If you are fascinated by the literary side of Paris, the Left Bank neighbourhoods near our hotels are a good place to start – over the centuries, Saint-Germain-des-Prés has been a meeting place for people as diverse as Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, James Joyce, Brecht, the Marquis de Sade, Victor Hugo and more.

However, for culture and history fans, exploring further afield across town can also have its benefits, as not all of these luminaires lived nearby, and if you enjoyed seeing August Comte’s apartment on the left bank, you are going to adore the only remaining preserved home of Honoré de Balzac on the right bank.

We jumped on the metro and alighted in the chic neighbourhood of Passy to visit la Maison de Balzac – Balzac’s house, restored in 2019 and one of the museums belonging to the Paris city council (meaning that it’s free to enter whenever there’s no temporary exhibition on).

This sweet little place with a hidden garden and view of the Eiffel Tower was a very nice surprise…

The Maison de Balzac is at a lower level than the street, and the only structure tyou can see when arriving is the new ticket office and bookshop. There are stairs down (and a lift) that lead to the garden, house and Rose Bakery tea room that has the same opening hours as the museum (every day except Mondays from 10am-6pm).

Once you arrive at the lower level, the full expanse of the garden reveals itself. It’s a very calm space with a good view of the Eiffel Tower, and entrance is entirely free – you can enjoy the sun here, and perhaps have a coffee. We’re guessing that it’s particularly popular in the summer.

The house itself looks fairly small and is spread over one level (apart from a basement level used for the temporary exhibitions), with the original floors preserved and Balzac’s office recreated.

The day of our visit, unluckily there were two guided visits being conducted at the same time, making moving from room to room rather complicated, but this is a rare occurence, and with a little patience you most likely won’t encounter any problem.

Also, we have to praise the museum staff – they were so kind and helpful, which is not always the case in Paris!

As you move through the museum’s five rooms, you’ll learn that Balzac lived there near the end of his life, between 1840 and 1847 (when Passy was still a village outside of Paris!), with explanations about his life, his beginnings – a novel written at the age of 22 under the name of Lord R’Hoone – and his most famous works (such as la Comédie humaine which has its own room, featuring the woodblocks used to print the images).

We learnt that Balzac was not only a writer, but also a terrible businessman. He owned a bookstore and became a publisher in 1825 before investing in a printing works the following year and going backrupt not long after.

And in March 1850 he married the Countess Hańska after courting her for 17 years (almost certainly for her money, as by this point he was ruined and in very bad health).

Five months later, he was dead. If you want to visit his tomb, it is in the Père-Lachaise cemetery.

The rooms are painted in fairly modern tones, as during ‘restoration’ in the very early 20th century the original wallpaper was destroyed, but Balzac’s office is presented as it may have been back then, with his work table, bookcase and a very flamboyant fireplace mantle in sculpted wood.

Balzac was convinced that this was a masterpiece worth a lot more than he had paid for it, but unfortunately this is not the case – it’s actually made up of several wooden parts from the 17th and 18th centuries that were then assembled in the early 19th century.

Despite being a ‘fake’, it’s an impressive piece and the only known example of its kind.

If this room feels small to you, just wait until you see the kitchen, the last room to visit before leaving! It seems unlikely that Balzac ever cooked up a storm here, but it’s surprising basic nonetheless.

We really loved our visit to the Maison de Balzac, and it’s not something that only literary enthusiasts will enjoy.

Before or after, feel free to explore the area around the museum too – there are very authentic Parisian streets and some unusual views of the Eiffel Tower that will delight your Instagram followers!

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The Maison de Balzac (here) is open every day except Mondays from 10am-6pm

Closed 1st May, 25th December and 1st January

Admission: 9€ / 7€ / free for under-18s (and others). Entrance free between temporary exhibitions. Garden free for everyone

Online tickets here

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