Saint-André-de-la-Marche can be explored through two distinct crafts: shoemaking and beekeeping. The Musée des Métiers de la Chaussure is housed in the former Ripoche shoe factory building on Rue Saint-Paul. At La Ruche de Mary, the Maison de l’Apiculteur offers a virtual, interactive introduction to beekeeping. The Étang de pêche adds a small pond in the centre of town. Together, a museum devoted to shoemaking, activities centred on bees and a landscaped green space offer different things to explore.

Shoemaking in a former factory building

Since 1995, the Musée des Métiers de la Chaussure has been housed in the former Ripoche factory building. Interactive displays explain the main stages of shoemaking and how the machines on display work. A film and a digital game add to the experience. Sam Bott, a mascot character, accompanies families from one station to the next and sets them a riddle to solve. The exhibits take visitors from the different stages of production to the technology behind the machines. Families can also enjoy a playful challenge; anyone particularly interested in the production process can connect the individual stages with how the machines work. The former factory building and the explanations of the manufacturing process each provide a distinct point of reference for shoemaking.

Beekeeping at La Ruche de Mary

Beekeeping features in several forms at La Ruche de Mary. Alongside the virtual, interactive introduction at the Maison de l’Apiculteur, a signposted educational trail about bees runs along the Moine. There is also the forest puzzle game “le Voyage de Mary l’Abeille,” which is part of La Ruche de Mary. The introduction, trail and puzzle game each have a different focus and offer different ways to explore the subject. La Ruche de Mary is located in Beau-Rivage in Saint-André-de-la-Marche, in a 17th-century watermill. Its historic setting therefore differs from the former shoe factory that houses the museum. If the architectural setting also matters when choosing a place to visit, these two sites offer distinct points of reference: the former factory and the watermill.

A landscaped green space in the town centre

The Étang de pêche de Saint-André is a small pond in the town centre, set within a landscaped green space. Unlike the two themed attractions, the focus here is not on introducing visitors to a craft, but on a green space in the heart of town. It complements the cultural themes with a more landscape-oriented facet of the town.

Weighing up three different focuses

The options can be easily distinguished according to your interests: the shoe museum covers the stages of production and the machines, and includes a family riddle; at La Ruche de Mary, the focus is on beekeeping, the educational trail and the forest puzzle game. The pond offers a different experience from these two educational attractions. You can decide whether, during your stay, you are more interested in shoemaking, bees or the landscaped green space. These themes give Saint-André-de-la-Marche its own distinctive character, without needing to be combined into a set itinerary.

Discover more destinations: La Séguinière, Genneteil, Brissarthe, Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Angrie, Saint-Clément-des-Levées, Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, Loiré

For the wider travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.