Ecomusée

Écomusée du Pays des Collines is an open-air heritage museum in Lahamaide, a village within the municipality of Ellezelles in Belgium's Hainaut province, in the hilly Pays des Collines region. The museum was founded in 1975 to preserve and present the rural traditions and crafts of this part of Wallonia. It is located at Plada 6 in La Hamaide.

What can visitors see at the museum?

The Écomusée is made up of several distinct themed spaces, each recreating a different slice of traditional village life. Visitors can step into the "Estaminet," a reconstructed local tavern where residents once gathered and drank regional beverages. A separate section, the "Appentis du Plada," is dedicated to woodworking crafts, while the "Forge" displays the tools and techniques of traditional blacksmithing. There is also a "Saboterie," a wooden-clog workshop showing how craftsmen once hand-carved the wooden shoes that were common footwear in the region.

The exhibits include a collection of everyday objects, farming tools, and machinery used on local farms during the first half of the 20th century. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions on specific aspects of rural life, along with testimonies from residents that help illustrate how daily life in the Pays des Collines changed over the decades.

Maison Louise and former crops

Right next to the main museum building stands the Maison Louise, a small house that has kept its 1950s farmhouse interior almost entirely intact. It is one of the most authentic corners of the site, giving visitors a direct sense of what everyday domestic life looked like for a farming family decades ago. Nearby are the remains of a former tobacco factory and a chicory drying kiln, both reminders of how important tobacco and chicory cultivation were to the local economy in the early 20th century.

Education and events

The Écomusée runs educational programs for organized groups covering topics such as milk production, wool processing, everyday life in the early 20th century, and traditional trades. It also offers themed birthday parties for children built around the museum's rural setting.

The biggest event on the museum's calendar is "Lahamaide aux Temps des Moissons," held on the first Sunday of August. On that day the site comes alive with a recreation of village life spanning the 16th to 20th centuries, featuring people in period costume performing fieldwork alongside craftsmen demonstrating old-fashioned trades.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the museum located? The Écomusée du Pays des Collines is located in Lahamaide (La Hamaide), at Plada 6, within the municipality of Ellezelles in Hainaut province.

When was the museum founded? It was established in 1975.

What is the main highlight beyond the permanent exhibits? The annual "Lahamaide aux Temps des Moissons" event, held on the first Sunday of August, which recreates traditional farm work and crafts.

Is the museum suitable for children? Yes, it offers educational programs for groups as well as themed birthday celebrations for children.