Château de Malmaison

Château de Malmaison is an art museum and historic residence in Rueil-Malmaison, France, displaying furniture, paintings, and personal objects from the early 19th century. The grounds surround the building with lawns, paths, and a pond where swans swim.

Napoleon and Joséphine bought the estate in 1799 and commissioned Percier and Fontaine to redesign the interiors in the new Empire style. After their divorce in 1809, Joséphine stayed here until her death in 1814, while Napoleon only returned occasionally.

Visitors discover the link between Joséphine's love of plants and the design of the interiors, where botanical motifs appear on wall paintings and fabrics. The name Malmaison comes from a medieval word for bad house, tied to an earlier legend about Vikings.

The entrance is near a parking area, and most ground floor rooms are accessible for wheelchairs. The grounds work well for a quiet stroll in the mornings, when fewer groups are on site.

Joséphine's collection of exotic plants brought botanists from across Europe here, and many species were cultivated for the first time in France in these gardens. The rotunda library holds a hidden compartment in one bookcase, which Joséphine used for private letters.

Location: Rueil-Malmaison

Inception: 1242

Founders: Napoleon III

Architects: Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, Charles Percier Bassant

Architectural style: Empire style

Address: 12 Avenue du château de Malmaison

Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 13:30-17:45; Saturday-Sunday 13:30-18:15

Phone: +33141290555

Website: https://musees-nationaux-malmaison.fr/chateau-malmaison

GPS coordinates: 48.87080,2.16685

Latest update: December 12, 2025 18:10