In 2021, Paris got one more tourist attraction. On the Place de la Concorde, the Hôtel de la Marine was opened to the public. So what kind of palace is it and why have we not heard about it before? How to get inside and what to see there? You can read about it in our article.
Tips
Address
2 Pl. de la Concorde, Paris
Official website: hotel-de-la-marine.paris
Opening hours
- Daily from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (the box office closes at 6:15 p.m.)
- The courtyard is open from 9 a.m. to midnight.
- On Fridays, the museum is open until 10:00 p.m. (the box office closes at 9:15 p.m.).
- Day off: January 1, May 1, December 25
Tickets
The hotel offers two itineraries with an audio guide for viewing:
The short route includes state rooms and a balcony overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Its duration is 45 minutes. The cost is €13. Book here
The long route invites you to fully explore the monument. Its duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. The cost is €17. Book here
There are bonus offers for groups, disabled people, students under 25 and children under 18 years old, for them it’s free of charge.
Since the hotel is a national treasure, visiting it will most likely be added to tourist discount cards soon.
Make sure to book your ticket in advance for the desired date and time.
Hôtel de la Marine is located in the very center of Paris, on the Place de la Concorde, and its novelty hightnes public attention. Only getting a ticket online can guarantee that you get to the hotel and not become a victim of a huge stream of tourists. You can do it right here, just choose a date in a calendar:
The origin of the hotel
Well it’s definitely not new at all. Hôtel de la Marine was built in the 18th century in the age of Louis XV (not the «sun», but also a king). Looking at the majestic building, it is hard to believe that in those years the Garde Meuble de la Couronne, the department for royal furnishings, was located inside. In a word they kept in a hotel all the unused movable property of the king from cufflinks, hairpins and caskets to furniture and bed linen.
Even a warehouse of a real king should be beautiful. And you can always stay there for a couple of days.
» READ MORE – Versailles: tickets, guide, and history of the palace
During the French Revolution, the palace was looted several times. A lot was spent for the needs of the revolution, in particular, the royal collection of weapons served in the storming of the Bastille. For the next 200+ years, the building was occupied by the Hôtel de la Marine.
In 2015, the ministry moved to a new location, and a huge restoration began in the palace. The Ministry of Culture has decided to open this hidden gem to the public. And now, welcome to the palace of the Hôtel de la Marine!
» READ MORE – 10 best palaces and castles in Paris and its suburbs
What can you see in the Hotel de la Marine?
Before the restoration, the hotel could only be visited on European Heritage Days. But since the ministry continued its work, the redevelopment and interiors made in the 19th and 20th centuries were preserved. During the last reconstruction, the restorers removed all later layers and returned the palace halls to their original appearance.
There was an old-fashioned parquet found under the aged floor as well as damask wallpaper, frescoes and gilded stucco behind the wall facing. These discoveries prompted the restorers to decorate the halls of the palace in the 18th century style, but as if it was a residential building, not a museum. To decorate the rooms, original items of that time were gathered from the collections of the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Sevres Manufactory and others. Many things needed the same thorough restoration as the palace itself.
» READ MORE – Paris museums you have to see
All exhibits are arranged as if a noble owner lives in the house. The chair is moved away from the table, the dishes seem used, the book is open in the middle. This is the exhibition designers’ idea. From the audio guide, you will hear the story of the owner of the castle in the first person.
You should definitely visit the new Parisian museum, only few people have seen these treasures before.
Enjoy a trip to the past!
Rory Hennessey / unsplash.com 
Eugene Tassart / Voyage10.com 
Charlotte Marillet / flickr.com / CC BY-SA 2.0
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