Festival du Lin de Routot

Flax, a treasure of Norman heritage

The Festival du Lin de Routot is a unique event in France that celebrates flax, the oldest textile fiber in the world and the pride of Norman heritage. Normandy, and particularly Roumois and Pays de Caux, form the heart of global flax production: France is the world's leading producer of textile flax, and 80% of French production is concentrated between the Eure and Seine-Maritime departments.

The Maison du Lin, the festival's showcase

The festival revolves around the Maison du Lin (Flax House), an open-air museum in Routot that traces the history and uses of flax through the centuries. Its exhibition rooms showcase the tools and machines used for harvesting and processing flax: retting machines, crushers, spinning wheels, and looms. The Maison du Lin hosts visits and workshops year-round, but it's during the festival that the activity reaches its peak.

The Art Métisse Fashion Show

The highlight of the Festival du Lin is the "Art Métisse" fashion show, a creative and colorful spectacle featuring original textile creations made from flax and natural fibers. Stylists, couturiers, and textile designers present their collections during this show, which blends tradition and modernity, craftsmanship and innovation, heritage and contemporary creation.

A Market of Creators and Artisans

The creators' market brings together exhibitors offering a wide range of products related to flax and natural fibers: home linen, decoration, jewelry, cosmetics, composite materials, and food products made from flax seeds. Artisans of the past and present mingle with local producers, creating a space for discovery and exchange around this excellent sector.

Visits and Demonstrations

The festival offers guided tours of the Maison du Lin and the Terre de Lin scutching factory, allowing visitors to follow the transformation of flax from plant to fiber. Scutching demonstrations (the process of separating the fiber from the woody part of the stem) are performed live, offering a fascinating spectacle of this ancestral know-how. Embroidery and photography contests complete the program.

A Region Shaped by Flax

Routot, in the heart of Roumois, is historically linked to the cultivation and processing of flax. The festival is part of an initiative to promote textile heritage and this future-oriented sector, as flax is a natural, ecological, and local fiber with multiple uses: textiles, insulation, composite materials, food, and cosmetics. The Festival du Lin helps to raise awareness of this living heritage and the importance of this crop for the Norman region.