Exhibitions

A Bottle at Sea

Exhibition around the odyssey of a cargo of absinthe that left Couvet and Pontarlier in 1871 aboard the three-masted vessel Marie-Thérèse, whose bottles were recovered from the seabed in 1991. One surviving bottle is displayed as the centrepiece.

When
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Where
Maison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers, Val-de-Travers
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Poster for the exhibition Une bouteille a la mer, showing a sailing ship beside a giant absinthe bottle in the sea

Dive into an extraordinary adventure across time and the oceans!

The Maison de l’Absinthe invites you to discover the incredible odyssey of a cargo of absinthe that left the legendary lands of Couvet and Pontarlier in 1871. Come aboard the majestic three-master Marie-Thérèse and follow the journey of those precious bottles, silent witnesses to a vanished age.

Relive the elation of the treasure hunters who, in 1991, wrested these relics from their watery tomb. Admire the survivor — the bottle of absinthe that crossed the ages to deliver up its secrets, proudly displayed at the heart of our exhibition.

This singular exhibition will carry you into the turmoil of the nineteenth century, and make you live the dread of the shipwreck and the euphoria of the discovery. It is a true immersion in history, where every bottle tells a fascinating epic.

Do not miss this unique chance to travel through time and taste the very essence of adventure. Come and see the exhibition that brings the myth of absinthe back to life and celebrates its incredible voyage across the centuries!

Events & exhibitions

The complete programme

All the dates — exhibitions, tastings, workshops and experiences. Browse what is on and book when you are ready.

View the programme 

The other temporary exhibitions

  • Exhibitions

    Henry-Louis Pernod, a visionary

    Thirteen bilingual panels, original objects, a portrait film and an animated map retrace the birth of Pernod Fils at Pontarlier in 1805 and the rise of a distillery that shaped the history of the aperitif.

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  • ExhibitionsMaison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers, Val-de-Travers

    In Troubled Waters

    Immersive exhibition featuring more than twenty audiovisual testimonies from a valley long lived in clandestinity — historians, artists, distillers and residents tell the story of absinthe. The aim: to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of this regional spirit.

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  • ExhibitionsMaison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers, Val-de-Travers

    Delirium!

    Collaborative exhibition with Visarte Neuchâtel presenting nineteen works by visual artists who take absinthe as their source of inspiration — paintings, three-dimensional works, engravings. A nod to the deliria of the collective imagination fed by the green fairy.

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  • ExhibitionsMaison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers, Val-de-Travers

    In All the Senses

    Interactive sensory exhibition inviting visitors to explore absinthe through sight, smell and taste, through workshops and scientific analysis modules. Developed in collaboration with specialists, it offers recognition games and an educational approach to the composition of absinthe.

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  • ExhibitionsMaison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers, Val-de-Travers

    Absinthe on Canvas

    Temporary exhibition bringing together around thirty works by artists from Franche-Comté, primarily paintings by students from the Xavier Marmier secondary school in Pontarlier. The centrepiece: an 8-metre canvas hung in the museum's central light well.

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