Manufacture des Gobelins

Manufacture des Gobelins Review

Tapestries have been woven on this spot in southeastern Paris, on the banks of the long-covered Bièvre River, since 1662. The newly renovated Galerie des Gobelins stages exhibitions on two light-flooded floors of tapestries, furnishings, timepieces, and other treasures mostly drawn from the state collection. Guided visits to the Manufacture (in French only) allow a fascinating look at weavers—from students to accomplished veterans—at work making tapestries and rugs, which take years to create. Also on the site is a highly selective school that teaches weaving, and a workshop charged with repairing and restoring furnishings belonging to the French government, which are also stored here in a vast concrete warehouse.