"Napoleonic tourist spots in Paris" Topic

Guys,

Travelling to France in November, any recommendations aside from Les Invalids for Napoleonic places to visit in Paris, also going to Waterloo, Chartres and Bayeux?

I did look at a professional tour but none running in November that I could find in Paris.

cheers
Matt

Hi Matt,
These links might give you some ideas

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cheers
JJ

The cemetary in Paris is also worth a stop. Most of his marshals are buried there with huge ornate monuments

Indeed. You must visit Pere-Lachaise. Make sure you get a map first.

link

And of course Napoleon's Tomb and the Musee de Armee

link

Cheers,
John

If you have time and inclination, while not in Paris, this is well worth a visit:

link

emperi-museum.org

The Fortress of Vincennes, home of SHAT, the Army Archives and the Famous Home of Pierre Daumesnil…

Grim weather in November though. But you'll still find lots to do.

Emperi museum would be marvellous to visit…always wanted to…but see where it is. Not quite a day trip from Paris and the North. What about Malmaison, Fontainbleu, the various Imperial Palaces.

Waterloo. If only a day and you want to see Wellington's HQ, Le Caillou, the battlefield, some idea of Blucher's march and Plancenoit….seriously think of a professional guide, who will pick you up from your hotel even in Brussels. Second visit is different, just drift around at your leisure. Public transport is poor frankly between the sites of interest. A taxi return from Brussels costs little less than a guided day out! Braine L'Alleud is a long walk to the field and a slow train from Brussels……..

Hi Matt

If you go to Versailles mae sure to visit the hall where they have the collection of several famous paintings (floor to roof) depicting N and his soldiers. I saw it many years ago, it might be smart to check if the collection is still there though.

If time and the weather allows, you may make a 10 km hike around the Waterloo battlefield. I just did 8 days ago, and it gave a very good feel of the terrain. We started at the crossroads 200 m North of L H Sainte and followed the road East along the ridge where the allied centre-left was. Keep right at the monastery (Fichermont monastery erected after the battle, not to be confused with Fichermont hamlet). Ca 1500 m after your starting point the road will dip into a shallow valley along a covered road. At the T junction turn left and you will reach Papelotte on your left after further 200 m.
Just below Papelotte is a small x-roads. Take the paved, covered road up towards the South (Papelotte to your back). My guess is that some of the French units attacking Papelotte must have approached along this road. Be aware that the paved road turns into a dirt road so bring suitable shoes. Follow it past a small woods on your left (after 800 m). It turns towards South West and after 1500 m from Papelotte you have ascended to a ridge where you will have an excellent view of the position of the Grand Battery to your right (North) and also see why this position was chosen to bombard the Allied line 1000 m to the North. You are actually now on the ridge 200 m to the South of the Battery and between these low ridges the ammunition caissons as well as other units could be hidden.
Walk on 500 m towards the main road running between La Belle Alliance and La H Sainte. Just before you reach the main road you are at the spot of Napoleons Command post during the battle.
Cross the road and there is a walking lane/gravel road taking you along the French centre towards Hougomont. The lane actually cuts across the field where the massive French cavalry attacks went forward and up to a point 200 m West of the Butte du Lion. However, the crops were harvested when we walked there so we left the lane and walked across the field to Hougomont to save 1 km+ detour (we followed tractor tracks so as not to provoke the farmer). Thus we reached Hougomont at the Eastern side of the walled garden and walked along the outside of the wall and got a good impression why this would have been really difficult to scale or breach without scaling equipment or heavy arty support. It was great to see Hougomont from inside, with a good pamphlet/guide you got at the entrance. Last time I visited the chateau (1988) it was not open to the public. From H just follow the signs back to the memorial and your starting point (1,5 – 2 km from H).
We stopped several times during this walk and it took us approx 3,5 h including seeing Hougomont.

Have a nice journey :)

Trygve

I like the Army museum though disappointingly few exhibits of Napoleonic stuff. It's there and should be seen but I can't say it was packed with stuff I hadn't seen before.

My favorite museum ended up being the Carnavalet Museum, which is mostly a museum of Paris itself. It's chock-a-block full of fascinating things – some 100 rooms of this and that in a chronological jumble. Plenty of Revolution and martial things but by far the most interesting place in the whole city.

(I did not see the cemetery to see where marshals were buried.)

PM sent – hope to meet you!

The Musee national de la Marine (navy museum) is worth a visit. It is on the Trocadero near the Eiffel Tower (big tall thing). Also there used to be a nifty antique mall across Rue Rivoli from the Louvre, called Le Louvre des Antiquaires. It was one of those places you could go to buy a real cuirass or medieval furniture (presuming you know your subject well enough to tell the fakes from the real thing). Neat place to look around and they did have some Napoleonic and 19th century pieces. Not sure what it's like now.

There is a militaria store over by Montparnasse called Le Poilu. They use to have a great deal of WWI gear that was good quality. Nothing Napoleonic but certainly worth a look if you are into later histories.

Jim