Caen attracts two kinds of visitors: those who are there specifically for the D-Day Landing Beaches and all things World War II…and those who land here after the Channel crossing…and leave immediately to drive furiously to whatever destination they’re making for. Here’s a guide to Caen to persuade you to make this a short break.

Having written extensively on D-Day both here (see my list/links at the end bottom of the article) and been the co-author of the Bradt D-Day Landing Guide, I well understand the former.

But those who just see Caen as a jumping off port are missing out on this delightful, lively city where visitors who defy the usual practice and make it a destination stop are well rewarded.

A Little History of Caen

William and Mathilda

2027 is an important year for Normandy – and Europe. It sees the international celebration of William the Conqueror and Caen is the perfect place to start their colourful story.

Two of the main buildings in Caen are associated with William the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087) and Mathilda of Flanders (c. 1031-1083), so please excuse this very short history (or scroll past).

William was known as William the Bastard, being the illegitimate son of unmarried Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress Herleva. William’s chosen wife was the aristocratic Mathilda – granddaughter of King Robert II of France. Her reply to his declaration was pretty curt – she would not marry a bastard. The story then goes into Mills and Boon territory. William either rode to Bruges, forced himself into her bedroom and beat her. Or he dragged her from her horse and presumably declared his undying resolve in the mud.

Apparently fascinated by such a manly response, Mathilda consented. Historians, naturally, dispute this version, but let’s not get in the way of a good story.

William and Mathilda were married  in 1051-2 (probably in Rouen Cathedral), despite Pope Leo IX banning the union on the grounds of consanguinity – the couple were third cousins once removed. Four or five children later, Pope Nicholas II granted a dispensation after the couple agreed to found two churches as penance, the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames.

Top Sights in Caen

Château de Caen

Begun by William the Conqueror in 1060 and fortified by his son Henry Beauclerk in 1123, it retains enough of the old buildings to show its size and importance. A walk over the moat into the citadel shows you how difficult the castle would be to attack. The greatest damage was done when Caen was bombed in 1944. Since then restoration work has brought the castle back to life.

A walk up to the ramparts reveals the city below, the church of St-Pierre and in the distance the Abbaye aux Hommes.

I’d advise you to start, if possible, with a visit to the Exchequer, a handsome stone building from the late 11^th century. Inside it’s empty but wait for the immersive show. The doors close behind you; the lights dim to blackness and the great salon is filled with the sounds and sights of A Journey through the 1000-year history of Caen based on the 2025 commemorative year.  It brings to life the history of the ancient city, taking you back into the lives of long distant ancestors, through the industrial era, on to World War II and beyond.

There’s plenty to see in the extensive grounds: the Musée de Normandie takes you at a gallop through the story of the region; the Fine Arts Museum takes you on a whistle stop tour of art through the ages and you can visit the sinister tower of Queen Mathilda.

If you can allow at least half a day.

Abbaye aux Hommes

The magnificent building, with glorious flowering gardens in front, is impressive. To one side stands the Church of Saint-Etienne, one of Normandy’s greatest Romanesque buildings. Don’t miss this out; it’s imposing and atmospheric. The west front is a wonderful mix of Romanesque; with three tiers in different styles flanked by two ornate towers.

The vast interior is plain, with an 18^th-century organ standing proud at the west end. At the east end you’ll find the tomb of William the Conqueror, though after the church was sacked by the Hugenots in the 16^th century, his remains were scattered. All that remains of him is a femur, which is buried beneath the stone.

The main building in the complex, designed in the 18^th century, is a wonderful example of the neo-classical style. Today it’s the town hall, but it also has a good exhibition space and cloisters which in their feeling of serenity and privacy take you away from the stresses of everyday life. Don’t miss the Chapter Hall where the monks originally gathered daily to listen to one (just one) of the 73 chapters of the life of St Benedict. Today it’s the wedding room of the city hall.

Abbaye aux Dames

Founded in 1062 by Queen Matilda and consecrated in June 1066, it stands about 1 mile away from the Abbaye aux Hommes. Step inside the Eglise de la Trinité, mostly built in the 11^th century in Romanesque style. Queen Matilda is buried here which I find rather sad; William and Matilda were a devoted couple. The building is a smaller version of the Abbaye aux Hommes; the grand façade looking more welcoming, the cloister smaller and more intimate. It was occupied by Benedictine nuns until the French Revolution then followed the usual path of such buildings. It first became a barracks, then housed beggars and the homeless, became a hospital in 1823, then a hospice in 1908 and today houses the Regional Normandy Council.

Take a guided tour to see the whole building, including the crypt. It’s surrounded by a large park with lovely views over Caen.

Walk the City

Caen is an easy city to walk around and the tourist office (in the Hotel d’Esceville), conveniently located south of the castle, is a good place to start from.

Walk down rue St Pierre, now mainly a shopping street with bland modern buildings…except for two half-timbered buildings at 52 and 54, stand out, rather incongruously.

If you’re feeling energetic and have time, take a left down rue Paul-Doumer to the Place de la Republique, laid out as a public garden. Then walk past the 17^th-Century Notre Dame de la Gloriette to Place Malherbe and into Place St Sauveur.

Stop for a coffee in Place Saint Sauveur and sit and look at the 18^th-century houses that march down the sides. Or shop at the market on Friday mornings for local Normandy cheeses, breads, meats and more. It’s all presided over by a statue of Louis XIV depicted as a Roman emperor rather than the Sun King. When I was there he was encased in a wooden box, decorated with some dubious Bacchanalian figures. You could see the regal figure but you could also see the back wooden wall as well. Hopefully it was temporary and he has now been restored to his real glory.

Then you are at the Abbaye aux Hommes.

Jardin des Plantes et Jardin Botanique

The collection was started in 1689 from the private garden of Jean-Baptiste Callard de la Ducquerle. Today there’s an impressive main building and acres of plant-filled gardens. You can grab something to eat here. While it’s popular with locals for its advice, lessons and information on plants generally, it’s also a delightful place for visitors o wander through. Check opening times and ticket prices here.

Where to Stay in Caen

We stayed at The People Caen, which is an upmarket hostel. Being of a slightly greater age than your normal hostel person, we were a little nervous. But it’s a fabulous place for people of any age and filled with families with the odd grandparent in tow.

Bedrooms are comfortable, light and airy though not large; bathrooms are good. There’s a rooftop bar with great views, good pizzas to order in the evening and the odd market inside selling all sorts of colourful, sometimes over-the-top kind of fashion that only suits somebody under 21.

Added to this, there’s a garage next door (though beware of using foreign credit cards; we spent a couple of hours with the very helpful receptionist trying to pay before succeeding). Once your car is safely stowed away, tram T2 starts its route here at Presqu’Île. There’s also a free shuttle bus taking you around Caen. The one from here goes through the centre of town ending up at the Palais des Sports.

There are plenty of hotels in Caen, from budget accommodation to luxury.

Where to Eat in Caen

Vaugueux is the district to make for. It’s an area of small streets just east of the Chateau with a whole pedestrianised street of excellent restaurants and bars. We walked there from the hostel, about a 20 minute pleasant stroll. Our destination? Horace.

Horace is a delightful restaurant located in one of the old houses that fill the district. We ate on the outside terrace, a people-watching magnet. The menu is traditional using local ingredients. An excellent €24 and €28 menu takes in crispy camembert with apple and Normandy sausage, mains such as confit of duck, salmon and pasta for vegetarians. Desserts might included warm chocolate cake with passion-fruit sorbet and almond cake with lemon and vervain. The €42 menu includes the likes of oysters, sea bream ceviche and duck foie gras for starters, scallops, sirloin steak and more.

Horace
15 rue du Vaugueux 
14000 Caen
Tel: +33 (0) 2 31 93 50 7
Open Thursday to Monday 12noon-1.30pm & 7-9.30pm

Le Carlotta
Located on the Bassin Saint Pierre quay, Le Carlotta is a delightful Art Deco brasserie, complete with all the glorious over-the-top decorated glass, mirrors and plush red seating you expect to see in a traditional brasserie. Take advantage of the seaside location and order seafood – from oysters to a groaning fruits de mer plateau (€49 or €70). Those after turf rather than surf might go for duck confit parmentier (with a potato topping), or a generous steak. It’s not the cheapest restaurant in Caen but it’s gracious, well positioned and serves excellent meals.

Le Carlotta
16 quai Vendeuvre
14000 Caen
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 86 68 99
Open Monday to Friday noon-2.30pm & 7-11pm

How to Get to Caen

By Sea

Like most Brits we went on Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth, one of the best ferry companies. The Guillaume de Normandie, the second of their Hybrid-LNG ships, takes ferry crossings up another level. If you go overnight take a comfortable cabin with a good bathroom. And eat if you can, in the Bella Riva restaurant rather than the casual café to keep the cruise feeling. There are allergy free and pet friendly cabins as well. Public spaces are roomy and it’s remarkably quiet compared to the diesel engine ferries.  

Top Tip:
We travelled by day, landing at Caen around 10pm. We got through fairly fast (if you can take the right-hand lane exiting the ferry which gives you two control points. But with the new 2026 restrictions it might take longer to get out of the French port. With our late arrival we booked at the Hotel du Phare. It’s a basic 2-star hotel, with a charming staff. We arrived too late to have a drink in the bar, but the manager brought us glasses and biscuits as we opened the bottle of Calvados we had bought on board. Rooms are fine for a quick overnight stay; there’s a good breakfast and you can park right outside the hotel. If you take a front view room you can see the port and the ferry, a 2-minute drive away.

Hotel du Phare
10 Place du Général de Gaulle
Ouistreham 14150
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 97 13 13
Normandy Tourism Website information on Le Phare
Rooms from  €75 a night

Caen and World War II

Caen was the great objective of the D-Day Landings in June 1944. But it took far longer for the Allies to take than originally planned. On June 7, on their way from the Normandy landing beaches, the British and Canadian Divisions ran into the formidable German 12^th SS Panzer Division, the infamous Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth). Fighting in the villages all around Caen took an extremely heavy toll and there are memorials in all these areas. You’ll find Commonwealth War Graves Commissions graveyards, places kept beautifully where the ages of those killed make you weep. There are memorials like the one dedicated to the Typhoon pilots, a dramatic black marble monument shaped as two arrows meeting, commemorating the 151 Typhoon pilots killed in Normandy between May and August 1944. And the emotive Abbaye d’Ardenne, where the Canadian Massacre memorial in a small peaceful garden is witness to the 15 Canadian prisoners of war murdered on June 7.

