Visit your favorite French writers houses

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Updated on 29/04/2025

The garden of the Maison de Balzac — Crédit photo : Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris

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Do you love classical literature or are you simply looking for an unusual stroll? To keep up with the times, take a stroll near writers' houses nestled in and around Paris.

Honoré de Balzac

Once shunned, then finally lauded for La Comédie humaine and its realistic criticism of his times, the famous 19th century novelist lived in Paris' 16th arrondissement. His home, now transformed into a museum, remains open to the public.

47, rue Raynouard (16th district)

Balzac, Daumier and Parisians

Maison de Balzac musée et bibliothèque - 47, rue Raynouard, Paris 16e

Du mercredi 22 novembre 2023 au dimanche 31 mars 2024

Victor Hugo

How can we pass by little Cosette or recite childhood verses without mentioning his name? The author of Les Misérables and Les Contemplations drew inspiration from the Place des Vosges, where he lived. Though his body now rests in the Panthéon, you can still explore his mind by stepping into Victor Hugo's house.

6, place des Vosges (4th)

Georges Hugo, the art of being a grandson exhibition

Maison de Victor Hugo - 6 place des Vosges, Paris 4e

Du vendredi 10 novembre 2023 au dimanche 10 mars 2024

George Sand

Her works such as Indiana and Histoire de ma vie illustrate her fight for the status of women in the 19th century. Although her many pied-à-terre in Paris (5th, 6th and 9th arrondissements) are no longer open to the public, the house of painter Ary Scheffer, which she frequented, is now the Musée de la Vie Romantique.
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16, rue Chaptal (9th)

Musée de la vie romantique — Museum of Romantic Life

Credit Pierre Antoine

Jacques Prévert

He may well be the only person not to share the title of writer, but his talent for playing with words is just as well known. Renowned for his poems such as Les Feuilles mortes - covered by Yves Montand - and Le Cancre, he made his home a stone's throw from the Moulin-Rouge, as the next-door neighbor of a certain Boris Vian. You can visit his apartment on request.

6 bis, cité Véron (18th arrondissement)

Alphonse Daudet

A little farther from the capital than his predecessors, the author of Lettres de mon moulin, which includes La Chèvre de monsieur Seguin, left a legacy in a residence in the Essonne region that now hosts artistic projects. Visitors are welcome upon reservation.

33, rue Alphonse-Daudet (91210 Draveil)

Maison d'Alphonse Daudet — Alphonse Daudet's house

Credit Maison Alphonse Daudet

Chateaubriand

Tucked away in the heart of the Vallée-aux-Loups, the writer's estate reminds us that you don't have to go far from Paris for a change of scenery. With works such as Atala and Les Martyrs, the precursor of Romanticism had found his little corner of paradise in Châtenay-Malabry. His residence now hosts exhibitions for the public.

87, rue de Chateaubriand (92290 Châtenay-Malabry)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Although he fled the capital at an early age, Jean-Jacques Rousseau kept a home in the greater Paris area, in Montmorency. In memory of the author of Julie ou la Nouvelle Héloïse and Du contrat social, you can have fun discovering the major figure of the Enlightenment's living quarters, which are now a museum.

5, rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau (95160 Montmorency)

Alexandre Dumas

In search of calm and serenity, the creator of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo had a château built in the same name as his novel. Now a tourist attraction, the château retains the soul of Alexandre Dumas, whose works continue to inspire generations.

Chemin du Haut des Ormes (78560 Le Port-Marly)