Maison de Balzac

A nice cozy museum in Paris, great to visit if you're nearby in the 16th arrondissement. There museum is an old house that contains some paintings and writings about with a beautiful garden with a café and an outdoor seating area with a beautiful view.

This is a free museum in Paris, YES free. Of course I was aware of who Balzac was but was keen to learn more. It was easy to find and you enter via a modern gift/book shop, from here there are either steps or a lift to the garden level where the original buildings are. There is also a lovely cafe at the garden level. The old building houses the museum, exhibits are mainly labelled in French although some have English explanations as well. On a sunny day the gardens are worth a visit in themselves .

As a great admirer of Balzac, I was really looking forward to visiting his house and discovering the famous coffee ritual that fueled his writing. The mythical “café de Balzac” intrigued me, and I was eager to try it at the coffee shop. Unfortunately, it was only available for purchase in the upper boutique and not for tasting on site, which was quite disappointing. It would have been wonderful to experience Balzac’s coffee in the very place where he lived and wrote. The visit itself remains fascinating, but I left with a sense of something missing.

Small house where Balzac has lived with artifacts that were used or created by him. The personnel help visitors and is very kind. Outside a beautiful garden and a cafeteria. Worth the visit.

I did not know about this until a friend told me. This is the former residence of French novelist Honoré de Balzac. It was in the outskirts of Paris at the time. It was the guest house of a larger estate. It contains a lot of artifacts, drawings, sculptures and writing related to Balzac. The cottage is small but worth visiting. The main attraction for me is the outdoor garden. A lot of flowers and plants and a lot of places just to sit and take in the quiet. A small cafe on site is very nice too. Definitely worth a visit.

Cute little museum and a beautiful garden with the view of Eiffel Tower, where you can relax in the sun and have a coffee!

We found this after seeing a post that it was a good place to see the Eiffel Tower. It is perfect to escape the crowds and enjoy history on author Balzac. The cafe and garden are small but lovely. We had a short coffee break and enjoyed the views. The museum of the house is free but exhibits are cost. It's definitely off the beaten path. It's delicious on all accounts. Stop at some of the nearby parks, too, if walking back.

It's a really interesting little house not far from the Eiffel tower. And if you're a Balzac fan you have to visit this place. By the way, the garden is awesome!