Musée de Villèle Travel Guide: Top Sights in Réunion, Tours & Travel

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Musée de Villèle- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Historical & Cultural; Réunion; 8 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 2 hours

The Villèle Historical Museum, located in the heights of Saint-Paul on Réunion Island, offers a profound glimpse into the island's colonial past. Housed in the former residence of Mrs. Desbassayns, a notable landowner and slaveholder, the museum preserves a wide array of historical artifacts, including furniture and everyday objects from the era when the island was known as Bourbon. The expansive 10-hectare estate features several significant structures such as the Pointale Chapel, the former slave hospital, and the old kitchen. Established in 1976, the museum has since undergone extensive renovations to improve visitor experience and site preservation. Managed by the Department of La Réunion, the museum is an important cultural site that reflects the island's complex history and heritage.

Operators offering tours in Réunion

Happy Explore Safari *

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Maido

4.8

Aquarium

4.6

Bassin des Aigrettes

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4.8

Reviews of Villèle

Rony Tayoun

4
Reviewed: 2024-09-12

It was a very good experience to understand the history of the island. Take the guide otherwise useless. The guide explained the history of the island, the family that colonized the island, the suffering of the slaves. However in my opinion he focused a bit too much on the slavery/suffering instead of explaining a bit more about what industries existed ect...
Rony Tayoun

4
Reviewed: 2024-09-12

It was a very good experience to understand the history of the island. Take the guide otherwise useless. The guide explained the history of the island, the family that colonized the island, the suffering of the slaves. However in my opinion he focused a bit too much on the slavery/suffering instead of explaining a bit more about what industries existed ect...
Lucas Fuchs

2
Reviewed: 2023-12-26

Website and Google Maps aren't kept up to date — so you never know if the place is actually open. I know it's really worth seeing but I recommend calling beforehand to taking a longer trip to the museum.
Lucas Fuchs

2
Reviewed: 2023-12-26

Website and Google Maps aren't kept up to date — so you never know if the place is actually open. I know it's really worth seeing but I recommend calling beforehand to taking a longer trip to the museum.
Helene Payet

1
Reviewed: 2023-09-21

Could be an interesting museum to visit, but no wheelchair/pram access and stairs everywhere around the property/inside the property so impossible to visit with infants.
Helene Payet

1
Reviewed: 2023-09-21

Could be an interesting museum to visit, but no wheelchair/pram access and stairs everywhere around the property/inside the property so impossible to visit with infants.
Luca Di Leo

5
Reviewed: 2022-12-28

Spent a bit more than a couple of hours in this very interesting park and museum. I wanted to do something cultural as well during my stay here and this was definitely the right place to go to get to know better the history of the slavery at La Réunion. The guided tour is not available in English, but you will be provided with a descriptive pamphlet of the mansion. The panels outside are in English too.
Luca Di Leo

5
Reviewed: 2022-12-28

Spent a bit more than a couple of hours in this very interesting park and museum. I wanted to do something cultural as well during my stay here and this was definitely the right place to go to get to know better the history of the slavery at La Réunion. The guided tour is not available in English, but you will be provided with a descriptive pamphlet of the mansion. The panels outside are in English too.