If you want to see these, and a whole lot more, then (excuse the blatant advert), please buy a copy of the book I wrote with Alastair McKenzie, D-Day Landings, A Travel Guide to Normandy’s Beaches and Battlegrounds. It‘s published by Bradt Travel Guides and you can get it in bookshops or through Bradt Travel Guides website, or Amazon.  

Mémorial de Caen 

If you have just one museum to visit outside the centre, make it the Mémorial de Caen. It covers both world wars in detail, but is particularly strong on World War II. Superb themes, artefacts, videos and more will really bring history to life. But be warned, some of the story is very uncomfortable. The museum moves from One War to Another, through France in the dark years of the 30s, from European to World War and more to finish with, through Genocide, and propaganda to the end of the war…and what impact it had. There’s an excellent section on the D-Day Landings which I recommend you see before setting off around the sites around Caen. It ends with a 19-minute film.

The museum then continues to the Cold War and more. Don’t miss General Richter’s Underground Bunker which is a separate building.

Le Mémorial de Caen
Esplanade Général Eisenhower
CS 55026
14050 Caen Cedex 4
Tel : +33 (0) 2 31 06 06 45
Website
Opening times vary during the year so check the website. But mainly the museum is open daily 9am-6pm.
Tickets: Adult €20.80; child and seniors €18.50; Family €53. Other rates valuable.
Combined tickets with other attractions also available.

More about Normandy

Normandy Impressionist Festival 2026
Normandy and Impressionism – A general overall look at the great Impressionist art movement and what to see in Normandy
Guide to the Impressionist Painters
Normandy Travel Guide – What to see and Do in Normandy
Getting to Normandy

World War II in Normandy

D-Day Landing Beaches from Utah to Sword

Caen Tourism Website

The post Guide to Caen in Normandy appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Cité du Vin stands beside the Garonne River in the Bacalan district. The tall building has been described in so many different ways. To some it looks like a sailing vessel; to others a lookout post, or a lighthouse. Or how about the coiled growth of a vine, or wine poured into a decanter?

Whatever you may think of the building, there’s no doubt about its importance. Not only is it an inspiring place to learn more about wine and enjoy tastings, it’s been given one of those designations that the French so delight in (and let’s face it, they do so well). It’s part of Make it Iconic. Choose France campaign, along with the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame-de-Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel.

Cité du Vin was started in 2008 and opened in 2016. Its completion marked the beginning of a huge expansion of the Bacalan area, the formal commercial port. It’s now a vibrant and exciting part of Bordeaux.  

The Permanent Exhibition

Once you’re past the ground floor, with its shop, wine shop, conference space, The Latitude Brasserie and café, terrace, gardens, tickets and restrooms, you go up to the exhibition. It’s beautifully designed with spaces that meld into each other, separated by tall wooden columns that whisper to you of a cathedral, or a wooden wine bottle.

The Story Begins

Huge screens fill the the initial Vineyards of the World space with spectacular images. Landscapes vary from Tahiti to the slopes of Mount Fuji. You learn a lot on the way: in the Moselle Valley vines are planted on very steep slopes to get the most of the sun; in Santorini they train canes of vines into wreaths to protect the grapes from the harsh sandy winds of the island. The vines of Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes in Argentina, capture the water that runs down from the glaciers; Finland is the most northerly country producing wines.

The Winemaker

This section is for those interested in the process. Even I, not so much interested in this, lingered over the terroirs that produce different flavours and the year in the life of a winemaker, which according to the poetic captions…’means living to the rhythm of the plant’s growth…trembling before the vagaries of the weather. Will June rain destroy the flowers? Will it bring disease?…It also means pruning, pulling away the canes, pruning again, attaching, debudding…’ and so on.
You come out feeling nothing but admiration for the winemakers.

Through the Ages

The Gallery of Civilisations is where I lost myself and spent the most time. Wine has been part of humankind’s life since 6,000 B.C. but the story really begins with the ancient Greeks. The gallery covers thousands of years in a few galleries and does it with style and humour.

‘There is no moment more delightful in life than that when guests, sitting around a well-laden table, lend their ears to a minstrel while the cup-bearer, drawing wine from an amphora, fills every cup!’ And there you have it – Homer in 8 B.C.

You’re taken through the taverns of Pompeii (particularly debauched), into the world of the ‘heavenly wines of the Pharoahs’ who took wine into the afterlife, to the first wines mixed with sea water (courtesy of the Greeks), medieval wines ‘as clear as an eye’ to Pasteur whose research into the fermentation of wine and its effects made him the progenitor of modern oenology.

Stories are told in this series of delightful small rooms with pictures and quotes. As Galileo wrote: ‘Wine is the sunlight held together by water’.

The Art of Living

Here you get all sorts of fun things to do, like sniffing different smells and trying to identify them. And listening to what the great and the good, and sometimes the pompous and the mad, have said about wine with more videos and clips from films that feature wine.

‘A real connoisseur does not drink a wine but tastes its secrets.’ Salvador Dali (1904-1989).

I particularly like the quote by Nikoloz Doborjinidze, founder of Georgia’s Space Research Agency in 2019: ‘Our ancestors brought wine to Earth so we can now do the same to Mars’.

You look at maps, and realise that in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and many international vineyards are mainly located along waterways. It’s partly because water tempers the harshest weather but mainly because of navigation. Until railways took over in the 19^th century, rivers and canals offered the best way to get your wine to market.

Guide to Bordeaux Wines

And of course there is a large, fascinating section about the wines of Bordeaux. The section takes you out of the city into the great surrounding wine-growing regions of Médoc, Graves and Sauternes, Blaye and Bourg, Saint-Emilion Pomerol and Fronsac, and Entre-Deux-Mers.

Via Sensoria

The prospect of an immersive wine tour where ‘sensory experiences and tastings meet in the heart of unique dreamlike spaces…’ filled me with dread. In typical French hyperbole, Via Sensoria promises stimulating the senses, a physical and emotional transition. And to get to the pre-booked experience, I had to give up seeing more of the permanent exhibition which I was hugely enjoying.

So I was delighted when the Via Sensoria turned out to be fascinating…and different. Our small group was taken into the space by the sommelier. We sat down, gentle lights came on and images filled the space we had been ushered into. My shoulders relaxed and I felt cautious optimism.

The sommelier takes you through four seasonal pavilions. Each one has a different seating and mood; each is decorated with glass panels depicting the season you are in. At each season, there’s a brief description from the sommelier as we do the tasting.  

Spring gives you ducklings, fresh buds, rising sap, the sun rising and… a lovely yellow Sauvignon Blanc with a whisper of fresh grass. This wine is from the Loire where the lack of water leads to the roots going deep down. There’s a touch of grapefruit in the taste.

Summer brings a wine which is served in black glasses so you have to use your nose not your eyes. It’s a Clairet from Bordeaux, half way between a deep rosé and light red. It’s light and fresh with hints of strawberry and blackcurrant.

Autumn takes you to Georgia where wine is stored in big terracotta barrels. The pavilion evokes the wind blowing, the trees stripped of their leaves, and harvest. The wine, made from the Saperavi grape variety is rich; and we also taste a cassis syrup of blackcurrant berries.

A little autumn wind has come to whisper
languid rustlings in the ear of summer
He came blowing through the trees first
September is here, he can do as he pleases.

French author and AI expert, Nami Moukheiber.

Winter and we enter the fourth and final space with winter images, Northern lights, kids in warm clothes. And we were served a honeyed Hungarian Tokay that took us straight to warm firesides and dark chocolate after a day in the snowy landscape.

It is the shortest day
Counting down
until the twilight
That comes a little too early…
It’s the hemisphere tilting
And shredding its skin…

As you can see, I was thoroughly seduced and taken over by the experience and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Food and drink at the Cité du Vin

Brasserie Latitude20, a wine and snack bar is on the ground floor; it’s ideal for lunch, drink or dinner.  It has a top wine list reasonably priced.
Lunch Mon-Fri: Starters €9-€21; mains €21-€26; desserts ; cheese €12
Wine Bar: Sun-Wed: 3pm to 7pm Thurs-Sat: 3pm-10pm
Boards of different charcuterie, or smoked salmon: €9-€28
2-course lunch €22,50, 3 courses €27.50
Open: The Snack bar: everyday from 10am to 5pm
The Brasserie: everyday from 12pm to 3pm
The Wine bar: Sunday to Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm and Thursday to Saturday from 3pm to 10pm.
Tel: +33 (0) 5 64 31 0550

Le 7 looks out from the 7th floor and offers cooking as spectacular as the view. This is a restaurant for serious dining.
A la carte: Starters from €21 to €25; mains from €31 to €37; desserts from €10 to €16.
Mon-Fri lunch menu starter and main €32; 5 course dinner menu €70; childrens menu 3 courses €16 (free on Wednesday except school holidays).
Open: Every day from 10am to 11am for breakfast (by reservation)
Lunch Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm; Sun 12pm-4pm
Sweet snacks: Mon, Tues, Sun 3pm,-4pm; Wed-Sat 3pm-7pm
Dinner Wed-Sat from 7pm-9.30pm (last orders 9.30pm)
Tel: +33 (0)5 64 31 05 40

The Belvédère. On the 8^th floor of the Cité du Vin, the Belvédère offers a 360 degree view of Bordeaux along with tasting one, or several, of the many wines stocked here. Buy a ticket here.

More Information

Cité du Vin
134 Quai de Bacalan,
33300 Bordeaux
Website
Opening hours and Ticket prices

How to get there

By Tram line B: The nearest tram stop, La Cité du Vin, is a 2-minute walkBordeaux Tourist Office

By Bus: Bus 7, 25, 27 to La Cité du Vin

By Car: There is paid parking nearby.

The Bordeaux Tourist Office can help with all your queries, from hotel bookings to guided tours.
12 cours du XXX juillet
33080 Bordeaux
+33(0) 5 56 00 66 00
Website
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am-5pm

Guide to Glorious Bordeaux

Getting to Bordeaux

From Paris by train: The TGV is direct and takes 3 hours from Paris.
From the UK: By plane: BA, Easyjet and AirFrance fly from London and regional cities to Bordeaux.

Take the tram from the airport to city centre

Getting around Bordeaux

The city centre is very walkable with pedestrian areas throughout. The tram system runs throughout Bordeaux, using a unique ground power system so you’re not distracted by overhead wires. It runs from 5am to midnight or 1 a.m. depending on the day. There are regular buses.
Bordeaux Tourism website

More about the Bordeaux Region

The French Atlantic Coast
The Glorious Vendée Department

AND...
Great Rivers of France
Food Festivals of France

The post Cité du Vin in Bordeaux appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Puy du Fou is quite simply, according to many (and to myself), the world’s best theme park. It’s a romp through French history, a spectacular dip into the Viking raids, Roman chariot races, gladiators, young maidens defending France – against the English of course, and Verdun. Puy du Fou showcases birds of prey, introduces you to those famous Musketeers and a whole cast of other swashbuckling characters from the past.

The park is huge, with medieval cities and villages, forests, a fort and a town. Then there are separate shows, each of which run for around 40 minutes (well, who could compete all day long in chariot races or persuade vultures to do their elegant swoops and circles?).

Oh boy, forget Disney, this is something else.

But take note, there are no rollercoasters, rides or neon flashing lights. This is a trip into French history, particularly of the Vendée region.

Puy du Fou opens on April 5 and closes on Nov 2, 2025.

Outdoor Shows at Puy du Fou

Four outdoor shows take you at a gallop through the story it is telling. Each show lasts around 40 minutes and takes place 3 or 4 times a day. All put you in a swashbuckling mood – and from the way I have written this, you’ll see how swashbuckling I found Puy du Fou.  

And don’t worry – no animals are hurt in these shows.

Please Note: All these shows are very popular; at busy times in high season you need to get to them at least 30 minutes before to ensure entry.

La Signe du Triomphe

Being Puy du Fou, La Signe du Triomphe (Sign of Triumph) takes place in a 7,000-seat Roman Coliseum. The 35-minute show depicts the dastardly Romans forcing the heroic French Gauls to fight what seems to be a pre-destined Roman victory. But no! The chariots, each pulled by four horses, thunder around the ring, narrowly missing each other, spurred on by the excited onlookers (that’s us, the audience). And guess what, yes, the valiant hero wins!

Les Vikings

Sit in tiered seats facing a lake at 9^th-century Saint-Philbert-le-Vieil. A wedding is about to take place on an island full of houses, a tall tower, and jolly, peaceful people, The couple ride in…but…wait for it! A Viking longship descends down a waterway to the left. Peace become chaos; the villagers retaliate, and then sacré bleu! A second Viking ship appears, rising out of the deep waters, its crew leaping off and joining the fray. And what a fray – buildings are pulled down; people are dragged behind galloping horses; fires break out. But don’t worry, the appearance of Saint Philbert himself puts a peaceful, and of course, happy, end to the story.

Le Secret de la Lance (The Secret of the Lance)

More dastardly doings…by the English of course, during the Hundred Years War, a particular event which the French even today remember with gusto. Joan of Arc has left for Orleans; a young shepherdess is left to defend the castle. What could go wrong? I’ll leave the story for you to find out, but that’s irrelevant. What’s great is the horse riding, the charging with lances at wooden staves; the leaping on and off galloping horses by young riders. Quite turns your head, it does!

Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantomes (The Dance of the Phantom Birds)

A large amphitheater surrounds a ruined castle, a pond and stones in the sandy centre. Around the top of the seating, large wooden boards are painted with coats of arms around the circular walkway. The story is told in the centre, but as so often with Puy du Fou, that’s not the point of this show. Birds of prey, around 330 of them, are the real stars. Owls, vultures, eagles, kites, spoonbills, a huge, bizarre secretary bird and more (some launched from a hot air balloon high in the sky), circle around the amphitheatre, controlled by a series of 36 professional falconers who stand at the top of the walkway. It’s an extraordinary show.

And…More Puy du Fou Shows

The four immersive experiences are amongst the best I have ever seen. Each one is dramatically different; each has both live performers and models.

Le Premier Royaume (The First Kingdom)

This delves into the 5th-century past, the time of Clovis, the first King of the Franks. It then takes you into Norse mythology.

Le Dernier Panache (The Last Plume)

The Last Plume tells the story of François-Athanase Charette de la Contrie, luckily for us just known as “Charette”, a hero of the American War of Independence. It’s set in 1793, is told through a series of 20 scenes on six stages and is performed in a 360° theatre. The stages are static; it’s the 2,400-seat auditorium that moves. It’s spectacular.

Le Mystère de La Pérouse (The Mystery of La Pérouse)

Go on board La Pérouse’s ship, La Boussole, to follow Lieutenant Augustin de Mont who set off in 1785 from Brest to explore the high seas. It was a heroic venture. But the maritime expedition led by Jean-François de La Pérouse was ill-fated .

This was one of my favourites; it was both entertaining and gave a very real sense of being on board. You walk through the ship, past the cabin where an office plays a violin (remember Master and Commander?); experience terrifying storms while the ship rocks back and forth (I didn’t see anyone being seasick; it’s a moderately gentle rock!). You see how the cooks worked, look at some of the discoveries the crew made; witness how the ship was navigated, and end up…with a ship of ghosts. The ship just disappeared; it has remained a very real mystery.

Les Amoureux de Verdun (The Lovers of Verdun)

The World War I story brings home the horrors of trench warfare. In the winter of 1916 a soldier writes to his wife about his experiences, based on over one hundred actual letters soldiers wrote to their families. The soldier’s letters describe queuing up for soup, seeing the wounded in the medical bay, and freezing from the cold air blowing through gaping holes. But happily, being Puy du Fou, you’re spared…It ends with a (fictional) Christmas truce.

Le Mime et l’Étoile (The Mime and the Star)

This was another of my favourites. You walk into a film set built for a black-and-white movie in 1914. Technicians work the machines, sometimes with disastrous results, while the lovers, the mime artist and movie star, are introduced. The story is told with a moving black-and-white backdrop that sets the scene while a travelator on the floor takes the actors along past the shifting scenes. It’s technical wizardry and fascinating.  

Apart from the shows what else does Puy du Fou offer?

Four Villages

The park is designed to take you into four different villages. They range from Font-Rognou where in the medieval streets you can see stonemasons and wood turners at work in their shops, to 18^th-century Chasseloup with more shops, places to sit and gardens, all centered around the 16-metre-high Carillon that towers over the village and plays to you.

Night time and the Blockbuster Shows at Puy du Fou

Les Noces de Feu (The Fire Wedding)

As night falls, a love story takes place on the old lake of Puy du Fou. The water is still…then at one end, the Pianist Virtuoso (complete with piano), and the Muse Violinist rise up out of the limpid waters. It’s magical, with romantic music to stir the heart and a series of small spectacles rising up before you to enchant. All the magic is reflected in the lake: a bandstand; a coach pulled by swans; tall columns with divers; dancers.  It lasts just half an hour, and is free with the entry ticket, and is not to be missed.

La Cinéscénie

This is what many people regard as the greatest show on earth; it’s certainly the biggest night show in the world.

Get there as early as you can to choose your seat in the 13,000-capacity panoramic grandstand, looking out over the lake to the Puy du Fou castle.

Various warm-up acts keep your attention before the 90-minute show begins. It tells the very French story of the Maupillier family from the Middle Ages to World War II. The story is confusing to anyone who isn’t French, so concentrate on the spectacle which really will take your breath away. Taking part are hundreds of animals (many of which you’ll recognise from the day shows), and 2,550 actors as well as autonomous drones. They perform on a stage that spreads over 23 hectares…and in the sky above. There’s 3D video mapping, a 360° sound system and fantastic fireworks. I guarantee you will never have seen anything quite like this.

Where to Stay at Puy du Fou

Which particular era of the past would you prefer to experience? You could go for the Gallo-Roman Villa, or perhaps one of the marquees of the Field of the Cloth of Gold (Le Camp du Drap d’Or) and live out your fantasy of being King Henry VIII of England or François I of France. Otherwise it’s the classical Le Grand Siècle, the castle-like La Citadelle, or one of the four suites in Le Logis de Lescure.

You may be living the past but rest assured, all modern comforts are built in.

Or Les Îles de Clovis, a delightful medieval-style hotel where we stayed. Small houses have two apartments, all with balconies looking out onto the calm waters at the back. Well at least mainly calm; one night we were woken by a terrific banging, and decided in the end that it was a large fish who was flailing around the water under the house.

But don’t worry, these splendidly medieval-looking cottages come with great showers, tv, comfortable beds, and a delightful balcony overlooking the small lake.

A self-serve breakfast is in a large dining room and is good as long as you got there fairly early.

Book your hotel directly on the Puy du Fou site. Prices vary according to the season, but here’s an idea of rates. All the main hotels have rates from one to four nights, and each hotel room can take up to four people which is great for families.
Rates depend on the number of days you stay (rooms take up up to 4 people). The price includes 1 night in the hotel and breakfast and 1 entrance to the Park. When the Noces du Feu or Cinéscénie are on, that is included as well.
Les Îles de Clovis
£144.79 to £354.12
La Villa Gallo-Romaine
£130.99 to £317.54
La Citadelle
£145.09 to 4 £354.84
Le Camp du Drap d’Or
£106.73 to £311.10
Le Grand Siècle
£167.13 to £406.25
Le Logis de Lescure
Takes up to 3 people. From £220.09 to £398.80

Where to Eat in Puy du Fou

Apart from the restaurants in each hotel, there are two main restaurants (don’t worry about getting a table, both are huge). Le Café de la Madelon provides a meal and theatre show; Le Relais de Poste offers more drama in an informal inn-like setting.

Plenty of good fast-food outlets are dotted around the park.

New for 2025

L’Épee du roi – The King’s Sword. This new show is appearing in 2025; it’a rip roaring tale about the Knights of the Round Table.

