In an world overflowing with social media noise, it’s difficult to find places in Paris that are genuinely not well-known, but that’s exactly what we try to do for you every month here on the blog! The rest is up to you – amaze your followers with gorgeous photos and films, or simply enjoy your visit, knowing you’re discovering a spot that many overlook.

Fortunately, there are still a lot of great, unknown places to explore close to our hotels 😜

The Val-de-Grâce church is such a place, paired with the intriguing Military Healthcare Service Museum, which in all fairness doesn’t immediately spark excitement, but the place is actually just so odd and grand (I mean, it’s housed in a former royal abbey dating from the 17th century), that it’s worth making a detour for.

Both these places are only open for a few hours, four days a week, and both made a big impression on us, for very different reasons…

Here’s a visit that will leave you with some striking photos – a very unusual museum and a magnificent church.

If the idea of a Military Healthcare Service Museum seems a little odd to you, you are not alone, but seeing how doctors and nurses have tended to soldiers over the decades, being forced to adapt to different, difficult and dangerous situations, makes one reflect on the ‘usefulness’ of war and the hundreds of thousands of victims over the centuries.

From a technical standpoint, the museum shows the evolution of healthcare in general, and while a lot of medical instruments are displayed, there are also a surprising number of large paintings, sculptures, a grand library, a photo exhibition (the museum has a collection of over 100,000 prints), all housed in a vast 17th century stone building, with a Versailles-style courtyard and cute fountain!

The charm of the former royal abbey and the quaintly old-fashioned presentation of the museum make the place a curiosity that’s well worth seeing, not to mention the stately architecture with a surprise at every turn.

The last room of the museum is long and high-ceilinged with a gorgeous wooden floor, statues and stained-glass windows which suggest (correctly) that the church is not far.

And when you do finally arrive in the church, which was finished in 1667, the wow effect is guaranteed. What an amazing place!

And there you have it! Two hidden gems in Paris that are just a stone’s throw from our hotels, perfect for snapping some amazing photos! Don’t let the museum’s name throw you off (there are some great things to see) or the slightly odd opening hours. You won’t regret your visit, especially with admission priced at just 5€ 🙂

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The Military Healthcare Service Museum and Val-de-Grâce church (here) are open for visits on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from midday – 6pm

Admission: 5€ / 2.50€

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