You’ve heard of the Louvre and its 10 million visitors per year, the Orsay Museum and its Impressionists and the Pompidou Centre with its contemporary artists. But Paris has even more to offer than museums dedicated to the great masters. The city is also home to plenty of lesser-known and somewhat unusual museums that will entertain and fascinate you. Here are our recommendations...
Unusual museums off the beaten track
Why not start with the Catacombs of Paris? Descend into the bowels of the city to explore the former quarry tunnel network that became the largest ossuary in the world and learn its fascinating and grisly history. If, after that, you want to spend a little more time underground, check out the Musée des Egouts (Sewer Museum). For more pleasant aromas, go to the Fragonard Perfume Museum, where you can immerse yourself in the history of fragrances and discover the secrets of their manufacture. Or be enchanted by the Museum of Magic and its amazing collection of stage magic artefacts.
Museums for all tastes
Chocoholics shouldn’t miss Choco Story, the museum dedicated to chocolate. Continue your indulgence at the Musée du Vin (Wine Museum). A huge collection of medical instruments feature at the Museum of the History of Medicine. Finally, you can enter the private worlds of famous people at the Édith Piaf Museum, the Maison de Balzac, the Pasteur Museum or the Clemenceau Museum. Paris has something for all interests and tastes!
The Roch Hotel & Spa in the heart of Paris is the ideal starting point for your visits and tours. If you want to get off the beaten track and discover unexpected, original and offbeat places, ask us. We love to recommend our favourite unusual museums!
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Crédit photo : FRAGONARD PARFUMEUR
Le Roch Hotel & Spa, a 5-star hotel in the heart of the luxury district of Paris