Musée du cartonnage et de l'imprimerie, Technology museum in Valréas, France
The musée du cartonnage et de l'imprimerie is a technology museum in Valréas, in southern France, dedicated to the history of cardboard packaging and printing in the region. It displays old presses, typesetting tools, decorated boxes, and machines that trace the evolution of both trades from the 19th century onward.
Cardboard manufacturing and printing took root in Valréas in the mid-19th century, turning the town into one of the main production centers in France for these trades. The museum was founded in 1991 to preserve this heritage and received official recognition as a Musée de France in 2003.
Valréas built much of its identity around cardboard manufacturing, and the museum reflects this by showing how the trade shaped daily life in the town for generations. The decorated boxes on display were made for local merchants and craftspeople, giving the collection a very grounded, community feel.
The museum sits in the center of Valréas and is easy to reach on foot if you park in the town center, where spaces are available nearby. Opening hours are seasonal, so it is worth checking in advance, especially if you plan to visit outside the main spring and summer period.
Valréas is a commune that forms a geographical enclave, entirely surrounded by the Drôme department despite belonging to Vaucluse. This unusual administrative situation made the cardboard industry a particularly important economic anchor for a town that was cut off from its immediate surroundings.
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