Practical Information

Park Tickets per Day per Adult:
1 day from £32.75
2 days from £38.14
3 days from £24.60
4 days from £19.69

Child ticket per day age 3 to 13
1 day from £27.36
2 days from £22.80
3 days from £17.13
4 days from £13.89
Pass Emotion: £24.91. Reserved seats in the stands at the 7 major shows per day

Puy du Fou Map

The map is essential as it has all the details you need from show schedules to where to eat. Printed daily and freely available the map shows what you can enjoy that day. There’s also a smaller amount of information on the following day’s events.

Puy du Fou App

If you possibly can, download the app which is even more useful. It has the same information as the paper map but follows you in time so will tell you when the next shows are, which ones have closed their entry gates, how long it takes you to get there, and which direction to walk in.

It also has a live translation so you can follow the shows in English, Spanish, German or Dutch. Essential as this very French park’s shows are only in French.

A Bit of Vendean history to help with the very Vendean shows!

You might now know much Vendée history (don’t worry – not many outside France do, nor do some in France), but here are a few things to take note of. This was a region with a substantial number of influential Protestants in the 16^th century, including Jeanne d’Albret – the mother of Henry IV of France. Many Protestants fled after the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and the Catholic church came down hard on the Vendeans.

A century later in 1793, the Vendeans revolted against the new Revolutionary government after military conscription was imposed. A massacre of Vendean republicans led to full-scale guerrilla warfare. It ended in 1796 and cost more than 240,000 lives. The Vendeans continued to support the monarchy and in 1815 when Napoleon escaped from Elba for his Hundred Days, the Vendée refused to recognise him and stayed loyal to King Louis XVIII. The Vendée still has a fierce sense of independence, though it’s less revolting than in the past.

More Articles

Guide to the Glorious Vendée Department

The French Atlantic Coast is a glorious region to visit. And here are some of its attractions:
Ile de Re
Guide to St Nazaire
Ile d’Aix where Napoleon spent his last days in France
Regions of France
Departments of France

The post Puy du Fou – The World’s Best Theme Park   appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Bullecourt 1917, Jean & Denise Letaille Museum, is a small museum but therein lies its charm. You have time to read and see the very well-written stories (in both French and English) of the battles of Bullecourt and, particularly, of the soldiers who played such a tragic part in World War I in this part of Pas de Calais.

The Battles of Bullecourt

On April 11 1917, the Australian 1st Anzac Corps of the British Fifth Army attacked the Hindenburg Line, the major German defensive line of defence that ran from Arras to near Soissons on the Aisne river. The offensive was part of the attack that included the Battle of Arras (9 April to 16 May 1917) further north.

The Australian and British attack on the German position was a shambles. A lack of communication and the late arrival of tanks led to 3,289 Australian casualties, including 1,166 taken prisoner by the Germans. It was the largest number captured in a single battle during the whole of the Great War. The Germans suffered 749 casualties. 

A second battle which lasted from May 3 to 17 led to more than 7,000 Australian and 8,119 British casualties.

British divisions like the 5th (London) Division and the 62nd Division (volunteers from Yorkshire), were largely inexperienced; the 7th Division was experienced; it had been fighting in the war since 1914.

It’s not a well-known story outside the immediate area, partly because it was such a badly run campaign by the generals and partly because it gets caught up in the better known story of the Battle of Arras at the Wellington Quarry.

Bullecourt 1917 Museum and Jean Letaille

You’ll find Bullecourt 1917 located in the now renovated barn and stable that originally housed the museum. The inspiration came from the former Mayor of Bullecourt, Jean Letaille and his wife Denise. He was a farmer and over the years had discovered that his fields yielded a rich selection of wartime artifacts, of rusting machinery, old guns, helmets, barbed wire, unexploded shells, scrap metal,  bits of uniform and more…relics and reminders of the battles of World War I. 
While Jean Letaille was Mayor, he created a small museum in the Town Hall before relocating them to his barn and stable in 1995.

The Bullecourt 1917 Museum Revealed

The museum is divided into two rooms.

The Battle Room

In the middle of the long room lies a display of those relics of World War I, many of them found by Jean Letaille: rusty tank remains, mortars, boxes of shells. The story is told in panels around the room and here it becomes fascinating. 

Exhibits describe – and illustrate – everyday life at the Front which was nasty and brutish and often short. Nights were particularly hard when in the dark and cold, the stench of decaying bodies and fear of attack took over the imagination. Soldiers wrote letters, made ornaments, played cards. The sight of air battles overhead broke the monotony and bets were made on the outcome. Keen souvenir hunters took extraordinary risks to take rare objects from their enemy, and later sold them to those waiting to be called forward.  Water was brought from the rear often in drums that had held petrol…imagine the peculiar taste.

There are pictures of Australian soldiers playing pitch and toss where they threw a coin as close as possible to a given target in the sunken road near Noreuil. Others heat up tea over candles in trenches. 

You see medical equipment like a shell dressing in a canvas bag. You see images from the advanced medical station where the nurses’ lips were stained brown from using their teeth to remove the corks from bottles of antiseptic iodine tincture. And who knew that camphor or caffeine injections were used as a cardio stimulant?

It’s these small details that fascinate and make this one of the World War I museums you should put on your list. I have been retelling the story of the nurses’ brown lips with great success!

Early cemeteries were created, like the Quéant Road Cemetery in Buissy. Of the 2,377 commonwealth soldiers buried there, 1,441 bodies are still unidentified. Of the 995 Australians, only 299 are named. The search, and the story, goes on. In 1995 the remains of Sergeant John (Jack) James White were found in a field nearby and identified. He died on May 3, 1917. In 1995, 77 years after his death he was buried here. Inscribed on his gravestone are the words:  Deep Peace Of The Quiet Earth So Far From The Land That Gave You Birth.

The Tribute Room – The Dead, The Missing, The Survivors

Black and white photos line the walls of the second room with the name, fate, date of death and age below of the face that stares back at you. The Australians are in their characteristic ‘digger’ hats; others in army hats; some are bare-headed; a few are in civilian clothes. Most of them sport moustaches or small beards – it was the fashion then but it also recalls the difficulties at the front of washing and shaving in precious water. Below the photos stand cases of more war items.

Again it’s the stories behind the photos that bring home the harsh reality of war. 

Private Christopher Douglas Elphick of the Honourable Artillery Company was killed on May 15, 1917. His remains were found in a field in Bullecourt in 2009 with 8 other bodies. He was identified by a ring with his initials, and was buried at Ecoust-Saint-Mein at the HAC cemetery in 2013. There’s a picture of him and a photo with his wife and child. One of the eight buried along with him is Lieutenant John Harold Pritchard, identified by his silver identity bracelet. 

Both were discovered by Didier Guerle, an elderly farmer who unearthed one of the soldiers’ gas canisters. He dug a little deeper to remove the canister and discovered the soldiers’ remains.

It took 3 years to trace the named soldiers’ relatives after they were identified.

More surprising is the story of rifleman Léon Pageot. Born in Dijon in 1891, the young French citizen moved to London to work as a jeweller. While there he designed the Royal emblem of the Postal Service, still used today on red post boxes. Married and the father of 2 children, he entered military service in 1916 and was killed at Bullecourt on  May 21, 1917. He has no known grave.

After the Battles of Bullecourt

Bullecourt was a small village, with just 396 inhabitants in 1911. At the end of the war it was classified as being in the ‘Red Zone’ (totally destroyed) along with other nearby villages. In 1920 the inhabitants returned and began rebuilding Bullecourt as a farming village. Inevitably as the land was ploughed up, discoveries were made. 

On withdrawal from the Hindenburg Line Germans left behind booby-traps. On March 25 1917, the town hall at Bapaume was destroyed by a delayed-action bomb left by the Germans. About 30 men were sleeping in the building. 5 were brought out; 25 were killed including 9 Australians and 2 French MPs.

Memorials to the British and Australian soldiers

At the village church you’ll find the Slouch Hat memorial to the British and Australian soldiers who lost their lives at Bullecourt. Next to it is a small brick memorial dedicated to the tank crews of the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps (HBMGC) who died here. The corps was the first unit in the British Army to use tanks in combat.

Just 900 metres away on the Rue des Australiens, you’ll come across the Australian Digger Memorial Garden. This was the front line, occupied by the Australians in their attack on Bullecourt. The statue in the garden is of the ‘Bullecourt Digger’, wearing the insignias of all four Australian infantry divisions who fought in Europe. 

Two hundred metres further along, a cross stands just beside the road with a collection of individual memorial stones to the soldiers who died here.

The Australian Remembrance Trail

The ART is a 200 km (124 mile)-long commemorative trail running from Ypres in Belgium, through Fromelles, Bullecourt and Pozières to Villers-Bretonneux, east of Amiens where you’ll find the Sir John Monash Australian Centre. The trail, which includes battlefields, cemeteries, memorials, and museums, commemorates the experiences of the Australian soldiers between mid 1916 and late 1918 in France and Belgium.

More about Australians on the Western Front

More about the two World Wars in Pas de Calais

The Wellington Quarry in Arras

World War II Sites in Pas de Calais

Guide to Calais (I have to admit, one of my favourite cities).

Declaration: I travelled to France courtesy of DFDS from Dover to Calais on a self-driving press trip as a guest of Pas-de-Calais Tourisme.

More Information on Ferries to France including DFDS details.

The post Bullecourt 1917, Jean & Denise Letaille Museum appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Wellington Quarry Museum (La Carrière Wellington) in Arras is an exceptional, eerie place. It’s buried in the tunnels that crisscross the ground 20 metres beneath the attractive city of Arras. What you are about to experience is the story of the Battle of Arras from the beginning: the secret tunnelling, the life underground, the lead up to the battle on April 9^th, 1917 and the sad aftermath. It’s a remarkable insight into a less well-known aspect of World War I.

A Short History of The Wellington Quarry and the Battle of Arras

The battles of Verdun and the Somme in 1916 had been a disaster. So the Allied High Command decided to create a new offensive on the Vimy-Arras front.

Arras was a ghost town, continuously bombarded by German troops, smoking and in ruins. From 1916 to 1918 the town was under British command… unique in the history of World War I.

The Wellington Quarry Tunnels

The extraordinary story begins with the digging of what became an underground barracks. Chalk quarries dating back to the Middle Ages had for centuries provided the growing town with rock for the ramparts, the religious buildings and houses that were making Arras such an important city.

