Occitania Museum
You'll love collecting them
The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum in Albi, the Fabre Museum in Montpellier, the Soulages Museum in Rodez - set off to explore a region with nearly 800 museums and where the arts and culture, beauty and knowledge are warmly treasured. Do you like contemporary art, Renaissance painters or the wonders bequeathed by ancient civilisations? Here are our tips.
NEW THIS YEAR
The Musée de la Romanité Roman museum in Nîmes (opening in June 2018) is an exception in the French cultural landscape due to its innovative character.
The museum, standing opposite the Arena of Nîmes, is completely made of glass and was designed by the architect Elisabeth de Portzamparc. It provides visitors with a unique experience taking in 25 centuries of history via an immersive museum experience.
At the Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes, we love the roof terrace with a panoramic view over the arena, and the café-restaurant supervised by the Michelin-starred chef Franck Putelat.
FINE-ARTS
If you prefer the great masters and beautiful paintings
You mustn't miss Soulages in Rodez, Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi, Ingres in Montauban, Goya in Castres and Maillol in Banyuls-sur-Mer. These great artists were either born in Occitania or had close links with the region. The region's museums are exceptional for their unique character and rich collections.
Everywhere, beautiful museums immerse visitors in the major currents of painting, sculpture, photography, etc. The Augustins Museum and the Abattoirs in Toulouse, the Fabre Museum in Montpellier and the modern art museum in Céret will also be at the top of your visiting list.
PREHISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY
If the treasures of the past inspire you
In Occitania you can explore the countless traces left by the major civilisations of the past. For the prehistoric era (and even earlier!), head for the Dinosaurs Museum in Espéraza, the Prehistory Museum in Tautavel or the Fenaille Museum in Rodez.
Antiquity and the great influence of Rome on the history of our region come to life at the musée de la Romanité de Nîmes, at the Archaeological Museum in Narbonne and at the Saint-Raymond Museum in Toulouse.
Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphs, was born in Occitania: in Figeac (Lot). The house where he was born contains the superb and highly contemporary World Writings Museum.
ARTS AND POPULAR TRADITIONS
If you are interested in local history
The decorative arts from the Toulouse region raise their colours at the Paul Dupuy Museum in Toulouse; the traditions of Languedoc at the Old Nîmes Museumand Gascony at the Jacobins Museum in Auch.
In our region, you can also enjoy some very special talents highlighted in their birthplaces. A visit to the Dom Robert and 20th century tapestry museum in Sorèze is not to be missed, and in a different style, the Millau Museum with rooms devoted to Millau glove-making.
You can also encounter farmers, shepherds, miners and everyone who has helped build the identity of Occitania: for instance, at the Cuzals Departmental Museum (a huge, open-air museum!), the Pyrenean Museum in Lourdes Castle and the Bishops' Palace Museum in Saint-Lizier.
MUSEUMS WITH THE FAMILY
On the theme of life sciences, set aside a wonderful afternoon at the Natural History Museum in Toulouse, one of the finest museums in France.
On the theme of astronomy, take the cable car up to the Pic du Midi museum area. On the theme of aviation, amaze your children with a visit to Aéroscopia in Toulouse-Blagnac.
In Occitania, even sweets have their own museum: a visit to the Haribo Museum in Uzès will go down well all round. And while you are in Uzès, take a trip to Arpaillargues to visit the 1900 Museum with an unbelievable collection of objects that we all look at with they eyes of children.
In Auch (Gers), the Jacobins Museumhouses a surprising and impressive collection of Pre-Columbian art, the second most important collection in France, after the Quai Branly Museum in Paris
Pierre Soulages awaits you in Rodez
He is one of the greatest French painters of our times. He has given his native town, Rodez (Aveyron), over 500 works with a value estimated between 50 and 100 million euros. A look back at the inauguration of the Soulages Museum in 2014. The building was designed by the group of Catalonian architects, RCR, and has been a big success ever since. Video 5:23 © Arte Metropolis
Our selection
MUSÉE FABRE
The Musée Fabre shows a major collection of paintings from the 15th to the 21th century, a fine collection of...
- By car: Occitania has a large number of motorways (A9, A20, A61, A75, etc.).
- By plane: the region has several airports, including the international airports of Toulouse, Montpellier and Lourdes.
- By train: the region is accessible from all the major cities of France and the European capitals.