Clos Parchet Ecomuseum Farm

The ecomuseum farm of Clos Parchet in Samoëns is an old traditional farm. It displays a considerable collection of antique utensils. Above all, it illustrates daily life on the adrets of Samoëns.

Warm clothes. Booking at the Tourist Office. Closed during winter.

Born out of the desire to revive a traditional farmhouse dating from 1815, the Clos Parchet ecomuseum opened its doors in 1994. It welcomes the public during guided tours led by the Guides du Patrimoine Savoie Mont Blanc. Visiting the ecomuseum means discovering the history of a family from the upper Giffre valley through a genuine farm visit. It displays the entire collection of Pierre and Simone Déchavassine. Pierre Déchavassine is the founder of the ecomuseum and restorer of the buildings. Simone Déchavassine, a retired teacher, holds the diploma of Guide du Patrimoine des Pays de Savoie. She runs the museum's visits, educational and artistic activities. This farm is listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments. The building has been restored according to the old style and furnished in the 19th-century style. The main part evokes the life of that period. The pre-last century in the Haut-Giffre Valley is revealed through the kitchen (the cuzna), the main room (the pèle), the stables, the hay barn, and the outbuildings (bread oven, attic, and shed). An inventoried collection of more than 2000 utensils illustrates the work in the fields and the old trades. These are trades specific to the upper Giffre valley and more generally to Haute-Savoie: agro-pastoralism, traditional crops, wood, and stonework, etc. Testimony of the family's movement according to the altitude and the seasons, this stir farm is located at an altitude of 1000 m on the adrets (the southern slope) of Samoëns. Over time, it has changed from a temporary "mayeu" habitat to a permanent habitat. Finally abandoned, its pastureland environment must be preserved and enhanced. The visits end in the conviviality, so typical of Samoëns, around a tasting of regional products. Finally, there are special activities for school-age children. It is necessary to make an appointment to organize these visits.