National History Museum

The colonial mansion housing the National History Museum, just south of the Mahébourg centre, used to belong to the Robillard family and played an important part in the island's history. It was here in 1810 that the injured commanders of the French and English fleets were taken for treatment after the Battle of Vieux Grand Port, the only naval battle in which the French got the upper hand over their British foes.

The story of the victory is retold in the museum, along with salvaged items - cannons, grapeshot and the all-important wine bottles - from the British frigate Magicienne, which sank in the battle.

The museum contains some fascinating artefacts, including early maps of the island and renderings of some of the early fauna of Mauritius that was quickly destroyed by the Dutch - including, of course, the ubiquitous dodo. One real curio is a picture of Dutch gentlemen riding in pairs on the back of a giant tortoise, the local variety of which quickly went the way of the dodo.

Also on display are the bell and part of the cargo of Spanish coins from the wreck of the St Géran. The sinking of the ship in 1744, off the northeast coast of Mauritius, inspired the famous love story Paul et Virginie by Bernardin de St-Pierre.

Other exhibits include early Dutch and Portuguese maps of Mauritius; china and beautiful seafaring instruments from assorted wrecks; a pistol supposedly belonging to the legendary corsair Robert Surcouf; the furniture of Mahé de Labourdonnais; and portraits of these and other figures pivotal in the history of Mauritius. Don't miss the Mauritian train carriage in the back yard either.