Musée de Cluny - (Medieval Art)

One of Paris' most enjoyable museums and underappreciated museums! Besides the museum's staring attraction of the enveloping unicorn tapestry room, this museum has hundreds of amazing pieces of painting, sculpture, stained glass, jewelry, and architecture. The building itself is a marvel as well, helping you engage with the art, relate to it in a personal level, and reveal the middle ages as "A Distant Mirror". I highly recommend the book of that title by Barbara Tuchman as preparation for seeing the museum. This museum is in the Paris museum card. Remember to see the chapel and the outdoor courtyard
Josh - a month ago

I highly recommend visiting the National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée de Cluny). One very practical bonus is the free cloakroom, where you can leave your winter coat and bags — extremely convenient, especially in colder seasons. The museum itself is quite large and divided into different sections. My main reason for visiting was “The Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries, which truly are the highlights of the museum. They were genuinely striking. What impressed me most is how they express a sense of female autonomy and self-awareness as early as the 14th–15th century. The symbolism of the unicorn is also very different from the modern, fairy-tale interpretation we have today. These tapestries left a strong impression on me. Beyond that, many of the other exhibits are fascinating as well — especially the ivory carvings, which feel irreplaceable and truly represent masterpieces of human artistry. Some of the staff-like objects on display are also intriguing, and their historical background is worth looking into if you’re interested. Downstairs, the Roman bath remains are another highlight. The ancient bathing pool is particularly interesting, and if you’re into archaeology, this part alone is worth the visit. The way the museum connects ancient Roman remains with medieval art creates a meaningful dialogue between the past and the present. Overall, this museum is absolutely worth visiting. If you’re in Paris, don’t miss it.
vivi Chanle - 2 months ago

Probably the most overlooked major museum in Paris. The Medieval collections are wonderful and well worth seeing, but it should be noted that its a museum focused on Medieval art rather than giving a more rounded picture of the period and society. The Roman baths within the museum complex are incredible and very important archaeologically but have no interpretation and sadly become little more than a nice backdrop to one gallery, which is a massive missed opportunity. The outdoor elements of the baths were also inexplicably closed off. It feels as if the museum didn't want to dilute its Medieval theme by highlighting them too much. The staff at the entrance were stunningly unfriendly but those in the galleries were nicer
Antony Lee - 3 months ago

The Musée de Cluny is Paris’s medieval history museum, and it houses an amazing collection predominantly focused on ecclesiastical objects. It’s organized really well, and there is a lot of descriptions in English too, which helps.
Seth M - a week ago

If you are a fan of the middle ages or if you just like museums, this is a great place to visit. It is so big and you can see so many medieval remains. The lady and the unicorn tapestry alone is worth visiting at least once. It is also.situated right next to the 2000 year old roman bath remains.
Rumeysa Durmaz - 3 months ago