Paris
Ile-de-France, France
Crammed with iconic buildings, world-class art and a culinary scene steeped in history, Paris is one of the world’s great capitals, overflowing with style, romance, and art de vivre.
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Museum of the Middle Ages
Credit: Christian Mueller / Shutterstock.com
Last updated: 28 May, 2023
There couldn’t be a more appropriate setting for Paris’ official museum of the Middle Ages than the Gothic townhouse – known as Hotel de Cluny. It was originally built by the Abbot of Cluny in 1330, and now stands as one of the oldest (former) private residences, and arguably the finest example of medieval civil architecture, in Paris.
Weapons, objets d’art, furnishings, stained-glass windows and manuscripts abound, but the star of the show is the celebrated late 15th-century La Dame a la Licorne (Lady and the Unicorn) tapestry cycle.
Interestingly, there are almost two museums here in one. The Hotel de Cluny is housed in the remains of a Roman thermal bathing complex. The baths, with 15m-high vaulted ceilings, have been restored and also now house the Pillar of the Nauti (Pillar of the Boatmen), the city’s oldest sculpture, dating back to 1349 AD.
Price from: £4
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Getting there & doing it
Take the metro to Cluny La Sorbonne, Saint-Michel or Odeon. There are car parks on the Rue de l’Ecole de Medecine, Rue Soufflot and Parc Saint-Michel (entrance on place Saint-Andre-des-Arts).
Before you go, download the free Cluny en poche (Cluny in your pocket) app for insights into medieval art and the Frigidarium (the cold room of the Gallo-Roman baths). Available in six languages.
When to do it
The museum is open all year-round, every day except Tuesdays. Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month, which attracts more visitors.
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