THE GUIDE MUSEUMS 2024


Prepare to be deeply moved by the whole experience. www.oradour.org


Musée de la Gendarmerie Nationale Melun, Seine-et-Marne Dive head-fi rst into France’s police history with a trip to Melun’s astonishing Gendarmerie museum, less than an hour’s drive from Paris. The immense glass display cases are set across 1,200m2


of museum space,


featuring more than 40 mannequins dressed in old police uniforms, plus weapons, fi gurines, paintings, photos, badges and insignia. www.gendarmerie.interieur. gouv.fr/musee


Musée Bayeux Bayeux, Calvados The magnifi cent 70m-long Bayeux Tapestry is the original comic book, documenting the Norman invasion of England in 1066. Its blood, gore and medieval battle scenes have amazed and scared viewers for centuries. Around 400,000 people visit the tapestry every year, but if you can’t make it in person, there is a brilliant digital version online. The museum itself is set to benefi t from a €35m facelift, due for completion by 2028. There are also two accompanying museums nearby in Bayeux: the Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie and the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Baron Gérard (MAHB). www.bayeuxmuseum.com


Airborne Museum Sainte-Mère-Église, Manche This museum celebrates the great sacrifi ce made by the American paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne during D-Day. It’s located a short distance away from the Normandy landing beaches in a village called Sainte-Mère- Église. Poignantly, close to the museum is the belfry on which American parachutist John Steele famously became snagged on June 6th 1944. Despite being taken prisoner by the Germans, he escaped and rejoined his division to fi ght on. The aeroplanes on display at the museum include a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a Waco glider and a Piper Cub Grasshopper. www.airborne-museum.org


Musée du Louvre Paris, Île-de-France Is this the world’s most famous museum? It’s certainly the largest and, thanks to Mona Lisa, it houses arguably the most famous painting ever created. It also claims to be the most visited museum on the planet. Standing sentry on the Seine’s Right Bank, its shimmering glass pyramid and labyrinth of galleries and staircases across three wings and four fl oors amount to France’s – and one of the planet’s – top cultural sites. Aside from La Joconde, as she’s known in France, other Louvre highlights include the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Raft of the Medusa, Liberty


The Airborne Museum marks the sacrifice made by American paratroopers


Leading the People and (controversially) plenty of Napoleonic war booty. Its 380,000 exhibits cannot be viewed in a whole week, let alone a day – so you’ll need to arrange repeat visits if you want to see it all. Perhaps French painter Paul Cézanne summed it up best. “Keep good company,” he said. “That is, go to the Louvre.” Open every day except Tuesdays. www.louvre.fr


Musée Somme 1916 Albert, Somme


The Battle of the Somme cost one million lives. Heading down into the subterranean Musée Somme 1916 is a sobering experience for sure, only emphasised by the dark alcoves and trenches – but there’s also an element of intrigue and whimsy in these tunnels. The museum works exceptionally well as an educational day out: families can follow in the mud-laden footsteps of the soldiers, observe recreated scenes and pore over the collection of helmets, uniforms and weapons before embarking on the Remembrance Trail. Open every day from 9am to 6pm. Tickets cost €8 (€5). www.somme-trench-museum. co.uk


Marvel at the 70m piece of 11th-century embroidery at the Musée Bayeux 124 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Aug/Sep 2024


Musée Guerre et Paix en Ardennes Novion-Porcien, Ardennes Over the years, the Ardennes’ position close to the border


between France, German and Belgium means it has featured in many bitter wars. This museum honours the memory of the combatants from the Franco-Prussian War and the two World Wars. On show are many of the vehicles, weapons, uniforms, helmets, equipment and civilian objects associated with the three confl icts. www.guerreetpaix.fr


Musée d’Arromanches Arromanches, Calvados It was Resistance fi ghter Raymond Triboulet who fi rst came up with the idea for this museum, the fi rst to commemorate the D-Day landings. Now there’s a new building, which opened last year, featuring a cinema and exhibitions on the German occupation of Arromanches, the Allied invasion, the battle for Normandy and the key role that the nearby artifi cial harbour played in it. musee-arromanches.fr


Musée Néo-Zélandais de la Libération Le Quesnoy, Nord


After four long years of German occupation, in November 1918, the citizens of Le Quesnoy were fi nally freed by New Zealand soldiers. Thanks to ingenious tactics, the town’s buildings were preserved in the battle and not one civilian was killed. The museum relates the amazing tale through ❯❯


IMAGES © S. MAURICE/BAYEUX MUSEUM, AIRBORNE MUSEUM


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