Musee de Cluny

The Musee de Cluny, officially the Musee national du Moyen Age, is the great national museum of the Middle Ages in Paris. It occupies two extraordinary buildings in the Latin Quarter, the remains of vast Gallo Roman baths and a late fifteenth century mansion built for the abbots of Cluny. Walking through it means moving across more than a thousand years of history, from ancient Roman frigidarium vaults to the refined art of the medieval world, all within a few steps of the Sorbonne.

The museum is best known for the Lady and the Unicorn, a series of six woven tapestries that count among the most celebrated works of medieval European art. Five panels represent the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, while the mysterious sixth, inscribed A Mon Seul Desir, has inspired centuries of interpretation. Beyond the tapestries the collection holds stained glass from the Sainte Chapelle, the original stone heads from Notre Dame, illuminated manuscripts, ivories, goldsmith work and arms and armour.

A recent renovation transformed the museum with a new entrance, better lighting and a clearer route, so the experience today is far more comfortable than in the past. Booking a timed ticket online is the smart choice, since it guarantees your entry slot and lets you skip the ticket desk queue. The Lady and the Unicorn room can get busy, so arriving early in the day or in the last hours before closing gives you the calmest time with the tapestries.

The museum is very central and easy to reach. The Cluny La Sorbonne stop on Metro line 10 is right outside, and Saint Michel and Odeon are a short walk away, as is the RER stop at Saint Michel Notre Dame. After your visit you are perfectly placed to explore the Latin Quarter, with its bookshops, the Sorbonne, the Pantheon and the Jardin du Luxembourg all within easy walking distance.