MusikenfĂŞte combines historic architecture with hands-on music-making in Montoire-Sur-Le-Loir. The museum is housed in a renovated 15th-century building and displays more than 600 items from its collection; this number may change in the future. In the so-called music ship, visitors can play six huge instrumental compositions. This places viewing the collection alongside playing the instruments themselves.
MusikenfĂŞte also hosts concerts throughout the year, workshops for adults and children, and courses for students. As the program may change, check the dates and current offerings before your visit.
Collections and Different Perspectives
The Musée des costumes et parures du monde displays costumes and jewelry from various peoples on two levels of the Couvent des Augustins. Films offer insights into traditional customs in some countries. This means that the museum brings together clothing and jewelry as well as customs shown in film.
At the Cabinet de curiosités, various scientific and folk objects are brought together, including preserved animal specimens. The upper floor is devoted to a collection of old terracotta tiles. They bear animal imprints, inscriptions, testimonies and poems, as well as apotropaic drawings—that is, images intended to ward off harm. The collection thus brings together objects bearing different traces and forms of text, rather than focusing on just one type of exhibit.
Since 2003, the Musée de la gare historique has explained the causes and consequences of the meeting between Philippe Pétain and Hitler on October 24, 1940. Reading cards complement the visit. At the end, the tour leads into a room with period models recreating the railway station, carriages, vehicles and people. Both the historical context of the meeting and the models are therefore part of the museum visit.
Chapelle Saint-Gilles and Maison Renaissance
The Chapelle Saint-Gilles is a Romanesque building constructed at the end of the 11th century. Its frescoes date from the early 12th century and depict Christ in Majesty. The construction date and the frescoes thus represent two distinct historical periods: the paintings were created after the building was built.
The keys to the Chapelle Saint-Gilles can be collected at the MusikenfĂŞte museum. Before your visit, check whether this arrangement applies to your chosen date.
Another architectural landmark is the Maison Renaissance. It was built by the Frédureau family in the early 16th century. It includes a 6,000-square-meter park with centuries-old trees and a French-style garden. In chronological terms, the Renaissance-era Maison, the Romanesque Chapelle and the somewhat later frescoes therefore stand in different relationships to one another.
Festival and Hiking Route
The Festival international folklorique de Montoire-sur-le-Loir takes place every year in August. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates and program for your chosen year before making plans.
The Chemin des Châteaux is a 16-kilometer hiking route that begins in the center of Montoire-Sur-Le-Loir. Its length gives you a concrete point of reference for planning; also check the latest route details before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Fossé, Monteaux, Santenay, Villeherviers, Lunay, Veilleins, Soings-En-Sologne, Châtres-Sur-Cher.
For the regional travel overview: Loir-Et-Cher.
