Bernadotte Museum

©Florent Pécassou CC BY-SA 3.0. <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr>via Wikipedia Commons

The Bernadotte Museum, in Pau

The Bernadotte Museum is the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a child of Pau become king of Sweden. The Pau audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this extraordinary destiny, from the Béarn soldier to the founder of a royal dynasty that still reigns.

From the Béarn soldier to the king of Sweden

The Bernadotte Museum occupies the house where, in 1763, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was born, one of the most astonishing destinies of history. The son of a modest Pau family, he enlisted in the army and climbed all the ranks thanks to the French Revolution and the Napoleonic epic, becoming one of the marshals of the Empire of Napoleon. His destiny shifted when, against all expectations, he was chosen to become the heir of the throne of Sweden. He ascended the throne under the name of Charles XIV John, king of Sweden and Norway, and founded the Bernadotte dynasty, which still reigns today over Sweden. The birthplace, transformed into a museum, retraces this extraordinary path and the links between Pau and the Swedish crown. The Bernadotte Museum is a fascinating place of memory of Pau.

What to see

Here you visit the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, born in Pau in 1763, become marshal of the Empire then, against all expectations, king of Sweden and Norway under the name of Charles XIV John, founder of the dynasty that still reigns, whose extraordinary destiny the museum retraces. The Bernadotte Museum is a fascinating place of memory of Pau. It is a stop for those curious about history, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Bernadotte Museum lies in the heart of Pau, in the birthplace of the marshal, reachable on foot. The visit follows its own hours and conditions, which vary with the season. It is best to check the arrangements before coming.

Who was Bernadotte, born in Pau?

Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, born in Pau in 1763, become marshal of the Empire under Napoleon then, against all expectations, king of Sweden and Norway under the name of Charles XIV John; he founded the Bernadotte dynasty, which still reigns over Sweden.