MAISON DE SITE/AUBERGE DES DAUPHINS
Home to permanent and temporary exhibitions on the Saoû massif.
The Auberge des Dauphins enjoyed its heyday in the 1930s. Maurice Burrus (1882-1959), a wealthy tobacco industrialist, patron of the arts, art collector, philatelist and archaeology enthusiast, bought the Saoû forest in 1924 to open it up to green tourism. Reforestation, picnic tables, a carriage trail around the massif and an inn inspired by the Grand Trianon of Versailles, with a restaurant on the first floor and bedrooms upstairs - the bar was set high! Inaugurated in 1930, the inn was to leave a lasting impression with its lavish parties. The site became a meeting place not only for the business bourgeoisie, but also for working-class families who came to enjoy a moment of relaxation in the forest. The inn was awarded two macaroons and three forks in the Michelin Guide from 1934 to 1936. The Second World War brought the business to a halt and began its decline. Today, the former Auberge des Dauphins on the departmental site of the Saoû forest has been refurbished to welcome the public. On the first floor, the former gilded salon houses a restaurant, an information and meeting area for eco-guards and a curiosity cabinet. The second floor features a succession of permanent and temporary exhibition rooms on the Saoû massif, its geology, biodiversity and history. A complete site house, ideal for family visits. Themed hikes, educational workshops and cultural events.
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