500 New Zealand tunnellers, mostly Maori miners, helped by Yorkshire miners called Bantams, dug 80 metres a day in two interlinking labrynths. The whole project was called Wellington by the New Zealanders; underground the tunnellers named the different sectors after their home towns. For the New Zealanders it was Nelson and Blenheim. For the British, London, Liverpool and Manchester. The work took under six months. Eventually the 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) accommodated 24,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers.

One of the greatest engineering feats of World War I, it was discovered by archaeologists in the 1990s. It must have been an extraordinary moment when they began to see the graffiti on the walls and realised the significance of the tunnels in the history of the Great War.

Setting the Scene

As you wait for the visit, there’s a chance to walk around the small exhibition that covers the lead-up to The Great War, the main areas of war, the New Zealand tunnellers and more.

Going Deep Underground

Wearing a helmet and warm clothing (it’s 11°C  down there) you descend in a lift down into the quarries with a bi-lingual guide and audio guide for the 90-minute tour. Setting the scene, you slowly descend past images of Arras as it collapses. You step out of the lift to a panoramic film bringing to life the full horror of the war on the city.

The guide takes you along the long twisting passages and past cavernous spaces roughly hewn out of the chalk.  You stop to see old films and hear long-forgotten voices on small screens that disappear into the darkness.  There’s the sound of pickaxes and it feels as if the miners are actually there with you. ‘Each man had his own war’, a solider says.

You pass by piles of rusting tins, graffiti of names, drawings of loved ones back home and prayers, and hear more voices as you round a corner and see a film flickering on the wall in front of you.

Voices Echo from the Past

‘Bonjour Tommy’ says a Frenchman against footage of civilians and soldiers chatting in the streets. ‘They do not hate the Germans. They do not insult the prisoners and are attentive to the wounded’, writes a French journalist.

You hear poems by war poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon who wrote The General.

Good morning. Good  morning” the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ‘em dead,
And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.’

You hear Yorkshiremen singing On Ilkla Moor Baht ‘at (which translates as On Ilkley Moor without a hat); it became the unofficial anthem of Yorkshire.

The Wellington Quarry was a small, albeit primitive barracks. The walk shows you the life of the soldiers underground, their grim or flippant humour, and their camaraderie.

A chapel, power station, light railway, communications room, a hospital in a series of rooms that could fit 700 beds and operating theatres, and a well were all built in the pale, flickering electric light. There were showers and a transmission room. On pillar 5E a film shows the last prayer service held before the attack.

The Battle of Arras Begins

Then you come to the sloping passageways that led up to the light, and for many of the young soldiers, ‘too young’ as one Frenchman said, to their death. For a few days before, the artillery had been firing at the German lines. It was 5.30am, snowing and deadly cold on April 9 Easter Monday, when the order was given to burst out of the quarries from Exit no 10.

Each year, on 9^th April at 05.30 a memorial service attended by thousands is held at the Wellington Quarry.

The Battle of Arras Continues

A film tells you the aftermath of the Battle of Arras. The initial assault was highly successful. Vimy Ridge and the village of Monchy-le-Preux were taken by General Julian Byng’s Canadian Corps Vimy Ridge. But for two days the Allied troops, on orders from above, held back. In that time the Germans, who had retreated initially, formed a new battle front and brought up reinforcements.  On Aril 11, British and Australian forces attacked around Bullecourt. Fighting continued unto May 16.

For British soldiers the average daily loss rate at Arras was the highest of the war at 4,076. Total casualties were roughly double that, with the Germans losing around the same number.

Outside The Wellington Quarry in Arras

Outside the passage leading to the Wellington Quarry there’s a memorial wall. It commemorates the infantry and cavalry units who fought in the Battle of Arras with portraits, sculptures and memorials. A large block of stone has a silhouette of a miner.

Information on the Wellington Quarry in Arras

More Information on Pas de Calais

World War II Sites in Pas de Calais
Guide to Calais
The Calais Dragon

Food of Hauts de France (which won the European Region of Gastronomy Award for 2023)

Declaration: I travelled to France courtesy of DFDS from Dover to Calais on a self-driving press trip as a guest of Pas-de-Calais Tourisme.

More Information on Ferries to France including DFDS details.

The post The Wellington Quarry in Arras appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Calais Memorial Museum 39-45 (Musée Mémoire 39-45) is hunkered down in a park in the middle of Calais. Unless you know it’s there you might miss it. But do visit this huge bunker. The museum it holds inside its imposing thick concrete walls tells a fascinating tale of Pas de Calais during the war, particularly revealing the lives and suffering of the citizens of Calais.

The Beginning of the Nightmare

On May 26, 1940, the German army entered Calais. They were to occupy the city and the Pas de Calais region until September 1944. During the offensive, Calais itself was so heavily bombed that 73% of the old town was destroyed. For five long, violent days, 3,000 British and 800 French troops held out against the German 10^th Panzer Division.  

The Allied forces lost the battle, but the siege diverted the formidable Panzer Division from reaching Dunkirk and was of vital help to Operation Dynamo. What Winston Churchill called the ‘miracle of deliverance’ saved 330,000 Allied and French troops. From May 26 to June 4, the Little Ships of Dunkirk, a flotilla of hundreds of merchant navy boats, fishing boats, yachts, lifeboats and small pleasure craft ferried the troops across the Channel. It prompted Churchill’s famous We shall fight on the beaches speech on June 4 to the House of Commons.

But for the inhabitants of Calais and the surrounding beaches, the German victory marked the start of a horrifying four years of privation and humiliation. And Calais was at its heart.

The Germans believed that the invasion of France would take place in Pas de Calais and heavily fortified the coastline; a belief they held right up to June 5, 1944 when the Allies launched the invasion of France…in Normandy.

In Calais itself, the Germans built the Marine Kommando bunker (Widerstandsnest 13), believed to be the longest in Europe. It was the command post for German troops with a telephone exchange controlling the whole of the region.

Visit the Memorial Museum 39-45

The massive concrete bunker is just one storey high but it dominates one end of the park. Inside it’s set up just as the Germans built it. There’s no natural light; if the power failed it became a claustrophobic, frightening place. 20 rooms stretch down the two sides of the long corridor, each telling a story about the war in Calais and the region.

Each room is small but packed with posters, models, photographs, weapons and boards explaining the action. It’s not a particularly sophisticated museum, and many of the posters and photos are old, some of them faded. But this brings home the reality much more effectively; you really are taken back and get a sense of what the war was like.

Different Rooms in the Calais Memorial Museum

There are rooms dedicated to aircraft, covering the RAF and its planes, complete with a smashed engine and a room full of model aircraft.

Rooms dedicated to Calais cover the resistance and the call to arms for the liberation of the city.

There are rooms full of models of German soldiers – some asleep; some eating; and an impressive communications room. Rooms themed on secret weapons, the Lindemann battery, Charles de Gaulle, coastal support positions, World War I and of course, Liberation.

You see the lives of the civilians under German rule and what they were allowed, and not allowed, to do.

Lindemann Battery and Prisoner of War Camp

And there’s also a great model of the nearby Lindemann Fort with its prisoner of war camp. It fascinates children who stare (along with their equally interested parents) at the tiny figures, guns, battlements and horses pulling carriages in and out of the gates.

The French Resistance

One particularly impressive, and tragic room shows the stories, and pictures, of civilians caught up in the war and killed as a result of their activities. The women are impressive:

Odette Bader Gerschel, born on October 14, 1914. Arrested on February 1, 1944, deported to Auschwitz and killed on February 10, 1944. Her crime? Being Jewish.

Raymonde Boetzle-Basser, born on July 17, 1920 in Ardres. Arrested on July 17, 1942, deported to Loos, then Essen and killed on May 1, 1945. She was heavily involved in espionage and was given various awards posthumously like the Légion d’Honeur, Croix de Guerre, Medal of France Libre and others.

Yvonne Barbier, born May 24, 1892 in the barracks of Blériot-Plage. She hid, housed and fed English soldiers and airmen shot down in the region. Arrested on March 21 in Lille she was taken to Loos and tortured. Condemned to death she was deported on May to Berlin and warned she would be beheaded by axe. She asked for a lesser punishment and received a sentence of five years of forced labour at different concentration camps. On May 28, 1945, she was liberated by the American 101 Airborne. She died on July 28 1966.

The Memorial Museum 39-45 might be small but it’s impressive and you emerge into the park with a better idea of the hell that Calais residents, and Allied forces, suffered.

The Liberation of Calais

Calais was liberated between September 25 and October 1, 1944 by General Daniel Spry’s 3^rd Canadian Infantry Division. Other Canadian forces were liberating the surrounding towns and countryside.

During the liberation, many of the 20,000 civilians who had stayed in Calais came out of their hiding places and began singing the Marseillaise.

More Information about Calais

Calais is one of my favourite north France cities. While most people just use it as a ferry port, I have spent many weekends enjoying the city and the nearby coast.

Guide to Calais
The Calais Dragon

More about World War II around Calais

La Coupole and Hitler’s V2 Rockets
The secret and brutal blockhouse of Eperlecques
The strange story of the V3 weapon, and Lt. Joseph Kennedy’s part in the bombing of Mimoyecques

Visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to see how this great organisation looks after the cemeteries of the great wars, and deals with newly found bodies.

Declaration: I travelled to France courtesy of DFDS from Dover to Calais on a self-driving press trip as a guest of Saint Omer/Pas-de-Calais Tourisme.

More Information on Ferries to France including DFDS details.

The post Calais Memorial Museum 39-45 appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

We all know something about the famous 19th-century Impressionist painters, but who were they? Here’s a quick guide so you can impress with your knowledge of the major characters of one of the world’s greatest (and favourite) art movements.

Impressionism as an art form is generally taken to start on the evening of April 15, 1874, when a group of young, struggling and unknown painters put on a show of their work in the studio of the photographer Félix Nadar at 35 boulevard des Capucines in Paris. The group included Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro, Alfred Sisley and Paul Cézanne. They were showing works that had been rejected by the official Académie des Beaux-Arts Salon.  

The word ‘Impressionist’ was first coined by the French art critic Louis Leroy who hated the new style of art.  Derisively titling his article The Exhibition of the Impressionists, Leroy declared that Monet’s painting of Soleil Levant was at most, a sketch, and could hardly be termed a finished work. He wrote ‘Impression—I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it…and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape’. Little did he know.

