Maison de Victor Hugo: 6 Place des Vosges

From 1832, the French novelist and politician Victor Hugo lived for 16 years in a third-floor apartment at 6 Place des Vosges. The apartment where he lived with his family has been preserved and reborn as a museum, the Maison de Victor Hugo. His best-known works are The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, and he is said to have written most of Les Misérables in this apartment. It's rather ironic that a book whose title means "The Wretched" was written in what was then the wealthiest neighborhood in Paris.

The museum displays Hugo's manuscripts, scraps of letters, and furniture he reportedly made himself, among other belongings. Photography is allowed and you can see the items up close, so it's a relaxed setting in which to look into Hugo's life. When the audio guide was recorded, the house was closed for renovation; it reopened in 2021.

That wraps up our visit to Place des Vosges. Why not stroll elegantly along the arcades, or take a rest on a bench or under the trees? When you've had your fill of Place des Vosges, head to Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, the main street of Le Marais.