Moulin Richard de Bas

About the museum

The Richard de Bas mill is located in the Laga valley near Ambert, in a hamlet surrounded by greenery. The site has been making paper since 1326, at a time when Auvergne was among the first regions of France to produce paper, from the early 14th century onward. It is today the last paper mill in the region and is still in operation: it produces about 200 sheets by hand each day, from rags and pure water, without wood.

In the 18th century, the mills of the region, including Richard de Bas, supplied paper for printing the engravings of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie. The mill's paper was also used to print the single copy of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic in 1958 and the diplomas of the Nobel Prize. Today it is intended for publishers, artists, the restoration of old books and limited-edition artists' books.

The mill has been a listed historic monument since 1983 and has carried the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label since 2020; it presents itself as the first living museum in France. Production follows the seasons: in winter, white, colored, mottled (chinés) and watercolor papers; in summer, papers with floral inclusions and floral compositions, using flowers, ferns and grasses picked in the mill's gardens and on the banks of the Laga stream. The mill changed owners in 2024. Visitors follow a guided tour devoted to the history of paper and the making gestures, can learn to make a sheet during a workshop, and extend the visit with two walking trails.

Highlights

• Handmade sheets of paper made in front of visitors
• Guided tour on the history of paper and the work of the mill
• Introductory workshop: making your own sheet of paper
• Floral compositions and flower papers in summer
• Walking trails “L'apprenti du moulin” and “Le chemin des papetiers”

Permanent exhibitions

• Visite du moulin et du musée vivant – Guided visit of handmade papermaking, from rag pulp to sheet, and of the history of paper from its origins in China.
• Promenades « L'apprenti du moulin » et « Le chemin des papetiers » – Two trails in the valley: a loop of about 50 minutes with sensory installations and a cabinet of curiosities, and a 2-hour 30-minute circuit along the Laga stream, lined with mills.

Admission & discounts

2026 prices for the guided visit (adults from age 12). The preferential rate applies to tickets bought online. Payment by check, bank card or ANCV holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Dogs are welcome if kept on a leash.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Child rate from age 6 and an introductory workshop where everyone makes their own sheet of paper. Workshops for children and a programme of activities by reservation are offered during school holidays.

Getting there & parking

The mill is in the Laga valley, about 5 minutes by car from Ambert.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Shop selling paper, stationery and greeting cards, open at the same times as the tours. Since the change of ownership in 2024, a snack bar serves drinks and ice cream. Several picnic tables, some covered, are set up in the wooded park below; restaurants are in Ambert, 5 minutes away by car.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit