Musée Bernadotte

The Pyrenees

LoginSave

This townhouse is the birthplace of one of Napoléon’s favourite generals, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (nicknamed ‘Sergent belle-jambe’, on account of his shapely legs). Now a museum, the house explores the strange story of how Bernadotte came to be crowned king of Sweden and Norway in 1810, when the Swedish parliament reckoned that the only way out of the country’s dynastic and political crisis was to stick a foreigner on the throne.

The present king of Sweden, Carl Gustaf, is the seventh in the Bernadotte dynasty, while several other European royal families (including Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium and Denmark) are all ruled by Bernadotte’s descendants.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Parc Animalier des Pyrénées

    Parc Animalier des Pyrénées

    23.93 MILES

    Around 12km south of Lourdes, off the D821 near Argelès-Gazost, this fantastic animal park is home to many species that were once commonly sighted across…

  • Sanctuaires Notre Dame de Lourdes

    Sanctuaires Notre Dame de Lourdes

    21.19 MILES

    The spiritual centre of Lourdes is the subterranean grotto where Bernadette Soubirous is believed to have experienced her visions in 1858. From the Porte…

  • Castle of Pau, France.

    Château de Pau

    0.22 MILES

    Originally the residence of the monarchs of Navarre, Pau’s castle was transformed into a Renaissance château amid lavish gardens by Marguerite…

  • Château Fort

    Château Fort

    21.39 MILES

    Lourdes’ imposing castle stands on a sheer hill just behind the town. There’s been a stronghold here since Roman times, but the present building combines…

  • Falaise aux Vautours

    Falaise aux Vautours

    18.2 MILES

    The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) was once a familiar sight over the Pyrenees, but habitat loss and hunting have taken their toll on these strange,…

  • Pic du Jer

    Pic du Jer

    22.77 MILES

    Panoramic views of Lourdes and the central Pyrenees are on offer from this rocky outcrop just outside town. There are two routes to the top: a punishing…

  • Eaux-Bonnes

    Eaux-Bonnes

    22.41 MILES

    During the 19th century, the small village of Eaux-Bonnes (literally, Good Waters) flourished as a spa resort thanks to its geothermal hot springs, which…

  • Le Cachot

    Le Cachot

    21.5 MILES

    In 1857 Bernadette Soubirous’ family fell on hard times and were forced to move to this dingy former prison, where they lived communally in a room…

View more attractions

Nearby The Pyrenees attractions

1. Rue du Hédas

0.09 MILES

Take a stroll along this revitalised lane for a look at green spaces by day and light installations by night.

2. Château de Pau

0.22 MILES

Originally the residence of the monarchs of Navarre, Pau’s castle was transformed into a Renaissance château amid lavish gardens by Marguerite…

3. Musée des Beaux-Arts

0.42 MILES

Works by Rubens and El Greco both figure at Pau’s fine-arts museum, but the museum’s prize piece is a famous Degas canvas, A New Orleans Cotton Office,…

4. Rébénacq

9.65 MILES

Rébénacq is one of the few bastides (fortified towns) of the Pyrenees, built in 1347 by a lieutenant of Gaston Fébus, the 11th Count of Foix. Like all…

5. Castet

15.89 MILES

Perched precariously on a glacial outcrop, this hilltop village boasts a 12th-century keep and a truly magnificent valley view. From the belvédère …

6. Grottes de Bétharram

16.44 MILES

Grottes de Bétharram is a network of subterranean caverns that has been carved out from the limestone, glittering with impressive formations of…

7. Bielle

16.85 MILES

The former ‘capital’ of the valley, Bielle is a beautiful village with many fine 15th- and 16th-century houses, linked together via a guided walk.

8. Falaise aux Vautours

18.2 MILES

The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) was once a familiar sight over the Pyrenees, but habitat loss and hunting have taken their toll on these strange,…