Cité de la Céramique: Sèvres porcelain factory and national ceramics museum (92)

For an artistic getaway just outside Paris, head for Sèvres, where a unique museum invites you to explore the art of ceramics in all its forms, from antique pieces to the most refined porcelain.

Nestling on the banks of the Seine, just a few minutes from Paris, Sèvres - Manufacture et Musée nationaux brings together the Sèvres porcelain factory, which has been in operation since the 18th century , and the national ceramics museum, created in the following century in the Hauts-de-Seine department. In 2025, the Cité de la Céramique, along with the Mobilier national, became part of the new public establishment Manufactures nationales - Sèvres & Mobilier national.

In 1740, with the support of Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, the Manufacture de Vincennes was founded to compete with Chantilly and Meissen . In 1756, the factory was transferred to Sèvres, built between 1753 and 1756 by the architect Lindet, with a pediment bearing the clock of the former royal glassworks. Its mission is to produce ceramic objets d'art using artisanal techniques, whether re-editions of old models or contemporary creations.

Adjoining the factory is the Musée National de Céramique, one of the very first museums dedicated to the arts of fire. Created in 1824 by Alexandre Brongniart, the museum showcases the manufactory's creations, as well as ceramicsfrom all eras and all continents, in pottery, earthenware, stoneware and porcelain from Sèvres and elsewhere.

The museum brings together nearly 50,000 objects from all the world's civilizations, from ancient Greece to Chinese and Islamic porcelain, from Hispano-Moorish earthenware and American terracotta to stoneware and glass pieces by contemporary artists.

Each work of art tells thestory of the skills involved, from creation to firing to gilding. But the museum is not limited to its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions: it's also a place of learning and exchange, with themed guided tours and modeling workshops for all ages to learn about this craft.

The museum is open Monday to Sunday, except Tuesdays. Admission to the current exhibition and the entire collection costs 8 euros, and 6 euros for concessions. It is also possible to visit the showroomby appointment, to admire the Manufacture's one-off or limited edition creations. The museum is accessible by metro line 9 , Pont de Sèvres station, or by tramway T2, Musée de Sèvres stop.

Cité de la Céramique: Sèvres porcelain factory and national ceramics museum (92)

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