintings from the Renaissance up to the early 20th century, bronze works of art and antique furniture. www.fondation-bemberg.fr


Europa Expérience Paris, Île-de-France Anyone who’s a fan of the European Union ought to visit Europa Expérience, in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, a visitor centre which explains the history, politics and inner workings of the union and how you can support its future. Multimedia and immersive installations, as well as a 360-degree cinema, bring it to life. You can even indulge in a bit of role play as a pretend MEP. Entry is free and information is given in all 24 official EU languages. Just don’t mention Brexit. visiting.europarl.europa.eu


There were no power tools back in the old days. Instead of chainsaws, drills, angle grinders and sanders, craftsmen and builders had to use elbow grease and manual tools. At this museum in Troyes, thanks to exhibits numbering more than 12,000 tools from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, you can appreciate “the hands, the heart and the spirit” of the men and women who worked with them. The purpose of the museum, say the directors, is “not to conserve the past, but to use the past to understand the present and build the future”. You’d be wise to remember that when you next get your lawnmower out of the shed. mopo3.com


Utah Beach Musée du Débarquement Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche Utah Beach – on the Cotentin Peninsula and the westernmost of the five D-Day landing zones – played a key role in the liberation of Europe in 1944, thanks to its proximity to the strategic port of Cherbourg. At this museum, right on the beach, you’ll learn about the German defences, the strategy of the Allies, the naval landings, the air attacks and the land attack. Among the many historical items on show is an original B26 bomber. utah-beach.com


Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine Paris, Île-de-France Tracing its origins back to 1882, this museum, in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, focuses on the heritage of architecture and public monuments. “This


multifaceted venue strives to stimulate critical thinking and spur the general public to become active participants in architecture and urban development for the future,” state the curators. “The museum provides an account of the history of architecture from the Middle Ages to the present day.” Until April 2025 there are two special exhibitions exploring the cultural impacts of department stores. www.citedelarchitecture.fr


Centre de la mémoire d’Oradour Oradour-sur-Glane, Haute-Vienne The village of Oradour-sur- Glane was the site of one of the worst atrocities in France during the Second World War. In 1944, after learning that an SS officer had been held captive here, the Germans brutally killed a total of 643 people, including more than 200 children, and razed much of the village to the ground. After the war, Charles de Gaulle decided Oradour-sur- Glane should never be rebuilt – as a reminder of the cruelty of the occupying army. Today you can visit the Centre de la mémoire d’Oradour as well as the ruined village itself.


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Learn about D-Day at the Utah Beach Musée du Débarquement Aug/Sep 2024 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 123


IMAGES © MUSÉE DE LA GRANDE GUERRE DU PAYS DE MEAUX, MUSÉE UTAH BEACH


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