Maison-musée de Maurice Ravel – Le Belvédère

About the museum

In 1921 the composer Maurice Ravel bought the Belvédère, a small house in Montfort-l'Amaury in the Yvelines. He made it his retreat and a place for contemplation, and lived there until his death in 1937.

It was in this house that he composed several of his best-known works, among them Boléro, the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Tzigane and the opera L'Enfant et les Sortilèges.

Ravel designed the garden himself and decorated the small rooms with a collection of unusual objects: perforated coffee cups in the living room, romantic music boxes on the piano and a Chinese figurine in the library. The composer Manuel Rosenthal compared the exterior of the house to a badly cut piece of Camembert.

The house is now open to the public as a house museum, labelled “Musée de France” and “Maison des Illustres”. Because of its very limited space, it can only be visited with a guide and in small groups.

Highlights

• The house where Ravel composed Boléro
• Living room with perforated coffee cups and music boxes
• Library and décor of unusual objects gathered by the composer
• Garden designed by Ravel himself
• Guided tour in groups of six people at most

Permanent exhibition

• Maison-musée de Maurice Ravel – Guided visit of the house, living room, library and garden where Ravel composed Boléro and other major works.

Operated by

Commune de Montfort-l'Amaury

Visitors per year

approx. 3,750

Admission & discounts

Payment by cheque or cash only. Groups are limited to six people per visit because of the limited space.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The town's website gives no details on accessibility; it is advisable to contact the Maison du Tourisme before booking.

Kids & families

Free admission for under-12s; reduced rate from 12 to 18.

Getting there & parking

Montfort-l'Amaury is less than an hour from Paris, on the edge of the Rambouillet state forest. The Maison du Tourisme et du Patrimoine handles visit reservations.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit