Maison du Saumon et de la Rivière: visit, booking (Brioude)

Our take

An aquarium devoted to the wild Allier salmon and the fish of its river, touch pool included. Educational without being boring, the children love it, the adults learn.

The editors · Teddy L.updated on 23 September 2026How we choose our places

Allow 45 min to 1 h 30 min
With children: yes
Partial wheelchair access

The wild Allier salmon aquarium, right in the centre of Brioude: nearly 800 fish and roughly an hour's visit.

The aquarium devoted to the Atlantic salmon and the fish of the Allier, right in the centre of Brioude, a town that built its reputation on salmon fishing. Across the tanks, nearly 800 fish of more than 35 species: trout, grayling, barbel, wels catfish and, of course, the salmon. The Allier salmon travels nearly 1,000 km from the ocean to spawn: it is the last wild strain in Western Europe able to spawn so far from the sea.

Also here: a lab where scales reveal the age of the fish, a touch pool and a museum on river boating and salmon fishing in the old days. Allow roughly an hour for the visit.

In 2026, admission costs €8 for adults and €5 for ages 3 to 12, and the aquarium is open from April to the end of the Toussaint school holidays (the autumn break): 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, 14:00 to 18:00 at weekends. It also opens on weekdays during the winter holidays (in 2026, from 10 February to 7 March), and welcomes groups all year round by booking.

Why we love it

The Atlantic salmon and the fish of the Allier, from the touch pool to the lab
Nearly 1,000 km of migration from the ocean
Nearly 800 fish, more than 35 species

Top tip

Combine it with the Saint-Julien Basilica (5 minutes on foot), the other sight you should not skip in Brioude. In the lab, take a good look at the scales on display: they reveal the age of the fish.

Before you go

Aquarium 95% accessible to people with reduced mobility. Free parking, animals on a lead accepted.
Open from April to the end of the Toussaint school holidays (the autumn break), and on weekdays during the winter holidays
Allow roughly an hour for the visit
Admission €8 adult, €5 for ages 3 to 12 (2026 prices)