Bibliothèque Mazarine

St-Germain & Les Invalides


Within the Institut de France, the Mazarine Library is France’s oldest public library, founded in 1643. You can visit the bust-lined, late-17th-century reading room during opening times.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby St-Germain & Les Invalides attractions

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The French language and all its nuance are guarded with care by 40 Immortels (Immortals) of the French Academy, founded by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635. The…

2. Institut de France

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The French Institute, created in 1795, brought together five of France’s academies of arts and sciences. The most famous of these is the Académie…

3. Monnaie de Paris

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4. Square du Vert-Galant

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Chestnut, yew, black walnut and weeping willow trees grace this picturesque park at the westernmost tip of the Île de la Cité, along with migratory birds…

5. Pont Neuf

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Paris’ oldest bridge, misguidingly named 'New Bridge', has linked the western end of Île de la Cité with both riverbanks since 1607, when the king, Henri…

6. Musée National Eugène Delacroix

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In a courtyard off a tree-shaded square, this museum is housed in the romantic artist’s home and studio at the time of his death in 1863. It contains a…

8. Musée du Louvre

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It isn’t until you’re standing in the vast courtyard of the Louvre, with its glass pyramid and ornate façade, that you can truly say you’ve been to Paris.