Discover - Visits and Museums

Guided and theatrical tours

Information and reservations : Pézenas - Val d'Hérault Tourist information centre
TEL : 04 67 98 36 40 - FAX : 04 67 98 96 80
E-mail : accueil.pezenas@otpvh.fr

Guided group tours: all year round for Pézenas historic centre

In French, English, German, Italian and Spanish, to book in advance.Other theme tours in french.
Information and bookings, guide service: Pézenas Val d'Hérault tourist office. Tel: 04 67 98 36 40 - Fax: 04 67 98 96 80. 

Day trips on offer

Guided tours: Introduction to Pézenas

Guided tours on Saturday, 12th and Friday, 25th June at 3 pm; July and August, tours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am, on Wednesdays (except Bastille Day on 14th July),
Fridays and Saturdays at 5 pm, guided tour of the historical centre with a conference guide
approved by the Ministry of Culture (Heritage Department). Every Wednesday in September
at 3 pm, and on Saturday, 30th October at 3 pm and on Saturday, 18th December at 3 pm.
 

Guided tour of Pézenas in English:

On Friday, 23rd July at 10 am and on Friday, 13th August at 10 am.
Price: €6 (tour with at least 5
people).
 

Guided tour of Pézenas in German:

On Friday, 16th July at 10 am and on Friday, 6th August at 10 am.
Price: €6 (tour with at least 5 people).
 

Family treasure hunt «Molière’s tale»

Every Wednesday in July and August at 4 pm, except Bastille Day (14th July).
Other dates: Wednesday, 27th October and Tuesday, 28th December at 3 pm.
For families to discover the famous Molière in a playful but educational way. Duration: 2.30 hours. Booking at the tourist office is compulsory, call 04 67 98 36 40.
Starts with at least 3 participating families.
Prices: children from 8 to 12 years €2.50, adults €6, reduced fare €5 (students, unemployed persons).
 

Theme tour: the daily life before the French Revolution

Lighting, hygiene, transportation, creeds, wedding… some of the many themes depicting the
daily life before the French Revolution (Ancien Régime) in an ideal historical and architectural
setting to immerse oneself in the atmosphere: the town of Pézenas.
Tour available on Tuesday, 2nd November at 3 pm.
Price: €6 (tour with at least 5 people),
reduced fare €5.
 

New in 2010

Guided tour of de Vulliod-Saint-Germain museum

Every Tuesday and Friday in July and August at 5 pm, price: € 2,50. Meet at the Museum.
 

Visit of Pézenas with an audio guide in French

Discover the rich heritage and history of Pézenas on your own, at your own pace, when you want! Price: € 5. Rent your headset at the tourist office in Pézenas. Maximum duration: 2 hours 30
min (without pause). Bring back the audio guides 15 minutes before closing time of the tourist
office.
 

To discover the heritage of the Pays de Pézenas

Tours with a conference guide round Languedoc villages in the Pézenas area, every Thursday
in July and August, at 10 a.m. Free (tour with at least 5 people).

Caux

Thursday, 1st and 22nd July and 12th August at 10 am: meet in front of the church, discover the church with bell tower porch and the houses and medieval streets around it.

Montagnac

Thursday, 15th July, 5th and 26th August at 10 am, meet at the tourist office in Montagnac. Discover this medieval village, its private mansions and church Saint Andrew.

Saint-Pons-de-Mauchiens

Thursday, 8th and 29th July and 19th August at 10 am: meet in front of the town hall. Discover this medieval village perched on top of a rocky peak, the ramparts, the Consuls’ house and the castle ruins.

Non-guided tours: explanatory panels in each locality of the Region of Art and History and
in Bessan, Nézignan l’Evêque, Pomérols and Saint-Thibéry.

Information and booking: Pézenas-Val d’Hérault tourist office
Tel : 04 67 98 36 40.

