Activities for the whole family
At the edge of the Lac du Der in Champagne, in Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement, you can spend an unforgettable day with your children in a safe environment full of stories.
In an authentic setting of the Champagne bocage countryside, you stroll around and admire the architecture of the timber-framed buildings and enjoy an "educational lake" where the wildlife of the watery world are is described and explained.
The Lac du Der, from yesterday to today
A jump through time, through the eyes of the inhabitants of the three drowned villages, the museum traces the incredible story of the evacuation and the dismantling and rescue of the wooden church of Nuisement-aux-Bois.
Take advantage of this day of discovery to find out what school was like in days gone by, walk in the Jardin du Curé or the Jardin des Simples to discover the medicinal plants or have a picnic with the children in the museum grounds.
Three questions to Alain Vandershooten
Director of the Der Village-Museum
Why is a visit to the museum so important when you come to Der?
"the Lac du Der has a soul and this is where visitors can get understand it best. You can find out all about the story of this church and its buildings, saved from the water, and the incredible story of the creation of the dam and the reservoir. The "ecomuseum" isn't only about history, it is also a way to learn more about the great wealth of the Champagne countryside"
Are there events or shows specially for children?
"Children can discover the whole site with a treasure hunt that leads them around the various buildings and the educational garden, the vegetable garden, the arboretum and bocage, and parents can come along too - they learn just as much!"
It's a place of memory, but much more besides, isn't it?
"The Der Village-Museum is not content with archaeological remains — it also organises activities for groups (nature walks, themed hikes) and lots of events based on the natural environment, the flights of cranes, pastoral and gastronomic festivals and trades of times gone by"
