Hôtel Matignon Palace

Address: 57 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France

Website: https://www.gouvernement.fr/le-premier-ministre

Hours: Not open to public except special events (European Heritage Days)

Admission: Not open to the public except during special events (European Heritage Days in September - free guided visits historically)

Hôtel Matignon is an 18th-century hôtel particulier in Paris’s 7th arrondissement that serves as the official residence and working address of the French Prime Minister. It is a government property with formal state and private rooms and a substantial private garden.

From the outside the building and its formal garden are points of interest for visitors exploring Paris’s diplomatic and government quarter. The garden and façades are sometimes shown during annual heritage events, but the interior is not open to ordinary tourists. Photographs from the surrounding public streets are the normal way to view the site.

Originally built as a private aristocratic mansion in the 18th century, the hôtel passed through private ownership before becoming state property in the 20th century and since then has been used to house the head of the French government. The building’s architecture and layout retain features of an urban mansion adapted for official use.

It stands in the 7th arrondissement of Paris on Rue de Varenne, in the government district of the left bank close to other official residences and ministries.

• Public access: Public access is restricted; the building is not normally open for tours but is visible from the surrounding streets and garden perimeter.
• Garden openings: The estate’s gardens are occasionally opened to the public during special heritage events in Paris.

Take Métro Line 8 to Invalides or Line 13 to Varenne; Matignon is a short walk (5-10 minutes) from either station. From the River Seine/Les Invalides area it’s a 10-12 minute walk up Rue de l’Université and Rue de Varenne.

• Stand on the far side of the iron gates on Rue de Varenne for the best unintrusive view - security is strict and photos through the grille photograph better than from the pavement.
• If visiting during Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (mid-September), reserve well in advance; visits fill quickly and groups are small.
• Combine the stop with the Hôtel de la Marine and Musée Rodin for a compact afternoon in the 7th arrondissement.