Discover Pamplemousses

Pamplemousses brings together different stories at specific places: L’Aventure du Sucre puts sugar cane at the centre, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi dates back to 1735, and historic memorial sites draw attention to other chapters of the past. If you are looking for a holiday rental, these themes can help you decide whether a destination shaped by cultural history suits your travel interests.

Sugar cane history at L’Aventure du Sucre

L’Aventure du Sucre is an interactive museum in a former sugar cane factory. The exhibition explores the history of Mauritius and its close connection with sugar cane. Topics include the importance of sugar in the past and present, harvesting, sugar production and its various processing stages, as well as the global sugar trade. The story ranges from the practical process of producing sugar to its role in the broader history of Mauritius and the world.

The former factory building also connects the exhibition venue with its subject: its past use as a sugar cane factory and the exhibits about sugar production come together here. Visitors follow a signposted route through the exhibition rooms. Information panels, videos and pictures sit alongside interactive areas, bringing together different ways of presenting information, from explanatory texts and visual materials to interactive experiences.

L’Aventure du Sucre has also hosted temporary exhibitions, including examples of Mauritian photographic art as well as exhibitions about food and hunger. These topics broaden the focus beyond sugar cane and production. They reveal another side of the museum’s subject matter without losing sight of its connection to the history of Mauritius.

The church and historic memorial sites

The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Pamplemousses was built in 1735 in honour of François Mahé de Labourdonnais, Governor of Isle de France, and wealthy settlers of the time. The year of construction gives the church a clear historical date, while the dedication names both the governor and wealthy settlers. Unlike the museum, the focus here is on a specific building and the people in whose honour it was built.

An old cemetery lies near the church. Several graves there are classified as historic monuments, including the grave of Buonavita, Napoleon’s chaplain. The name and historical classification give the cemetery a specific connection to an individual; at the same time, the classification draws attention to several graves, not just one person’s story.

Bassin des Esclaves is a few metres from the SSR Botanical Garden and close to the rear of the Government Primary School. It is regarded as a remnant of the past; enslaved people were bathed there before being auctioned. This adds another historical focus to the museum’s content about production and trade: the history of enslaved people.

Cultural interests as a guide

Which topics should shape your trip? The museum focuses on sugar cane, Mauritian history and global trade; the church and cemetery point to a historic building and specific graves, while Bassin des Esclaves is associated with the history of enslavement. If you choose your holiday rental based on cultural interests, this contrast can help you decide whether Pamplemousses is the right destination for you.

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