Night tour of Pézenas: secret charm of the private mansions

Discover the wealth of the architectural heritage of Pézenas, at an unusual time, in a subtle and friendly atmosphere, when the monuments wear their evening dress.
Every Tuesday at 8.30 pm in July and August.
Normal rate: € 7
Reduced rate: € 6 (including entrance fee for the Hôtel d’Alfonce).
Booking compulsory, departure with a minimum of 5 participants.
Information and booking at Pézenas-Val d’Hérault tourist office:
tel. 04 67 98 36 40 / Fax. 04 67 98 96 80

 

Other guided tours on the territory Pézenas-Val d'Hérault

Guided tours of Nézignan-l’Evêque

Tours organised by voluntary guides on appointment for groups one week before. For individuals,
booklet on sale for €3 at Maison du patrimoine (detailed explanations). Organised visit of the village with lanterns on the 12th of July at 9:30 p.m. Meet at l’Espace Papanou.
Association Nézignan au Fil des Ans, Mr. Bernard Rolland, tel. 04 67 98 13 48.

Guided tour and wine tasting: the Via Domitia near Pinet

Follow on the footsteps of the Romans.
More than 2,000 years ago, Roman Emperor Domitius had a prestigious military road built,
that bore his name: the Via Domitia; it stretched from the Rhône river to the Pyrenees mountain
range and quickly became a communication and trade link. Come and discover the history
of this road on the site of la Vallongue wood, and the typically Mediterranean fauna and flora, as well as the specific soil of the ‘Picpoul de Pinet’. After the visit, taste some Picpoul at the Ormarine winery.
Tours on Tuesday, 20th July and Tuesday, 10th August at 9.30 am.
Price: € 3. Registration at Pézenas-Val d’Héraut tourist office until 4 pm the day before departure.

Guided tour of Saint-Thibéry

Eevery Wednesday in July and August, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., meet at the church. Organized by local non-profit organisation APPC. Free.
Information: Pézenas-Val d’Hérault tourist office. Tel. 04 67 98 36 40

 

Museums and permanent exhibitions

Interpretation Centre for Architecture and Heritage (CIAP)

The general goals of the CIAP are to give the local and regional visitors the keys to understand the heritage of the territory. It is a place of information and pedagogy.
A permanent exhibition on 2 levels presents the territory and its evolution in French and in English and directs the public to the various sites and circuits in the surroundings. On the upper floor, two rooms deal with the themes: "building in the 17th century: the mansion" and "today's heritage".
This exhibition enables the public to understand the political and historical contexts, in which this heritage was constituted.

Explanatory panels in English. Entrance free. Same opening hours
as the tourist office.

Contact: Heritage department, tel. 04 67 98 52 69
www.ciap-pezenas.com

Temporary exhibition from 1st July to 30th September
2010 in the Chimney room of the tourist office: A thousand years of Hérault, treasures of history.
Through the exceptional collection of documents
gathered by the Hérault district archives throughout two centuries, discover the history of this land of migration and traffic.
Entrance free.

Vulliod-Saint-Germain Museum in Pézenas

3, rue Albert-Paul Alliès
34120 Pézenas
Founded in 1942 and housed in a 16th c. and 18th c. property, it contains collections of furniture, earthenware and Aubusson tapestries relating the history of Alexander the Great.
Because of the return to Pézenas of the original wooden armchair, that used to be in the Barber Gély's barbershop, an exhibition displays in 3 rooms the souvenirs of the famous author. This purchase was financed by a national fundraising programme launched by the non-profit organisation "les Amis de Pézenas" (the Friends of Pézenas).
Opening hours:
June to September, from 10 am to 12 noon and 3 to 7 pm (late opening from 1st July to 15th Setpember on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 11 pm). From February to May and from October to mid-November open from 10 am to 12 noon and 2 to 5.30 pm (closed on Monday all year round).
The museum will be closed from mid-November 2010 to mid-February 2011. 

Price: €2.5 adults; children and groups €1.5. 

Domaine de la Grangette in Montagnac: exhibition on viticulture tools.

Domaine de la Grangette – 34530 Montagnac
Free of charge; book in advance.
Tél : 04 67 24 07 59 - lagrangette@club-internet.fr

Exhibition of religious art and ancient history in Nézignan-l’Evêque

Chapel of White Penitents, by the church. Open July and August, Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Renseignements : Association Nézignan Au Fil des Ans, M. Bernard Rolland (Président),
tél. 04 67 98 13 48.
 