Pre-Impressionist Painters

By the mid 1850s a new style was sweeping through the French art world. It was influenced by artists like the Romantic colourist Eugène Delacroix; the leader of the Realists, Gustave Courbet, and painters of the Barbizon school like Johan Barthold Jongkind, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Eugène Boudin. They had all begun to paint outdoors (en plein air) directly from nature in a spontaneous style. This group of artists befriended, advised and inspired the artists who came to define Impressionism.

Major Pre-Impressionist Painters

Jean-François Millet

Jean-François Millet (October 4, 1814-January 20, 1875) was one of the founders of the Barbizon School which flourished between 1830 and 1870. Millet moved to Barbizon in 1849, when he and his fellow artists were painting landscapes and scenes of rural life; Millet himself is noted for his paintings of peasant farmers. He is known best for his oil paintings but he also produced pastels, Conté crayon drawings and etchings.
He is buried in the graveyard at Chailly-en-Biere, Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France

Charles-François Daubigny

Charles-François Daubigny (February 15, 1817-February 19, 1878) was known both as a painter and printmaker, mostly in the art of etching.  Born into a family of painters, he moved to Barbizon in 1843 and meeting Camille Corot and Gustave Courbet, his style changed from the traditional to working in the open air. He turned his boat into a studio and painted along the Seine and Oise, often around Auvers. He met Claude Monet in London in 1870 and later Paul Cézanne and influenced them both.
He is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

Eugène Boudin

Eugène Boudin (July 12, 1824-August 8, 1898) was born in Honfleur, the son of a harbour pilot. His love of painting sea and sky began when at age 10 he worked on a steamboat that plied its passage between Le Havre and Honfleur. He believed that one brushstroke the artist did outdoors was of more use than two days in the studio. He was a major influence on Claude Monet. Camille Corot called Boudin ‘the King of the Skies’.
He is buried in Saint-Vincent cemetery in Montmartre, Paris.

Édouard Manet

Édouard Manet (January 23, 1832-April 30, 1883) was one of the most influential of the Pre-Impressionist painters moving on from Realism. He was born into an upper-class family, and rejecting their choice of the navy as a career, turned to painting. In 1863, his major work, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le dejeuner sur l’herbe) or Olympia was rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts because it showed a nude woman with two clothed men at a picnic. It became one of the many paintings considered the watershed works that marked the beginnings of modern art. He painted a wide variety of subjects, from Paris café life to scenes of contemporary wars, from Paris streets to small still lifes.
He is buried in Passy cemetery, Paris.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (July 16, 1796-February 22, 1875). Corot’s father wanted him to become a draper, but at the age of 26 he decided it was not for him.  ‘I told my father that business and I were simply incompatible, and that I was getting a divorce.’
Despite this, his father gave him a yearly allowance so he could afford a studio, materials and travel unlike many of his fellow Impressionists.
From 1825 to 1828 he was in Italy, producing over 200 drawings and 150 paintings. In 1829 he was in Barbizon, meeting the members of the Barbizon school. 
He produced a huge amount of works, mainly landscapes in a style that still echoed the Neo-Classical tradition while anticipating open air Impressionism art. He was very successful and extremely generous to his fellow artists and their relatives, for instance, giving Millet’s widow 10,000 francs to support her and her children after her husband died.
He is buried in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Eugène Delacroix

Eugène Delacroix (April 26, 1798-August 13, 1863) was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school, inspired by Rubens and the Venetian Renaissance painters. His dramatic works were expressive and his use of colour influenced the future Impressionists. He painted numerous religious works plus over 100 paintings from his trips to Spain and north Africa.
Delacroix’s most influential work came in 1830 with the painting Liberty Leading the People. The boy holding a pistol aloft on the right is sometimes thought to be an inspiration for the Gavroche character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables.
He is buried in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Johan Barthold Jongkind

Johan Barthold Jongkind (June 3, 1819-February 9, 1891) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who influenced the Impressionists as much by his teaching as by his paintings (mainly marine landscapes). In 1862 in Honfleur he made friends with Alfred Sisley, Eugène Boudin and the young Claude Monet, who described him as ‘…a quiet man with such a talent that is beyond words’^.  He moved to the small town of La Côte-Saint-André near Grenoble in Isère.
He died in 1891 and is buried in the cemetery of La Côte-Saint-André.

Impressionist Painters

Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro

Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro (July 10, 1830-November 13, 1903). A Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter, he was influenced by Courbet and Corot, then worked with Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in the Neo-Impressionist style. 
He was a great mentor as Paul Cézanne remarked: ‘He was a father for me. A man to consult and a little like the good Lord’. Pierre-Auguste Renoir referred to his work as ‘revolutionary’.
Pissarro is the only artist to have shown his work at all eight Paris Impressionist exhibitions, from 1874 to 1886.
In the late 1860s, Pissarro became fascinated with Japanese prints, leading him to experiment in new compositions. He turned his back on Neo-Impressionism in the 1880s.
He is buried in  Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas (Degas, July 19, 1834-September 27, 1917) is best known for his pastel drawings and oil paintings, particularly of dancers. He helped organise the early Impressionist exhibitions, but never regarded himself as one of them. He despised the idea of working in the open air: ‘You know what I think of people who work out in the open. If I were the government I would have a special brigade of gendarmes to keep an eye on artists who paint landscapes from nature. Oh, I don’t mean to kill anyone; just a little dose of bird-shot now and then as a warning’.
It was his Parisian scenes, his off-centre compositions, his way of dealing with colour and form and his relationship with the Impressionist artists, most notably Mary Cassatt and Manet, which link him to Impressionism.
He is buried in  Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Oscar-Claude Monet

Oscar-Claude Monet (November 14, 1840-December 5, 1926) is the most famous of the Impressionist painters. He’s seen as a key precursor to modernism, painting nature as he saw it, particularly en plein air (outdoor) landscapes and was influenced early in his career by Boudin. The term Impressionism is derived from the title of his painting Impression, soleil levant, exhibited in 1874 (the ‘exhibition of rejects’) initiated by Monet and his associates as an alternative to the official Salon.
The family moved to Argenteuil in 1871 then from 1883, Monet lived in Giverny. He began to transform the property and garden, including the famous water-lily pond.
The painter wanted to document the French countryside and sights, capturing the changing of light and seasons by using the same subject many times throughout the year. The best known are his series of haystacks  (1890–1891), Rouen Cathedral (1892–1894), and the paintings of water lilies in his garden in Giverny. He was a success during his lifetime and after, becoming one of the world’s most famous painters.
He is buried in Giverny churchyard.
Monet Foundation Museum, Giverny

Pierre-August Renoir

Pierre-August Renoir (February 25, 1841- December 3, 1919). The leading Impressionist painter is known for his sensual pictures of women and delightful outdoor scenes. Influenced by Pissarro and Manet, he became successful relatively early on in his life. In 1890 he married Aline Victorine Charigot, twenty years his junior and painted her many times. In 1907, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, he moved to Cagnes-sur-Mer in Provence.
His children included actor Pierre Renoir (1885–1952), filmmaker Jean Renoir (1894–1979) and ceramic artist Claude Renoir (1901–1969). He was the grandfather of the filmmaker Claude Renoir (1913–1993), son of Pierre.
He is buried in Essoyes, Aube.
Visit Renoir’s family home and studio in the small town of Essoyes in Champagne.

Alfred Sisley

Alfred Sisley (October 30, 1839-January 29, 1899). Born in Paris to wealthy British parents, Sisley spent most of his life in France but made significant trips to Britain. Of all the Impressionist painters, Sisley was the most dedicated proponent of plein air landscape painting. 
He painted the River Thames mostly around Hampton Court, East Molesey and Thames Ditton. 
Until 1880, Sisley lived and worked in the country west of Paris; then he and his family moved to a small village near Moret-sur-Loing,  close to the forest of Fontainebleau and near Barbizon. 
On August 5, 1897, Sisley and his partner married in Cardiff Register Office. They stayed in Penarth and Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsula, again producing notable landscapes. Sisley is also known for his paintings of the Seine and its bridges.
He is buried at Moret-sur-Loing.
Château at Fontainebleau

Frédéric Bazille

Frédéric Bazille (December 6, 1841-November 28, 1870). In 1862 Bazille moved to Paris, met Renoir and Sisley and began taking art classes. In 1864 he began painting full-time. Less well known than his peers, his close friends included Monet, Sisley and Manet.
He was relatively wealthy and helped support other artists by giving them space in his studio and materials to use. Many of Bazille’s major works are examples of figure painting where he placed the subject figure within a landscape painted outdoors.  
He fought in the Franco-Prussian war and was killed leading an assault against the Germans.
His father took his body back to be buried in Montpellier’s Protestant cemetery.

Gustave Caillebotte

Gustave Caillebotte (August 19, 1848-February 21, 1894) belonged to the Impressionist painters circle, but his paintings were more realistic than the others, possibly due to his interest in photography as an art form. His styles of painting varied considerably, following those of his peers, Millet and Courbet, as well his contemporary, Degas. He painted domestic scenes, often depicting his relatives. He is best known for his paintings of urban Paris. 
In 1881, Caillebotte bought a house in Petit-Gennevilliers, on the banks of the Seine near Argenteuil, moving there permanently in 1888. 
He is buried in  Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
Visit his house and museum.

Female Impressionist Painters: Les Trois Grandes Dames (The Three Great Ladies)

Les trois grandes dames (the three great ladies) was the collective name given by Gustave Geffroy to the three great female Impressionist painters.

Mary Stevenson Cassatt

Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 184-June 14, 1926). Born in Pennysylvania, Mary Cassat lived mostly in France. Her works, particularly pastels, concentrated on women – mothers and children and women’s private lives. 
She was invited to exhibit with the Impressionists in 1877 by Degas, who became her lifelong friend. One critic later wrote: ‘M. Degas and Mlle. Cassatt are…the only artists who distinguish themselves…and who offer some attraction and some excuse in the pretentious show of window dressing and infantile daubing.’ Faint praise indeed. 
She is buried in Le Mesnil-Théribus, Oise, Hauts-de-France.

Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot

Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot (January 14, 1841-March 2, 1895). The great niece of Rococo artist Jean-François Fragonard, she learnt to draw by the common practice of copying pictures at the Louvre. In 1861 she met Camille Corot and took up plein air painting.
She met Edouard Manet in 1868, and married his brother Eugene Manet in 1874. That same year she showed her work at the ‘rejected’ Impressionist exhibition of 1874, the first of many such exhibitions.
She is buried in Passy cemetery, Paris. 

Marie Bracquemond

Marie Bracquemond (December 1, 1840 -January 17, 1916). Marie Bracquemond learnt from Ingres (1780-1867), and Gauguin (1848–1903). She married the printmaker Felix Bracquemond who helped popularize Japanese art in France. She produced at least 157 original works but only 31 have been located in existing collections.
She is buried in the cemetery at Bruyères, Saint Omer.

Post-Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist Painters

Neo-Impressionism is a term coined by French art critic Félix Fénéon in 1886 to describe an art movement founded by Georges Seurat. Seurat’s most renowned masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, marked the beginning of this movement when the painting made its first appearance at an exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants (Salon des Indépendants) in Paris.
There are many overlaps between the two movements so I have put both these kinds of Impressionist Painters here.
Here’s a good article explaining some of the differences between Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism.

Georges Seurat

Georges Seurat (December 2, 1859-March 29, 1891) is known as the main founder of Post-Impressionist painting and the creator of pointillism. His large-scale work (3.0m; 10ft wide) A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886) was a revelation, initiating the new Neo-Impressionist movement. It’s one of the icons of late 19th-century painting and took Seurat two years to complete. The painting was the inspiration for James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s  musical Sunday in the Park with George.  
Seurat died in Paris in his parents’ home at the age of 31 of a disease which has never been fully identified.  His son died two weeks later from the same disease.
He is buried in  Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853-July 29, 1890). One of the best known, and most influential Post-Impressionist painters, van Gogh led a tortured life. From a middle-class family, he had a variety of work until taking to painting in 1881. His first subjects were mainly still lifes and peasant labourers. He moved to Paris  in 1886, meeting Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin. In 1888 he moved to Arles where his style changed and he painted local olive groves, wheat fields and sunflowers.
Gauguin joined him but the friendship ended in a furious confrontation with a razor when van Gogh cut off his left ear. Having suffered most of his life from psychotic episodes, he spent time in mental hospitals. On July 27, 1890 he shot himself in the chest with a revolver and died 2 days later.
The artist who influenced so many painters produced around 2,100 works, including 860 oil paintings, many in the last two years of his life. But during his lifetime, only one of his paintings, The Red Vineyard was sold. 
He is buried in Auvers-sur-Oise cemetery in Paris.

Read about the life of van Gogh in Paris where he lived under the rooftops with his brother.

Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne (19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was born and lived most of his life in Aix-en-Provence. He refused to become a banker, as his father had wanted, took evening classes and in 1861 left Aix for Paris. He was refused entry into the École des Beaux-Arts but became friends with Camille Pissarro, and later with Claude Monet, Renoir and Sisley. He was not universally popular; Manet called the shy and socially gauche man ‘a mason who paints with a trowel’.
He went through various different styles of painting, later rejecting Impressionism. His emphasis on geometric shapes had a profound influence on later artists like Picasso and the new art of Cubism.
Despite Cezanne turning his back on the Impressionists and following his own particular style, which was particularly hated in Aix, his paintings became more sought after during his lifetime, though not approaching the prices paid for paintings by Manet, Monet or Renoir.
He is buried in Saint-Pierre Cemetery, Aix.
Visit the Atelier de Cezanne

Maximilien Luce

Maximilien Luce (March 13, 1858-February 6, 1941) was known for his paintings, his graphic art, and his anarchist actions. He trained as a wood-engraver from the age of 14. He then went on to painting, firstly as an Impressionist, then from 1884 as a Pointillist, influenced by Seurat, before going back to Impressionism.
One critic, from the New York Times, wrote that this Pointillist period was the height of Luce’s career. He described the 1895 painting On the Bank of the Seine at Poissy as ‘a lyrical celebration of nature.’
Luce took many different subjects in his works, mostly landscapes, but also portraits, still lifes, domestic scenes and images of working men like rolling mill operators.
He is buried in Rolleboise, Yvelines, Ile-de-France.

Maurice Denis

Maurice Denis (November 25, 1870-November 13, 1943). An important figure in the period when Impressionism gave way to modern art, Denis is associated with Les Nabis, Symbolism and later Neo-classicism. His theories contributed to the foundations of Cubism, Fauvism and Abstract art. 
Religion was his other passion. In 1885 he recorded in his personal journal how much he admired the colours, candle light and incense of the ceremonies at his local church. After World War I he founded the Ateliers d’Art Sacré (Workshops of Sacred Art). 
In 1890 he and other artists like Bonnard, Vuillard and Paul Ranson formed a group they called the Nabis, taken from the Hebrew word Nabi, which means prophet. 
He decorated a number of churches and was also commissioned to decorate important civic buildings in the 1920s and 30s.
Maurice Denis house and museum in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris

Pierre Bonnard

Pierre Bonnard (October 3, 1867-January 23, 1947) was a founding member of the Post-Impressionist group of the avant-garde painters called Les Nabis. Influenced by Paul Gauguin and the prints of Japanese artists like Hokusai, Bonnard was known for his decorative paintings and bold use of colour. As such he was a leading figure in the move from Impressionism to Modernism. 
During World War I, Bonnard concentrated on nudes and portraits, and large compositions. He became part of the French art establishment and in 1918 he was selected, along with Renoir, as an honorary President of the Association of Young French Artists
He is buried in the Cimetière des Anges (Le Cannet, Alpes-Maritimes), beside his wife, Marthe.

More about Normandy and Impressionist Painters

Normandy Impressionist Festival 2024
Normandy and Impressionism – A general overall look at the great Impressionist art movement and what to see in Normandy
Normandy Travel Guide – What to see and Do
Getting to Normandy

Regions of France

The post Guide to the Impressionist Painters appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

France has always had a love affair with cars, particularly vintage and veteran, so it’s not surprising that there are so many excellent car museums in France. Some are small, private museums, featuring vehicles lovingly collected over the years by the owner. Others are massive, telling the story of the automobile with gleaming, glistening beasts, beautifully restored and kept in immaculate condition.

Here are some of the top car museums in France.

Cité de l’Automobile, National Museum – Schlumpf Collection

Top of the list is the Cité de l’Automobile, National Museum – Schlumpf Collection, located in Mulhouse in Alsace, eastern France. The Schlumpf brothers made their considerable fortune in textiles and spent a lot of it buying cars. But not ordinary cars. Here you can admire every major name, from Benz to Rolls Royces; from De Dions to Delahayes.  Over 500 vehicles are housed in what is now the National Museum, founded in 1982.  Bugattis take pride of place; the Schlumpf brothers’ favourite car is represented by some real gems like a 1930 Bugatti Royale with a 12 litre engine (only six were made).

The Discovery area shows you the inner workings, and manufacture, of motor cars; there’s a mascot collection, and toy cars. The outside Autodrome has demonstrations, and there are restaurants and a very well-stocked shop.

The museum covers cars from 1878 to the present day and is housed in the former textile factory bought by the brothers in 1880.

L’Aventure Peugeot – Peugeot Museum

In 1988 Pierre Peugeot set up a new type of museum. His idea? To include all the products made by Peugeot since the company started in 1810. Despite an impressive number of saw blades and coffee grinders, sewing machines and radios, most visitors come here for the cars, first produced by Peugeot in 1889. There are 130 on them in this impressive museum (as well as 50 cycles and motorbikes), dating from 1891, the 1891 Vis-à-Vis. Other iconic cars are here: the Bébé Peugeot, little cars like the Quadrilette 161, and the illustrious Landaulet 184 of the 1920s. Motorsports gets its own special section, particularly featuring the 24-hour annual race at Le Mans that Peugeot has won in 1992, 1993 and 2009.

Musée Automobile de Reims-Champagne – Reims-Champagne Car Museum

The Reims-Champagne Automobile Museum takes you from the early 1900s to today. 160 models include the Dauphine, a 1908 SCAR, built in Witry-lès-Reims by the Société de Construction Automobile de Reims, a SIMCA 1000, the Peugeot 403 Radowich, the Fort T, Porsche 356 and 928, the Fiat 500 and a whole lot more. Also here are old fire trucks, 70 old bicycles, 100 pedal cars and miniature cars that make you long to start your own collection.

L’Aventure Citroën – Conservatory Citroën DS

This historical Citroën museum is impressive with 300 vehicles on show from the Torpedo, (which you might see in old movies) to today. They’re all there – 2CVs (7 million produced between 1900 and 1980), Traction, DS, SM, Citroën half-tracks from the first desert crossing, and the 1990 victorious ZX Rally Raid won by the Finnish driver, Ari Vatanen (the Finns are some of the world’s greatest rally driver), in the famous Paris-Dakar race. Particularly popular is the presidential car, Général de Gaulle’s Citroën DS. Even today, the presidential car is a Citroën (Emmanuel Macron’s official car is a DS7 Crossback).

It’s in a huge building, close to the PSA Peugeot Citroën industrial site in Aulnay-sous-Bois. The downside is that it is open for groups throughout the year, but individuals can only go on the last Saturday in each month (2pm), and you must book in advance. Check the website for details.

24 Hours of Le Mans Museum – Le Musée des 24 Heures du Mans 

This fabulous museum is located just by the starting point of the great annual Le Mans 24-hour race. The museum has an outstanding collection, is well organized, with large sections for cars, motorbikes and models. The Hall of Fame features personalities like Bertha Benz who in 1888 took her sons in a Benz Model 111 from Mannheim to Pforzheim. It was a real adventure. There are stories about the great Bugattis, the Citroen 2CV (of course), and countless other names.

Here’s a whole article about the Le Mans 24 Hours Museum which you’ll find in the historic, medieval and surprising city of Le Mans (another great surprise).

Le Manoir de l’Automobile – The Manor of the Automobile and Old Trades of Lohéac

The owner, Michael Hommell was just 18 years old when he began collecting cars. In 2002, he bought an old farm and converted it into a vast building today housing over 400 vehicles (the vast majority are cars).

