Musée Bernadotte — Attraction in Pau

I went to this unique museum on a Saturday morning and had the entire place to myself. Yes, the displays are old-fashioned and dusty, but this adds to the quirky charm, and the museum deserves to have a lot more visitors, not least because of the extremely enthusiastic curator who is more than happy to share his encyclopedic knowledge of Swedish royalty and Napoleonic battles with you (if you speak French). It is testament to the story of one extraordinary man, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who came from fairly humble origins in Pau and went on to be one of Napoleon's most successful generals and was invited to become King of Sweden - and also of his descendants, the House of Bernadotte - artists, poets, musicians, reformers, some of whom went on to become crowned heads of various European courts in their own right. The top floor is pretty much laid out like a typical home of the period, with lovely examples of furniture from the Béarn. On the ground floor there is a collection of Swedish art from the early 20th century, including by two women artists who were pupils of Matisse. The museum closes over lunch from 12 - 2pm, and is incredibly good value - just 3...

Trevligt att få en glimt av svenska kungahusets bakgrund men tycker att information borde funnits på annat språk än bara franska samt ett större fokus på familjen Bernadotte före Karl XVI Johan flyttade till Sverige. M.t.p. dagens situation med monarkens obefintliga inflytande på samhället är den beskrivningen...

Belle demeure bien conservée, avec dispositif original (donc ludique) d'audio-guide à la demande, gratuit. Belle plongée dans l'Histoire, jusqu'à la famille royale suédoise actuelle. On se sent fier d'être Palois, même...