Museum of doors and wrought ironwork in Pézenas

5/7 rue Montmorency in Pézenas
« An unusual museum in the heart of the old town ».

An unusual place near the chateau to visit the past (free of charge). Since it opened in 1993, the association for the wood trade has displayed the result of widely ranging cultural research.
Collection of doors (15th to 20th c.) from Pézenas and the area; ironwork, door knockers, old implements, etc.
Opening hours: museum open from Monday to Friday
November, December, February: open from 2.30 to 5.15 pm.
March, April, May, October: open from 10.30 am to 12.30 noon and from 3 to 6.30 pm. June, September: open from 10.30 am to 12.30 noon and 3 to 6.30 pm. July and August: from 10.30 am to 12.30 noon and from 3.30 to 7.30 pm, Saturday from 3.30 to 7.30 pm.
Exceptional openings: opening of the Mirondela in July, European Heritage Days in September, All Saints’ Day, Christmas. Open on appointment on request.
Tel: 04 67 98 35 05 - sarl.ivorra@club-internet.fr

 

Saint Jean collegiate church in Pézenas : collection of religious art and crafts

Opening hours:
- June to November : Monday to Saturday from 3 pm to 7 pm (late opening from 1st July to 15th September Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 pm to 11 pm);
- December to May : Tuesday to Saturday open from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Information : 04 67 98 88 04.
 

Toy museum : Jouets et Merveilles d’Antan in Pézenas

2b rue Montmorency
34120 PEZENAS
Tel./Fax. 04 67 35 92 88
Site internet : www.jouets-merveilles.com
Email : contact@jouets-merveilles.com




 

« Go back in time and keep dreaming… »
To get away from it all; you can walk at leisure through the 4 rooms (about 300 sq. metres) among the 8,000 items of this astonishing collection (toys from France, Germany, Spain, but also Japan, America...). The importance of the collection allows regular changes in the exhibition. There you might find toys that are familiar to you, others that you would have loved to own and others from another age. Go back in time and keep dreaming.
Temporary exhibitions are planned several times a year.
Ramps and parking for the handicapped.

Opening Hours:
July, August, September: everyday from 10 a.m. to 10
p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, until midnight in July and August.
From October to June: everyday except Monday (except Holy Day) from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. School holidays : open everyday from 2 to 7 p.m.
Closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, 4th to 31st January and 15th to 26th March.
Guided Tour Upon Request, including other days and times.

Fees : Adults : 5€ , Reduced price 3,50 € (Children from 10 on, groups, unemployed)
Special rate for families: free for children under 10.
 

 Boby Lapointe Museum in Pézenas

Boby Lapointe was born in Pézenas on 16th April 1922. He went up to Paris in 1951. In 1954, Bourvil sang “Aragon and Castille” in the film “Poisson d’avril” (April fool). This encouraged Boby to carry on writing. His début was at the Cheval d’Or in 1959. Boby Lapointe made “silly” songs intelligent. A trivial topic is the foundation for an edifice of puns and other word games to make you roll in the aisles. He was also an actor and a mathematician. He died in 1972, leaving his work to remember him by. Every April, his birthplace holds a festival in his honour.

This museum is an exhibition centre with pictures, records, DVDs, CDs collectors, books about Boby Lapointe and seat of the non-profit organisation "Eh! dis Boby". It is located 1, place Gambetta in the historic centre.

Opening hours: museum open every day
February, March, September, October, November, December: open daily from 9 am to 12 noon and from 1 to 6 pm.
April, May, June: open daily from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 to 7 pm.
July and August: open daily from 10 am to 1 pm and 4 to 9 pm; later openings on Wednesday and Friday nights. Closed in January.

Prices: adults €2, teenagers from 12 to 18 years € 0.50, groups over 15 persons € 1.50. Entrance free for members of the non-profit organization Eh ! dis Boby.

Purchase of CDs, DVDs and books about Boby Lapointe is possible.
 


Eh ! dis Boby
Association des Amis de Boby Lapointe
1, place Gambetta
Tél : 04 67 210 287
www.bobylapointe.com
au-pays-de-boby@orange.fr