Couze-et-Saint-Front

Some history first...

Take a stroll along the River Couze and discover former mills, racks for drying the sheets, brick chimneys… that conjure up the village's past industrial activity.

The semi-troglodytic dwellings, leaning against the cliffs, are also well worth a visit.

A papermaking village

In the 15th century, Gutenberg revolutionized the printing world with his movable-type invention. As it became much easier to print works, larger quantities of paper had to be produced.
And, it was here that the little village of Couze et Saint-Front played a key role ! 13 mills were built along the River Couze to produce rag paper.

Today, three mills carry on the paper tradition: the Larroque Mill (art paper), the Rouzique Mill (ecomuseum - visits - workshops) and the Barreaux Mill (industry-specific filter paper manufacture).

A heritage tour around the village

Take a step through the history of Couze and its river and discover the secrets of rag paper production by visiting its mills. Stroll through the old papermaking village which preserves the memory of six centuries of families of mill workers and master papermakers.
You can pick up a playbook for children of 7 and over from the Rouzique paper mill or from the Tourist Information Point in Lalinde.