Musée de l'Abeille

About the museum

Since April 1974 Tilff has had a Museum of the Bee and Beekeeping. It is housed in the restored barn of the former farm of Brunsode castle, more commonly known as Tilff castle, and its opening followed closely after the creation of the Confrérie du Grand Apier de Tilves, which sees itself as the defender of the bee and of beekeeping.

The visit begins on the ground floor with an audiovisual presentation, “La Ruche et l'Abeille”, which shows the work of the worker bees at different stages of their lives and how honey is made; a simpler slideshow is aimed at young children. A large room then presents hives from Belgium and many other countries, illustrating the evolution of beekeeping techniques, from the log hive to the modern hive, including straw skeps and wicker skeps.

Upstairs, several rooms bring together old and modern beekeeping instruments, including equipment for harvesting honey, among them a combined press from 1870. A collection of insects and nests places the honeybee among other Hymenoptera. The museum also highlights the research of Nobel Prize winner Karl von Frisch on the language of bees and the work of Marcel Dehouse on how honeycomb is built. From April to September, two glass hives allow visitors to watch the comings and goings of the foraging bees.

Highlights

• Audiovisual presentation “La Ruche et l'Abeille”
• Hives from Belgium and around the world, from the log hive to the modern hive
• Two glass hives in operation from April to September
• Antique honey-harvesting equipment, including a combined press from 1870
• Karl von Frisch's research on the language of bees

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours permanent : abeilles et apiculture – Audiovisual presentation, hives from around the world, old and modern beekeeping equipment, a collection of insects and nests, and glass hives from April to September.

Founded

1974

Admission & discounts

Rates: adults €5; children under 12: €3.50; adult groups (at least 15 people): €3.50 per person; school groups: €3.50 per pupil.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is not accessible to people with reduced mobility (the exhibition is on two levels).

Kids & families

A simple slideshow, “La belle Histoire des Abeilles” (the beautiful story of bees), is aimed at young children; the two glass hives let you watch bees at work from April to September.

Getting there & parking

Bus stop 200 m from the museum.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit