Musée Christian Dior — Attraction in Avranches

The exhibits at the Dior Museum are really very interesting for fashion aficionados. Unfortunately, there are a few points of criticism that I would like to mention here:

It starts with the journey there—there are virtually no parking spaces at the museum. You have to find somewhere nearby, which is actually intended for residents—who I really feel sorry for.

Once you arrive, you are handed three laminated information sheets at the ticket office, which were not really helpful because they are poorly structured, garnished with a few "golden quotes" from the Dior family, and say little about the exhibits, but rather about the rooms you are currently in. But since the rooms were completely covered with plasterboard or contained exhibits behind glass walls, it doesn't matter whether there was a study, a salon, or a toilet there at the time. This does not convey the atmosphere of the house as it was back then.

It would also be helpful if the information boards accompanying the exhibits were not only in French. At least English, as another European dialect, would have been nice.

The garden is also beautiful, but the sculptures there are less so. A few looked like plaster Venuses from our garden center around the corner, and what CDs and records (including some by Boney M?) were doing on skewers there is unfortunately beyond my (limited) understanding of art.

But as I said: beautiful exhibits, friendly staff, and easy online ticket booking. Therefore:...

"Les Rhumbs"

Christian Dior's childhood home stands on the cliff facing the Channel Islands in Granville, Normandy, not far from Mont St Michel.

Villa Les Rhumbs was built by the shipowner Beust in the late nineteenth century and was named after the old marine term "Rhumb", designating a wind rose divided into 32 rhumbs, a symbol which appears as a mosaic floor ornament in one of the house's entrances.

Christian Dior's parents bought this grand house with its winter garden located in a park in 1905.

Christian Dior was particularly fond of this place. He wrote in his autobiography "Christian Dior et moi": "I have most tender and amazed memories... of my childhood home. I would even say that my life and my style owe almost everything to its site and architecture."

In 1932, shortly after Christian Dior's mother Madeleine had died, the father, who was an industrial, got ruined by the crisis and the property had to be sold. The villa was purchased by the town of Granville and the garden was open to the public from 1938.

In 1997, the villa became the "Christian Dior Museum," unique "Musée de France" labeled museum dedicated...

Very interesting experience with the family on our time spent to learn about the birth place of one of the most influencing French fashion designers of the 20th century, Christian Dior. It is recommended to book. The earlier, the merrier! You may be lucky, and arrive without booking, but you will likely wait for a bit as the house can only accept a maximum of 50 visitors at the time. So make sure you stay hydrated and an umbrella may be useful in case of rain or blazing sun conditions. The design of the inside of the museum and the garden were found up to our expectations, very refined and sparkling. Just a bit of a pity, that some of the rooms are kept in the dark, which makes it sometimes hard to read notes on the walls. The visit is not suitable for people who cannot go up and down stairs. The toilets area is kept outside the museum. It may need a bit more signs for directions. But against all expectations, toilets were found very dirty and neglected (no toilet paper found in the ladies room). Except these things, it was a...