More literary places in Paris

So I already told you about some bookstores and libraries in Paris, and in this post I want to tell you all about some other places you might like as a bibliophile. France really values their writers, which means there are quite some places where they are being honoured.

Maison de Victor Hugo – 6 Place des Vosges
I visited this museum a few years ago and it’s a great place for fans of Victor Hugo, the writer of Les Misérables. It’s Hugo’s old house, and you can visit some rooms as they once were, but a lot of rooms have also been changed to feature expositions on his life and works. The most interesting thing to me was how Hugo’s work was put into the political context of that time, for example by a collection of political cartoons.

The amazing Panthéon

Panthéon – Place du Panthéon
The panthéon was once build as a church but is now a monument for some people France wants to honor. You can find the graves of some writers here, like Émile Zola, Victor Hugo and Voltaire, but also of scientists like Pierre and Marie Curie. This is a pretty impressive place to visit whether you like writers or not, so it’s a great place to show to your non-literary friends.

Maison de Balzac – 47 Rue Raynouard
If you have a choice, visit this museum in the summer or any time with great weather. It has a lovely garden which really gives the house something extra. The museum itself it small but nice: it focuses on the themes Honoré de Balzac wrote about and especially on how detailed the worlds he created were. Next to this permanent collection there’s also room for a temporary one. When I visited it was a collaboration with a modern artist who interpreted one of Balzac’s stories through several paintings. I liked it, because it really made you take the time to focus on this one story.

Cimétière Père-Lachaise – 16 Rue du Repos
If you’re going on a literary trip to Paris, you can’t really skip Père-Lachaise. There are so many great artists buried on this cemetery. To name just a few big names: Honoré de Balzac, Molière, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein and Oscar Wilde all have their graves here. Especially the grave of Oscar Wilde is very popular.

Some of the literary props you can find at the Musée de la vie Romantique

Musée de la vie de la Romantique – 16 Rue Chaptal
This museum was recommended to me by a fellow blogger, and I’m so happy she did! According to the website, the museum is about a romantic painter, so I didn’t think it had much to do with literature, but the permanent exhibition also included information about writers from that period. Plus, there was a huge temporary exhibition on Baudelaire, the poet! So if you’re in doubt about visiting this museum, please check out which temporary exhibition they might have at the moment because it might really be worth your while.

Cimétière de Montmartre – 20 Avenue Rachel
Just like at Père Lachaise, a lot of famous writers are buried here. At this cemetery you can find the graves of people like Alexandre Dumas, Henri Murger and Stendhal.