Price? Free | Guided tours at 3€ per person. Book on advance at visits@bnf.fr.
Where? 58, rue de Richelieu in the 2nd arrondissement.
Access? Bourse station (Metro line 3).
Is it worth it? Yes! The Labrouste Reading room is spectacular. And even though you cannot enter the room, you can still admire the view from the doorway.
When? Mondays to Saturdays from 9 am to 8 pm.
La Bibliothèque Richelieu is the National Library of France. The original Library “Bibliothèque du Roi” was founded by Charles V in 1368 and was located at the Palais du Louvre in Paris. The library was relocated Rue de la Harpe in 1604. With the appointment of Jacques Auguste de Thou as a librarian, the library became the richest and largest library in the world. In 1666, the library was moved near its present location, Rue Vivienne. It opened to the public in 1692. In 1792, the “Bibliothèque du Roi” became a national property and was renamed the “Bibliothèque Nationale”. In 1868, the Library was relocated on the Rue de Richelieu in the 2nd arrondissement (its present location).
BNF (Bibliothèque Nationale de France) – The other sites
Beside the Richelieu site, the National Library of France possesses 3 other sites in Paris. They are all worth a visit but the most beautiful is without a doubt the Richelieu site.
– The François Mitterrand site, in the 13th arrondissement. It opened in 1996 and it is the most recent site of the BNF. It is a very impressive library. Its 4 towers represent 4 open books and in the middle, lies a large garden. The François Mitterrand site contains more than 20 million books. It is located on the Quai François Mauriac and the nearest metro station is Bibliothèque François Mitterrand station (line 14 or RER C).
– Arsenal site, in the 4th arrondissement. It is located on 1, rue de Sully and the nearest metro station is Sully Morland station (line 7).
– Opéra site, in the 9th arrondissement. It is located in Palais Garnier and the nearest metro station is Opera station (lines 3, 7 and 8).
In total, the BNF possesses more than 40 million books and documents and is one of the largest libraries in the world.
Our opinion
The Richelieu Library is an extremely beautiful library that is well worth a visit. It is located near the Palais Royal, so it is quite easy to combine both sites during a visit. The most impressive room is definitely the Labrouste Reading Room. If you aren’t a student or a researcher, you cannot enter the room; however, the lady at the entrance was nice enough to let me enter for the photo. The other rooms are also worth a visit, especially the Rondel Gallery, the rotunda of Performing Arts, the glass bridge and the manuscripts room.
It is possible to reserve a slot for a guided tour on Thursdays (groups) and Saturdays (individuals). We advise you to book in advance at visits@bnf.fr.
You visited this place? Share your pic on Instagram, mention @paris_kathmandu & tag #paris_kathmandu