Divided into sections, the Hall of Ancestors begins the story with a De Dion Bouton of 1899 and continues with classics like the Citroën 5HP, Dauphine and names I have never heard of (but a petrol head will certainly know). There are over 30 dioramas with models in period dress, a Formula 1 starting grid, a garage, restored old gas station, films, a guinguette from the 1930s (open air café originally for dancing)  and more.

Every year on the first weekend in October there’s a large autobrocante, a sale of cars, car parts, photos, books and more as well as demonstrations on a special track.

Musée Automobile de Vendée

The family-run museum opened in 1976. It was the brainchild of Gaston Giron, an apprentice mechanic during World War I who became a Citroen specialist trader. The museum is today run by his son and the family who continue to buy and restore old cars, just as Gaston had done. Around 150 vehicles now fill the large site, starting with a steam-run De Dion Bouton of 1885 and going through Delahayes and other classic names to Chevrolets and to Boras. There’s a good shop, and even better…various classic cars for sale.

Aunis Automobile Museum – Musée Automobile de Ciré d’Aunis

Over 110 cars dating from 1912 to 1994, plus enamel plates, petrol pumps and more are on display in this private museum. They are from the collection of Gilles Gaudissard. Look out for the CGE Tudor de 1940; it’s one of the first electric cars. And check those headlights on the old cars, run by gas.

Automobile Museum of Valençay

This private museum was built around an original collection from the Guignard brothers. The cars which cover 80 years from 1898 onwards have some gems like the 1996 Citroen driven by Pierre Lartique in the Paris-Dakar Rally.  There are also documents, photos, films, plus a new temporary exhibition each year. In 2023 it was the decade 1960 to 1970 demonstrating what the French were driving when we in the UK were at the wheel of an Austin/Morris 1100 or perhaps a Hillman Hunter.

La Virée d’Antan Museum – Musée de la Locomotion – Antan Car Museum

This museum was started in 2015 by enthusiasts who formed the ACPM (which goes under the rather long name of the Association pour la Conservation du Patrimoine Mecanique de Locomotion). Today they have 80 vehicles, from 1900 to 1980, all displayed in a reconstructed village setting.

Musée de l’Automobile Henri Malartre

Just north of Lyon on the banks of the Saône river, the Henri Malartre Car Museum is located in the Château Rochetaillée-sur-Saône. Here you’ll find 150 cars from 1890 to 1986, plus 40 motorbikes from 1903 to 1955, and 31 bicycles from 1818 to 1960. The Gordini Hall has racing cars; the Public Transport Hall has trams, trains and a “Ficelle” funicular from Fourvière in Lyons

Like many of the museums, this was originally a private collection, from a Lyon resident, Henri Malartre (1905-2005). At the age of 27 he bought an 1898 Rochet-Schneider. It was one of the many models built in Lyon which had over 130 motor car manufacturers at the beginning of the 20^th century (at this time France produced over half the world’s motor cars). He restored the car and began collecting.

His was an interesting story. In 1939 he fought in the Battle for France. He joined the Resistance, was arrested, and deported to Buchenwald in 1944. After the war, he went back to restoring and collecting cars and opened the museum on May 31, 1960. He gave the museum to the City of Lyon in 1972.

Don’t miss the extraordinary armoured car built for Hitler, delivered to him on March 17, 1944. One of 44 such vehicles built by Mercedes during the war, it’s a fearsome beast. It took 15 months and 2 million Reichmarks. It weighs 51 tonnes, has 400hp, can take 9 passengers, is 6 metres long, has bullet-proof wheels and windows, a mine-resistant floor, 18mm amour on the doors, and a self-destruct mechanism operated from the dashboard. In May 1945, French troops seized the car at Hitler’s personal residence at Berchtesgaden.

Musée de Citroën – Citromuseum

This small, privately owned museum houses around 50 post-war Citroëns from the 2CV to the SM and they are all in superb condition. There are a few treasures like the DS no. 32, sold in 1955 which is the oldest example of this DS still around. The workshop shows how the vehicles are restored.

More General Information

Regions of France

Departments of France

The post Top Car Museums in France appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Saint-Nazaire’s Escal’Atlantic tells the story of the great passenger liners of the past. It does a great job recreating the history and life of those transatlantic liners that set off from France to take people to the far ends of the world. The stately ships were bound for south America, Europe, Asia and of course the new world of New York.

Down at the docks

Escal’Atlantic is housed in the huge concrete submarine base built on the site of the old docks in 1940. The formidable Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (also known as The French Line) was founded here in 1862. But the strategic importance of the site, with easy access straight into the Atlantic, led to the inevitable destruction of the old docks by the Germans in 1940 and the building of their formidable submarine base.

Today’s ocean-going passenger liners are built nearby by Les Chantiers de l’Atlantique which is also well worth a visit. In October 2022 they finished and launched the mighty new MSC World Europa, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered cruise ship.

The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Liners

The great ocean liners of the past came into their own with the development of steam power.  For two centuries they pioneered new routes and opened up the world. The only way to travel from continent to continent, Saint-Nazaire was in the forefront of shipbuilding and became the base for journeys, first to Central America.

Some of the ships were well known; others like SS La Provence which took 7 days from Le Havre to New York are not such household names. The largest ship in the French merchant marine and the largest built in France at the time, she was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean in 1916.

It was the great ocean liners, many built in Saint-Nazaire and operated by the the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, that set the standards. In the 1920s, wealthy Americans escaping prohibition made up many of the passengers in the top class cabins on ships like the Ile de France, launched in 1927.

Then came the Depression and a downturn until the mid 1930s when the style was set by the SS Normandie. Built in Saint-Nazaire and launched in May 1935 she was the fastest, most technologically advanced passenger ship, crossing the Atlantic from Le Havre to New York in a record 4.14 days. She’s the most powerful steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship ever built.

Walk through a reconstructed passenger liner

Step up a gangplank into the museum and you step inside a life of contrasts where the rich travelled in style, and the poor in steerage.

You can take a guided tour (currently only in French though they are working on an English alternative), or guide yourself on a 90-minute tour.

The museum is easy to walk through starting with the reception room that would have greeted past passengers.

In a darkened space a large screen video lights up with the routes as they were added from different ports.

A series of rooms are connected by corridors where panels show how long the journeys were, how many passengers the passengers liners took and the cost of the different classes.

Setting the style

SS Normandie was the dernier mot in the new luxury paquebot style. Architect Pierre Patout created the Art Déco and Streamline Moderne style that even today looks as elegant as in the past. 

Other French designers created the luxury cabins, dining rooms, bars, swimming pool and winter garden. Jean Dunand designed the huge lacquer panels that greeted passengers in the reception hall (and you see one of his fabulous over-the-top creations on the tour). Specially designed Christofle silver, porcelain and glassware glittered on the tables in the dining rooms. Lalique glass torchères  and engraved glass panels made by the Cristallerie de Compiègne, better known as Degué added extra sparkle to already impressive rooms.

Something I would love to have seen is the children’s dining room. It was decorated by Jean de Brunhoff, who covered the walls with Babar the Elephant and his entourage.

Escal’Atlantic takes elements from many of the luxury passenger liners. You see some of the furniture and chairs like this one which had a small chain to attach it to the floor. So you wouldn’t be embarrassed while sipping your cocktail and sliding across the floor.

And the Louis Vuitton cabin trunk shown in all its glory still has the wow factor.

Third class passengers

A little further on you descend to the third class cabins. No luxury here for those people, mostly migrants, escaping the poverty of Europe.

A crackling old film shows the journey, where the passengers came from, and their arrival and reception at Ellis Island. Stoic, strong, sometimes frightened, they stepped off the ship to begin a new life in the USA. Migration began early: between 1870 and 1925 60 million Europeans took the voyage.

Become a director of a maritime company

It’s worth playing the game on a huge round video table of a map of the world with other visitors. You become the director of a maritime company. Which journey will you take? Le Havre to New York? Saint-Nazaire to Veracruz? Then you’re off, managing your fleet, ships and hopefully the weather.

Where the real work was done

Steps take you past the engines below. Impressive but it must have been hell to work there.

A giant larder

Pause at the panel about the food that had to be taken on board. It’s the 1880s and the ships have to cater for 1638 passengers and 812 staff. Everything is here from fresh parsley to champagne with 2,500 kilos of cheese, 300 pineapples, 8,000 bananas, 15,000 lemons, 20,000 oranges, 7,000 pears and everything else in vast quantities. After all they had to make 700 kilos of bread every day.

Back on deck. Quoits anyone?

You go back through the reception lounge and onto an imagined deck complete with very posh loungers in leather. Copies of their own magazine, L’Atlantique hang from the chairs. A large screen shows you the passing landscape; a few other ships, seagulls and horror of horrors…icebergs.

The last part of the visit

At the final part of the visit you emerge at the bar where you can order a cocktail.

A stairway leads you down, in your sweeping gown of course, to a dining room. Panels on the walls reproduce the original dining rooms while glassware and silver show you how expensive the whole experience was.

Everything was over the top in these glorious passenger liners. Normandie‘s first-class dining hall was the largest room afloat. At 93m (305 ft), it was longer than the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, seating 700 diners at 157 tables.

And as for the menus

Equally as fascinating are the menus. These were predictably grand, and filling. They included a bewildering range of dishes, always including hors d’oevres, soups, fish, meat, vegetables, cheese, delicious desserts, coffee and tea. Nobody in first class went hungry. One day it might be an 11-course choice running from grapefruit, through caviar, a soup, turbot fillet, chicken with fresh vegetable dish. It’s followed by spit roasted beef and buttered new potatoes and salad. To finish glazed biscuits and La Corbeille Fleurie de Friandises  – make of that what you will. You could always just choose fruit.

And for your dog? Consommé of beef, Le Regal de Sweekey which is mince meat with carrots,  spinach and side toast, La Gâterie ‘France’ of minced chicken, green beans and rice topped with meat stock and crushed biscuits. Then bones of beef, ham and veal followed by fresh vegetables and pasta and to end Biscuit. Bizarre.

There were also strict kosher menus with around 36 Americans per trip choosing them.

The end of the journey

Don’t worry. If all else fails there’s always the lifeboat.