If you like naval history, book your ticket to the National Maritime Museum in Port-Louis, located in a spectacular Breton citadel.
National Maritime Museum of Port-Louis
Built in the 17th century on a cliff on the coast of Brittany, the citadel of Port-Louis offers spectacular panoramic views of the port of Lorient and the island of Groix.
Today, the citadel houses the National Maritime Museum, which has an extraordinary collection of scale models, paintings, navigational instruments, and other objects related to the French Navy.
With your museum ticket, you can explore the different rooms of the permanent exhibition at your own pace. Of particular note are those dedicated to sea rescues and ocean treasures, where you'll find important pieces of marine archaeology.
Among the main treasures of the permanent collection is the cloche du Mauritius. This is a bronze bell from 1598, discovered in 1985, which helped locate the wreck of the Le Mauritius, a ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company that sank off the coast of Gabon in 1609.
Another important object in the collection is the Cadran de Dieppe, a valuable navigational instrument dating back to the 17th century. Also noteworthy are the bust of Admiral Pâris and the painting Coup de vent en rade d'Alger, an emblematic work by Thédore Gudin, a 19th-century French painter specializing in seascapes.
A self-guided visit to the museum is estimated to last between 1.5 and 2 hours, although you may spend as much time as you wish exploring the exhibition.
Opening Hours
The National Maritime Museum in Port-Louis is open at the following times:
- September: Every day (except Tuesdays) from 10 am to 6 pm
- October to April: Every day (except Tuesdays) from 1:30 pm to 6 pm
- May to June: Every day from 10 am to 6 pm
- July to August: Every day from 10 am to 7 pm
Audio Guide
If you would like to tour the museum with an audio guide in English, you can purchase one on the day of your visit for 2EUR.
Free Admission
Young people from the European Union aged 18 to 25, as well as visitors under 18 of any nationality, are entitled to free admission. To do so, they must collect their ticket directly at the ticket office.
Other Branches of The National Maritime Museum
If you wish, you can visit other branches of the museum: