The best museums Provence

This museum is part of the Musée de la Vallée network, which has a total of five establishments throughout the Ubaye valley, a very instructive network for those who want to know about life in the past in this valley.

In Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, come and discover the panorama of agricultural machines and tools collected in Ubaye. This museum exhibits the tools, gestures and work of Ubaye rural society, before it was invaded by mechanisation and the generalisation of trade. It also presents two specific activities in this territory: the work of hemp and wool at that time. It is dedicated to the blacksmith Albert Manuel, who provided it with models that are both beautiful and educational, teaching the traditional gestures of the valley: transporting wood, water mills... An old-fashioned kitchen has also been reconstructed, with a collection of old clothes and naturalized animals.

A very good point to note: this structure is sensitive to the reception of disabled people. Guided tours, small workshops, film screenings... help you discover the museum. Temporary exhibitions are also regularly held there.

Finally, we point out that during its opening period and only in high season, it houses a Tourist Information Point, which can be very practical on site, because otherwise the nearest Tourist Information Office is in Jausier. A double reason to visit this nice little museum!

In Haute-Provence, pigeon lofts are numerous and varied. The Bourrelles dovecote, which is particularly large, is a magnificent architectural testimony to a rural breeding activity that was once of prime economic importance. It is located in the magnificent olive-growing estate of Moulin Arrizi. Entirely restored by its owners, the association "Les Amis des Mées" has installed in the lower room a mini-ecomuseum of the pigeon houses of Haute-Provence. In the upper part, the pigeons continue to live and coo.

This original museum, housed in the chapel of the former 17th century Visitandine convent, traces the evolution of time measurement through the presentation of instruments, objects and documents that are often rare, sometimes unique. A Foucault pendulum and a reproduction of the Al Jazari clepsydra (a Persian hydraulic clock from the 12th century) are among its highlights. The Route du Temps, from Sisteron to Beynes (80 km) is the logical complement to discover the geological traces of the Earth's history.

Young and old, collectors, creators or curious, are unanimous: this beautiful museum is a delight for the eyes. It offers you a journey into the imagination that will enchant young and old alike: in this magnificent old house, you will discover some 140 settings mixing past, present and future. Apart from the visits, various animations are proposed to the children as well as to the adults with in particular the creation of rag dolls and doll's houses for UNICEF.

Ethnography, Art, History and Painting are grouped into collections in a beautiful farmhouse "the Pavilion". The sheep rearing is illustrated by a model containing standard objects on the rural activities of the Crau plain. The history of soap in Provence and the trading of olive oil also find their place in this museum. Other assets: a garden accessible to the public, a library, documentation centre open to the public with photo library and tour aids such as audiovisual and some commercial services (bookstore, carterie, shop).

Set in a unique hotel in the Mazarin district, the museum is the work of Paul ARBAUD. The donation of this collector, gumby and patron is rich in one of the largest and beautiful collections of Provençal tiles, adorning beautifully a beautifully decorated room of antique furniture. A gentle soft light creates a warm atmosphere in this museum, with a rich library containing wonderful scientific, agricultural, artistic and literary works, some of its manuscripts dating back to the th century.