Hauteville House

Hauteville House, perched in the town of St Peter Port, is one of Guernsey's most remarkable treasures, the home where the great French writer Victor Hugo lived in exile for some fifteen years and wrote much of his masterpiece Les Misérables. Far more than a writer's house, it is an astonishing work of art in its own right, for Hugo designed and decorated its interior himself with obsessive, theatrical flair. Room after room dazzles with dark carved wood, tapestries, tiles, mirrors and salvaged treasures assembled into a fantastical, symbolic whole, culminating in a glass-walled study at the top with sweeping sea views towards his beloved France. Eccentric, atmospheric and utterly unique, it is a fascinating window into a creative genius.

History

Victor Hugo arrived in Guernsey in October 1855 and bought the house on 16 May 1856 with the proceeds of Les Contemplations; owning property protected him, since Guernsey law did not allow the deportation of people who owned land on the island. He lived here through his exile until 1870 and again in the summer of 1878, and with his wife Adèle Foucher transformed and decorated the house over four floors, up to the glazed lookout where he wrote, with views over St Peter Port to Herm and Sark. In March 1927, the centenary of Romanticism, his descendants gave the house to the City of Paris. The structure was renovated in 2008-2009, and after François Pinault gave €3 million for the interiors it reopened on 7 April 2019; it also houses an honorary French consul (Wikipedia, Hauteville House).

The main sights

• The carved interiors - the dark, theatrical rooms designed by Hugo.
• The glass study - the light-filled writing room with sea views.
• The salvaged treasures - the tapestries, tiles and mirrors.
• The Hugo story - the years of exile and Les Misérables.

When to go

April to September is the main season, when the house is open for its guided tours and the town and sea views are at their best; visits are by timed tour, so booking ahead is wise. The glass study is especially lovely on bright days with clear views to France.

What to expect

Hauteville House is visited only on guided tours with limited numbers, so booking ahead is important, and its dark, densely decorated interiors are an acquired taste, all the more fascinating for their eccentricity. As the extraordinary self-designed island home of Victor Hugo, a dazzling total work of art where Les Misérables took shape, though, Hauteville House is a genuinely unique and rewarding visit.

Nearby

The harbour, Castle Cornet and the streets of St Peter Port lie nearby.

Key facts