Victor Hugo's literary home, a country house lost in the Bièvre valley (91)

Welcome to the Maison littéraire de Victor Hugo, inaugurated in 1991 and once the property of Bertin l'Aîné (1766-1841), a great friend of the French writer and poet! Named in honor of Victor Hugo, one of the illustrious guests who used to spend quality time at Château des Roches with his family, the residence was also home to other leading figures of the time, including Berlioz, Chateaubriand and Ingres...

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Set in the heart of a magnificent 11-hectare estate planted with trees, Château des Roches has the merit of having preserved its identity from its heyday, which you can feel as soon as you walk through the front door. It was here, in the luxurious Salon Rouge or the intimate Salon Bleu, that Victor Hugo composed some of his most famous writings, such as Notre Dame de Paris or some of his greatest collections of poems. Some of Hugo's writings and several of his original works are on display at the Maison.

After discovering the interior of the house, richly decorated from floor to ceiling, take time to stroll through the grounds, explore the walkways of the landscaped park, discover the tower overlooking the whole, walk around the lake... It's a real change of scenery! You can also spend the whole afternoon in the park, from opening to closing. The Maison Littéraire de Victor Hugo is open from March to November, Saturdays and Sundays only, from 2:30 to 6:30 pm. An on-site tea room, Les Feuillantines, offers hot drinks and other treats on its pretty terrace.

For those with a Navigo pass, the Maison is very well served (Bièvres or Vauboyen stations): for the more athletically inclined, it's just the thing, as the Maison is not far from the Véloscénie, the great bicycle path that links Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel. If you're pedaling from Paris to Versailles for a day, be sure to make a detour to this magnificent site!