Maison de Balzac

In this charming little cottage in the quiet 16th Arrondissement, French author Honoré de Balzac spent 7 years writing away. From 1840 to 1847, the realist ‘romancier’ occupied the 5 rooms on the 3rd floor, producing several novels including La Rabouilleuse (The Black Sheep), and Une Affaire Ténébreuse (A Murky Affair), and editing his masterpiece La Comédie Humaine. The museum is free to enter (except during temporary exhibitions) with manuscripts, print blocks, and some of the author’s possessions on display. Photo credit : franek2 CC BY-SA 3.0