Jules Verne House

The second place we’ve been to in Amiens was a late 19th-century home in which Jules Verne lived. It has some of items he used, beautifully preserved interiors, and a garden. Jules Verne lived for 34 years in Amiens and 18 of those years were spent in this house which is now a museum.

When he and his wife moved in this house he was 54 and at the height of his career. The entrance hall of the house is a winter garden, which is unusual for British way of living in the late Victorian period, but it was a trend in France in the same period. Verne was fascinated by exotic cultures, hence it is understandable why he liked this kind of entrance to his house.

The entrance hall looks gorgeous. There is a table, see below, and lots of plants.

The Dining Room has its original decorations, the only one in the house to be preserved like this.

The Drawing Room is where Jules’ wife, Honorine, receives guests. Verne played the piano. There are portraits of Jules and Honorine in the room, and photographs of the Verne family.

These are family photos. Verne had 5 children. The photographs are in the Sitting Room, where Verne would entertain his male guests, having a drink and smoking.

How gorgeous is this staircase?

This unique room is a reconstruction of Verne’s boat. The had 3 boats and this is the inspired by the 3rd one, Saint-Michel III. The boat with this name was used by Verne to sail in the North Sea and in the Mediterranean.

It looks interesting, even though it was not like this when the Verne family lived there.

I like so much the statue with the dog. It is so cute.

This office is a tribute to Verne’s publisher, Hetzel. There are some portraits of the publisher and his family on the wall. This is were the bedrooms were.

The globe on the desk is the one Verne used. This is part of Verne’s library, in which he had 12,000 books. He spent a lot of time reading to get inspiration for his stories, he looked at maps, and so on. His novels were based on the latest technological discoveries, which were the base from where he imagined what might be achievable in the future.

This is on the library floor. It is a remarkable nod to his work.

This small study is an exact replica from Verne’s time. He would use the iron bed to rest. Maybe the austerity of the bed made him think of long voyages.

This is the loft, with a lot of interesting items on display, including some posters.

Jules Verne house is lovely and it is so worth visiting. It is close to Calais and it is perfect for anyone, like us, who were heading back to Britain by car and had a bit of time to do a some sightseeing. But, of course, it is a great destination on its own.