This week on the podcast I shared how I got into my favourite hotel particulier (or aristocratic mansion) – the Hotel de Beauvais. It was open to the public for the annual Heritage Days.
What luck! I’d been wanting to see in here for about 8 years, but given it’s a court of law, the general public isn’t allowed in.
I think the friendly security guards took pity on us, as we had two small children in tow (our own!) and we were granted access without a guide. We were rushing about, taking it all in, and here are some of our pictures.
I told the whole story in this week’s podcast episode, which you can listen to below (or anywhere you get podcasts). You can also watch it on YouTube (below) with some more clips I took from inside.
Meanwhile, the building itself is incredible. In short, it was built in the 1600s for Catherine de Beauvais, first lady of Anne of Austria. Downstairs are vaulted cellars from when it was a monastery in the 13th century. Mozart once stayed there, it was a long-time maternity ward, and it used to be a royal stop-off along the eastern entry to Paris.
And the front door is enough to stop anyone in their tracks.
As for you, you can also visit it during the Heritage Days each year. Or, as I explained in the episode, you can get into the first chamber of the courtyard using the daring “sneak-in-behind-a-lawyer” technique, which is totally worth a try. Or you can ask the security guards, they’re often pretty friendly. But of course, you will only get to that first chamber of the courtyard, not into all the best bits.
Anyhow, I took loads more pics and videos, and I’ll be sharing them throughout the week on all my various social media channels. Come and say hello on Instagram, Facebook, and especially YouTube. If we get to 15,000 subscribers on YouTube I will do a special 1.5 hour bonanza live video.
Lastly, this spectacular building – the Hotel de Beauvais – is one of the main stops on my Monday morning Marais walk. You can book a spot here. If you want to find it yourself, it’s at 68, rue François Miron in the 4th arrondissement.
Once again, here’s this week’s podcast episode.
Happy hunting!
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A very beautiful space, indeed. How lucky you and your family were allowed in to explore.