Tourist route: Impressionist Itinerary - In the Footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh

Step 4: The Absinthe Museum

Housed in a typical village home, the Absinthe Museum immerses visitors in the world of Belle Époque cafés and cabarets. Period posters, objects, and images highlight the role of the "green fairy" in daily life, artistic creation, and the Impressionist imagination.

30-minute visit, €5 admission

Located in Auvers-sur-Oise, one of the cradles of Impressionism, the Absinthe Museum recreates the atmosphere of Belle Époque cafés, where people would gather to debate, create, and put the world to rights over a glass of the "green fairy." Posters, engravings, ritual preparation tools, and original artworks offer insight into the role of absinthe in the social and artistic life of the 19th century.

Banned in 1915, absinthe is brought back to life here from a historical and cultural perspective: the museum sheds light on the connections between this legendary spirit and the artists, writers, and painters—including several key Impressionist figures. Echoing Van Gogh’s final months in Auvers, the visit adds another piece to the puzzle of this region, shaped by painters, their models, and the places they lived.