Its purpose
 

Above all this visit provides a unique insight into the transformation that took place in the rural world in just under two centuries. Dairy production evolved from an craftsman-like occupation to a veritable industry that became a flagship of the French economy.

The visit around the museum is organised as a progressive evolution allowing visitors to discover all the nuances of this blossoming dairy industry.

The guided visit lasts for two hours and is an initiation to a world of discovery allowing the visitor to understand why France is the country of cheeses. The tour reveals the passion of these men and women who put their hearts and souls into the profession of cheese-making. You will also learn about the tools used in the profession and the jealously guarded know-how that is unique worldwide




 
Organisation of the visit
 

This scientific and technical centre extends over more than 5000m² and is an invitation to journey to the heart of the dairy tradition. Three professional and multilingual guides will accompany you throughout the 2 and a half hours of the visit.

 
click to visualize the plan of the 1st level
 
 
All along the line from the cows to the cheeses produced, traditional and modern coexist and complement each other. This level of the visit is devoted to the collection process followed by the presentation of the many transformations that can be obtained from the milk: cream, butter, yoghurt, cheese and by-products. For example did you know that some shirt buttons are made from milk caseinate!
The presentations are structured around a central route, which interlinks the essentials of the pedagogical and documentary approach, and large exhibition spaces designed to provide the visitors with a visual display.
Each section is introduced by a short video activated by the guide. The images are projected onto a ’privalite’ responsive screen that progresses from transparent mode to translucent mode as the light intensity decreases. At the end of the video, the mechanism is automatically reversed and the screens become transparent once again and the lighting returns to maximum in the exhibition hall. In total, the visit is made up of nine sequences piloted by this computer-controlled automaton
Half of the available exhibition space is devoted to presenting the various methods of cheese production. Running alongside the the main passageway the visitors will discover a series of slides, each showing a typical scene focusing on the major stages in the production of the most well known cheeses (i.e. hand ladling the Camembert, pressing the Emmenthal, maturing the Roquefort).
Each of these slides is also accompanied by videos taken from the cinematographic archives dating back to the first half of the 20th Century.

 
   
 
click to visualize the plan of the 2nd level
 
 
Its presents the developments in packaging, with an impressive collection of labels used to identify camembert cheeses, and in dairy product promotion as well as the evolutions in advertising methods through to modern-day Internet advertising. The visit ends with a cheese tasting session after which the visitors are invited to record their impressions in the visitors’ book.
 

 

 

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