Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

There's no shortage of museums in Paris and there are endless places in which to get your culture fix on in the capital, from the big guns (The Louvre and The Musée d'Orsay instantly spring to mind) to the little, lesser known gems. Le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (the Museum of Hunting and Nature) is definitely in the latter category. Housed in the prestigious Hôtel de Guénégaud in the Marais, the museum was founded by passionate hunters Francois and Jacqueline Sommer in the 60s, and features all kinds of hunting paraphernalia from throughout the ages, including the wonderfully OTT Trophy Room, cabinets full of rifles and animal paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. On the afternoon we visited, our fellow museum goers included a whole party of bona fide hunting types, sporting tweeds, twinsets and pearls, which added to the authenticity of the experience, turning the museum into a kind of Disney-goes-Shooting affair. If you're into your taxidermy there are also an impressive stuffed polar bear, boars, deer and even little falcons (although nothing beats Deyrolle in Paris for dead animals filled with straw, if that's your bag). To bring the museum into the 21st century, there are also contemporary art installations dotted throughout the exhibition space. 

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

Hôtel de Guénégaud, 60 rue des Archives
, 75003 Paris

Mon - Sun, 11am-6pm (closed public holidays)

Entrance: €6