Musée de la vie frontalière de Godewaersvelde

Over het museum

The museum is in Godewaersvelde, a Flemish village on the Belgian border. It occupies the former presbytery and gathers objects that tell the story of life on both sides of the border: some residents were smugglers, others customs officers, but all of them lived in Flanders.

The route begins with the history of the border and anecdotes from everyday life. On the upper floor under the attic, old signs and the counter of an estaminet (a Flemish café) evoke the popular traditions of the Westhoek: vertical archery, Flemish games, pigeon racing, carnival and giants, including Henri le Douanier, the museum’s giant.

On the first floor you discover the tools smugglers used to make tobacco rolls and cigarettes, followed by the customs officers’ equipment: probes, scales, toises (old measuring rods) and measuring devices. The following rooms show the smugglers’ tricks and organized smuggling, right up to customs’ current missions against counterfeiting or for health controls. The museum also hosts talks, concerts and temporary exhibitions. It is part of the Muzéa network of museums in Flanders.

Hoogtepunten

• Tools smugglers used to make tobacco rolls and cigarettes
• Customs officers’ probes, scales and measuring instruments
• Vehicles and hiding places of organized smuggling
• Henri le Douanier, the museum’s giant
• Estaminet counter and popular traditions of the Westhoek

Vaste collectie

• La vie frontalière : douaniers et fraudeurs – A two-level route covering the history of the Franco-Belgian border, the tools of smuggling and customs control, and the popular traditions of Flanders.

Beheerder

Commune de Godewaersvelde

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Free for residents of Godewaersvelde. Card payment is not accepted (according to the Muzéa network).

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk: geen informatie
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The Muzéa network reports access for visitors with reduced mobility; the museum spans two levels.

Kinderen & gezin

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

Shop (according to the Muzéa network).

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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