Musée des métiers et traditions populaires
Municipal museum in Clérac with free admission, presenting rural life in the past through the tools of nine trades.
No sound? Check your device’s silent switch.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum was created by René Soulard, a resident of Clérac and passionate collector of old tools. It now belongs to the municipality, which presents it as a municipal museum.
It is housed in the village’s former presbytery, at 1 route des Châteaux. The collections show life in the past and nine rural trades representative of the municipality’s economic activity: the farmer, the joiner, the cooper, the clog maker, the blacksmith, the wheelwright, the carpenter, the resin tapper and the shoemaker.
Each trade is illustrated by its tools, and information sheets present several of them. Temporary exhibitions are organised every year. A walk through the village and along the nearby greenway complements the museum visit.
Highlights
- Tools of nine rural trades: farmer, joiner, cooper, clog maker, blacksmith, wheelwright, carpenter, resin tapper, shoemaker
- Collection gathered by a resident passionate about old tools
- Free admission
- “La Galope Chopine” greenway nearby
Permanent exhibition
- Neuf métiers ruraux et leurs outils – The circuit presents life in the past through the tools of nine countryside trades, from the farmer to the resin tapper.
- Operated by
- Commune de Clérac
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission for everyone.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
The Haute-Saintonge tourist office indicates a car park and a coach park.
The village centre is signposted. You can also arrive by the “La Galope Chopine” greenway, a former railway line reserved for pedestrians, horses and cyclists, which links Clérac (locality of Genêt) with Chevanceaux and continues towards Barbezieux.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
In the town there is a restaurant, a bakery, a grocery store and a picnic area with a horse rest stop near the pond. Public toilets are signposted by the Haute-Saintonge tourist office.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | For a group, allow about two hours for the visit. No equipment is needed except one pencil per person. Guided tours for groups and individuals are available on request; the tourist office indicates a session of about one hour and a maximum of 100 people. |
