Arbois comes into focus through two especially tangible themes: Louis Pasteur’s home and working life, and the history of winemaking in the Jura. Museums and historic buildings complement these highlights; a named wine walk offers a different perspective from exploring the old town on foot.
Pasteur’s home and working life
The Maison de Louis Pasteur is the only house Louis Pasteur ever owned. It has been preserved as he knew it, offering a glimpse into both 19th-century bourgeois life and the setting for his scientific work. In 1991, the Maison was bequeathed to the Académie des sciences. It is listed as a Monument historique and has also carried the “Maisons des Illustres” label since 2011.
The laboratory brings the scientific side to life: the Maison preserves the scientist’s only fully intact laboratory, along with original laboratory notebooks, flasks and glass vessels from his work on wine fermentation and pasteurization. The Maison et laboratoire de Louis Pasteur offers self-guided visits with an explanatory information sheet in French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, Russian and Italian. Check visiting arrangements before your trip.
Art and collections at the Musée Sarret de Grozon
Since September 17, 2003, the Musée Sarret de Grozon has held the official designation “Musée de France” under the French Heritage Code. Its collections include paintings, 18th-century silverware, faience, furniture and wood panelling. The Musée d’Art Hôtel Sarret de Grozon opened in 1934, after the Sarret family bequeathed its hôtel particulier, together with its furniture, object collections and artworks, to the town of Arbois in 1902. The museum preserves historic interiors and displays pastel portraits of Arbois residents painted by Louis Pasteur as a young man.
Winemaking at Château Pécauld
In the centre of Arbois, the Musée de la Vigne et du Vin du Jura occupies part of Château Pécauld. Outdoors, reconstructed grapevines illustrate the past and present work of Franche-Comté winegrowers, as well as the grape varieties grown in the region. The museum also presents different winemaking methods and the history and traditions of the winegrowing world. For Le Biou, Arbois winegrowers bring white and red grapes to the Maison Vercel on Saturday and make the Biou on Saturday afternoon.
Building history at Saint-Just and the Tour Gloriette
The Église Saint-Just brings together several layers of art history: its Romanesque nave dates from the 12th century, its Gothic vault from the 13th century, and a remarkable Madonna and Child from the 14th century. The Tour Gloriette stands at the southeast corner of Arbois’s fortifications, built in the second half of the 13th century. The tower was rebuilt after the flood of 1503. Its 1989 restoration was intended to accommodate temporary exhibitions; this does not mean that a current exhibition program is in place.
Vineyard views and the old town on foot
The Balade en Arbois is a wine walk to the Tour de Curon, also known as the Tour Canoz, offering panoramic views over Arbois and its vineyard. The old town offers a different perspective: the Cuisance winds between its lanes, which are best explored on foot. The two viewpoints are distinct: the walk offers panoramas over the town and vineyard, while exploring on foot follows the river as it winds between the old town’s lanes.
Discover more destinations: Morez, Blois-Sur-Seille, Cernon, Voiteur, Grange-De-Vaivre, Salins-Les-Bains, Offlanges, Écleux.
Back to the regional travel overview: Jura.
