Musée du Lac de Sanguinet

About the museum

The museum’s history is linked to discoveries made in the lake. In 1970 divers from Bordeaux located the foundations of a Gallo-Roman temple, the fanum of the city of Losa. A dugout canoe was found in 1975, and the Centre de recherches et d’études scientifiques de Sanguinet (CRESS) was founded in 1978. That same year the recovered finds were shown in a summer exhibition.

In 1982 the commune created a museum in the centre of the village, in a solid house built around 1850 that had previously housed staff accommodation. It received the Musée de France label in 2004. Having become too small, it was entirely redesigned in 2009–2011 and inaugurated on June 2, 2011, with a route organized around three themes: water, sand and man.

The permanent collection presents the results of underwater and land excavations: Bronze Age and Iron Age sites, Gallo-Roman remains, dugout canoes, and methods of study, conservation and dating, such as dendrochronology or experimental archaeology. The museum welcomes between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors a year. A project to modernize the scenography, supported by the State, is planned from September 2026.

Highlights

• Remains from underwater sites in the lake (Bronze Age, Iron Age)
• Gallo-Roman objects from the city of Losa
• Dugout canoes from the lake
• Methods of excavation, conservation and dating, experimental archaeology

Permanent exhibition

• Collection permanente : l'eau, le sable et l'homme – The route presents the archaeological finds of Lake Sanguinet, from protohistory to the Gallo-Roman period, and the methods of excavation and dating.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Commune de Sanguinet

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free during the European Museum Night and the European Archaeology Days.

Accepted means of payment: bank cards, cash and cheques.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

One parking space in the museum car park is reserved for visitors with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

The museum offers activity booklets, quizzes and riddles for all visitors, a discovery game around the museum, and a family rate.

Getting there & parking

By car from Bordeaux: take the A63, then the A660 towards the Bassin d’Arcachon, leave at exit 1 for Mios and follow the signs for Sanguinet for about 15 km.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit