Victor Hugo's Paris itinerary (following his life and great books)

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was much more than a writer. He was one of the pioneers of the Romantic style, a poet, a social activist, a philanthropist, a politician and, of course, a passionate lover, whose fifty-year love story with Juliette Drouet is given Read here.

Victor Hugo was born in the city of Besançon in 1802 and achieved fame at the age of 20, when his first poems earned him a salary from King Louis XVIII himself. Before he was 18, he had already become one of the most famous people in France thanks to the play “Hernani” (30), which became a kind of manifesto of the Romantic movement, and thanks to the novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1830).  Victor Hugo He managed to influence not only the lives of millions of his readers but also the face of Paris itself, where he lived, when thanks to the novel he managed to save Notre Dame from destruction. Following The Saving of Notre Dame There was a renewed interest in Gothic architecture in France, which helped preserve Other churches, some of whom we will meet during the tour.

Despite his success, he did not rest on his laurels and continued to write and at the same time engage in politics. Hugo began his career as a royalist, but over the years he became a passionate republican who supported human rights and improving the situation of the poor. His involvement in politics made him an enemy of Napoleon III, who seized power in France by force in late 1851, and he was forced to flee France to Belgium and from there to the Channel Islands of Jersey (1852-1855) and later Guernsey (1855-1870). In 1862, Victor Hugo published his most famous novel, Les Misérables. Ostensibly, the main character of the novel is Jean Valjean, who is haunted by his past. However, in my opinion, the real main character of this novel is Paris, about the many monuments, alleys and people (mostly miserable) who inhabit it while simply trying to survive. The day the book came out, it was snatched up by readers, who raided all the bookstores in Paris (luckily there was no book law then) and within a day all the copies were gone and a new edition had to be printed.

Victor Hugo returned to Paris in 1870 following the fall of Napoleon III. He was elected to the Senate and continued to be a champion of the poor for the rest of his life, both through politics and writing. When he died in 1885, his funeral became the largest public event in Paris, with nearly two million people following him from the Arc de Triomphe to the Panthéon, where he was buried.

So whether you are in the process Organized trip to Paris Or traveling alone, I really hope you enjoy this route.

Victor Hugo's Trip to Paris – Route Map

Bastille Square

We will start the tour withBastille Square. There lived Gabrush from “Les Misérables” inside…an elephant. It turns out that Victor Hugo did not invent anything. Indeed, there stood a hollow elephant made of plaster, which was built in 1813. The one who ordered its construction was Napoleon (elephants were a very fashionable animal in the 19th century) and it was originally supposed to be made of bronze. Over the years, the elephant rotted until it was finally destroyed in 1846 and in its place was erected the famous July Column, which is in the square to this day.

Victor Hugo's first lover

From the Place de la Bastille, walk along Rue Saint Antoine and turn left onto Rue Petit Musc. If you continue along the street to the corner of Rue Cerisaie, you will come to the boulangerie where one of Victor Hugo's first lovers worked nearly 180 years ago. Retrace your steps to Rue Saint Antoine, cross the road and enter Impasse Guéménée, through which Victor Hugo would sneak out of his house inOn the Place de la Voise To the bakery where his lover worked.

Victor Hugo's house

Enter Place de Vosges and go to number 6, the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée. Victor Hugo lived on the third floor of this building from 1832 to 1848 with his wife and four children. Here he wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and also began writing “Les Miserables,” which would later be published during his exile on the island of Guernsey in 1862. The museum, which is free to enter, contains quite a few interesting items from the writer, including a reconstruction of his bedroom and the bed in which he died (of course, he did not die here but elsewhere in Paris).

Notre Dame Church

From Vosges Square, a slightly long but charming walk awaits us. Exit the square through Hotel de Soleil (Not because it is related to Victor Hugo but because it is simply beautiful) From there, go out onto Saint-Antoine Street, cross the road and turn right until you reach the street Francois Miron. Continue on this street until you reach Pont Louis Philipe. From there, continue until you reach Ile Saint-Louis. Cross the island until you reach Ile de la Cité and turn right on Cloître-Notre-Dame. Right next to the bridge is the Café Esmeralda, named after the lover of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. If you are tired of walking, this is a good opportunity to sit and look at the Pont Saint-Louis and if you are lucky, there may also be musicians there to add to the atmosphere.

Are you done resting and drinking coffee? It’s time to go to Notre Dame Cathedral and if you have time to stand in line and enough energy, I highly recommend climbing and reaching almost the top of the church. You may feel like Quasimodo from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” but what a view you will see…

updating: In March 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire. As a result, there is currently no option to visit the church. Therefore, I would recommend skipping this part of the route and moving on to the next part.

Laperouse, Victor Hugo's favorite restaurant

After you've finished climbing the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral, cross the bridge towards theLatin Quarter And walk right along the Seine. When you reach quai des Grandes Augustines number 51 you will see the restaurant La PerouseThe restaurant is named after Count de Lapérouse (Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse), one of Louis XVI's famous sailors, whose inhibitions disappeared in 16. Victor Hugo used to dine here, and if you have a penny in your pocket, we recommend that you indulge yourself and have dinner here (if you don't want to eat, you are welcome to sit in the bar downstairs).

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church and the end of the trip

After you have finished eating and drinking, you are welcome to walk along Dauphin Street and then turn onto Buci Street and then right again onto Boulevard Saint-Germain. There you can enjoy the beauty of The church, which was also saved from destruction as a result of the lobbying of Victor Hugo.

Continue on Boulevard Saint-Germain until you reach the Museum of Letters and Manuscripts (Lettres et Manuscrits) located at number 222. There you will find Letters that Victor Hugo wrote to his mistress And also to other writers such as George Sand. You will also find some of his poems written in his handwriting there, and there is no better way to end your trip in the footsteps of Victor Hugo.

Wait, do you still have some strength left in your legs?

If so, you deserve a bonus. Go back down Boulevard Saint-Germain until you reach the intersection where the boulevard meets Boulevard Saint-Michel. Turn right and go up Boulevard Saint-Michel until you reach Rue Soufflot on your left. Turn left and walk until you reach the pantheonVictor Hugo was buried here in 1885, thus beginning the French custom of burying the nation's greats there (in fact, this custom began during the French Revolution, but that's a story for another post).

Practical information about the Pantheon (if you want to visit it)

Address:  Pantheon square

Metro:Cardinal-Lemoine, Maubert-Mutualité

Museum type: Payment

Links:  Buying a ticket | Monument site

Opening days and hours: Every day between 1000-1800 and between April and September the place is open until 1830.

A few words about the attraction: A must-see for French history enthusiasts because all the greats of the French nation are buried here (Victor Hugo, Emile Zola and more). It is recommended to visit here if you are doing the Hemingway's Paris itinerary And if you're already there, don't miss the charming Saint Étienne du Mont church.

And one sweet thing to end with

If you love chocolates and other sweets, you'll be happy to know that although there is no Victor Hugo Patisserie, there is a chocolatier named Hugo and Victor, which you can read about atThis article.