LA FECULERIE MOULIN GENTREY

Learn more about the amazing history of this former starch factory from the 19th century, a survivor of the Vosges heritage. Our association of enthusiasts will take you on a journey along the "Potato to Starch Trail", to discover a forgotten activity which was yet practised in more than 300 starch factories in the Vosges!

For ten years now, the volunteers of the association "Les Kémottes" have been working to restore the potato processing process and to revive the history of the workers. This initiative was made possible thanks to the memories and funny anecdotes passed on by the "old-timers" of the starch factory.

The visit begins along the canal that guided the water from the Vôge to the large mill wheel. This wheel produced the energy needed to operate the various machines in the starch factory. We then follow the path of the potato, from the cellar where it was stored, to the sacking of the starch obtained after the extraction process.
Immerse yourself in the daily life of the workers: sorting, washing, grating, filtering, decanting, drying... until a fine, white, silky powder was obtained and sent to textile factories, paper mills, glucose factories... walk among the clever installations, from the production workshop to the floor where the starch was dried and sieved. A journey through time that will tell you a lot about the working conditions, the tools and the tasks of the workers in the starch factory.

GUIDED TOUR: - Every Friday from June to the end of September at 2.30 pm, simple tour
- Every Sunday from June to the end of September at 3pm, simple tour
Other dates on reservation for groups: possibility of meal or snack
Room hire, events, conferences, exhibitions...

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