Maison de Barberine
Small museum of life in Vallorcine, housed in a traditional farmhouse dating from 1705 in the hamlet of Barberine, close to the Swiss border.
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About the museum
The Maison de Barberine is one of the oldest houses in the Vallorcine valley: the date 1705 is carved into the beam known as the “tsambron”. It was still almost intact when it was put up for sale in 1986. The following year, sixteen founders, at the initiative of descendants of the Ancey family, formed an association to buy it, restore it, set up a museum of local life there and organize exhibitions of crafts and art.
The restoration used the traditional techniques of Vallorcine's craftsmen. The house was listed in the inventory of historic monuments in 2023 and belongs to the network of museums in the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc valley. It is open to visitors each year in July and August.
The house keeps the typical architecture of the village's old farmhouses: an entrance corridor, a kitchen with a hatch down to the cellar, a stable, a barn on the upper floor and the “pèle”, a living room heated by a soapstone stove. The association has gathered more than 700 objects showing residents' daily life around 1900. Every summer, a temporary exhibition complements the visit.
Highlights
- 1705 house preserving the architecture of Vallorcine's old farmhouses
- Collection of more than 700 objects of everyday life around 1900
- Barberine hamlet, the last place in the valley before Switzerland
- Listed in the inventory of historic monuments in 2023
Permanent exhibition
- Maison traditionnelle et collection de la vie vallorcine – Visit to a 1705 farmhouse and more than 700 objects showing the life of Vallorcine's residents around 1900.
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Association Maison de Barberine
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4ViaCham card, carte d’hôte, large families, students, people over 65, people with disabilities, job seekers |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for under 18s. |
| Seniors | €4Reduced rate from age 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4 |
| Students & apprentices | €4 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personGroups of 10 or more: €4 per adult, €3 for under 18s; free for drivers and accompanying adults. |
Free admission: European Heritage Days
The Pass Musées (€25, unlimited entry for one year to the museums of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc valley network) is sold at the entrance to the valley's museums. Payment in cash.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gare de Vallorcine · 1.5 km
Mont-Blanc Express train to Vallorcine SNCF station.
By car
Parking available
Park in the car park before the bridge, so that the hamlet is not congested; the hamlet can be reached on foot in less than 5 minutes.
From Chamonix, drive past Argentière and the Col des Montets, through Vallorcine, then turn left at the hamlet of Barberine, 200 m before the border. The carte d’hôte or ViaCham card gives access to the train.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | Visits can be made freely, individually or as a group (up to 20 people according to the tourist office). |
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