This hotel-restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye hides a secret room—the birthplace of Louis XIV.

A royal cradle tucked away in a hotel-restaurant! In Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Pavillon Henri IV houses the oratory where Louis XIV was born in 1638. Discover the secrets of this exceptional historic residence and the conditions for visiting its centerpiece.

Did you know that it was in a historic hotel-restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just steps from the castle, that the Sun King was born? In the heart of the Pavillon Henri IV, a storied residence perched above the Seine valley, lies a true preserved treasure: the private chapel and the birth chamber of France's most famous king. Before it became the setting for a gastronomic lunch or a luxury stay, this place hosted grand royal events!

After 23 years of childless marriage between Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, the birth of the future Louis XIV seemed almost miraculous. It was on September 5, 1638, in what was then the Château-Neuf of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, that the queen gave birth to the boy who would first be nicknamed "Louis-Dieudonné", baptized immediately after his birth in the old Royal Chapel.

The only surviving part of the old Château-Neuf, demolished during the Revolution, the room where the fate of the French monarchy unfolded can still be visited today — preserved but in need of renovations, with no trace of a former bedchamber. Under a beautiful colorful dome painted by Louis Tournier in 1868, a few seating units have been installed to dress the room, which is decorated with paintings, medallions and moldings. Note that this is not a museum open to free entry, except during the Heritage Days.

To cross the threshold of this enigmatic room, you must be a guest of the establishment: staying overnight, booking a table at the fine-dining restaurant, or simply dropping by for a drink or a coffee at the bar, for tighter budgets. Then simply ask the staff politely to open the doors to this confidential space for a minute of privileged history.

Beyond this royal cradle, the place is a genuine hub of cultural and culinary anecdotes. It is within these walls, which had become a prized hotel-restaurant in the 19th century, that chef Jean-Louis-François Collinet created in 1837 the genuine sauce Béarnaise, named in homage to King Henry IV, whose bust stood in the room.

A few years later, Alexandre Dumas settled there to write two of his masterpieces, The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, while Offenbach was composing the music for La Vie Parisienne.

Pavillon Henri IV: the gourmet, panoramic restaurant in the heart of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Built in the 16th century atop the ruins of the Château-Neuf, the Pavillon Henri IV is a legendary hotel-restaurant tucked away in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. An exceptional address on the doorstep of Paris, it hides a royal history and generous, gastronomic cuisine, with an incredible view over the Seine Valley. [Read more]