Musée des Plans Reliefs
This collection of one hundred one-of-a-kind relief maps was started under Louis XIV in 1668 and continued
growing until 1873. The collection was classified a Historic Monument on 22 July 1927.
Initially constructed for military purposes, these 1/600 models helped prepare for military operations.
These highly detailed maps required teams of engineers and surveyors to travel throughout the country,
and the smallest details (trees, windows, etc.) made by model carpenters are represented with astonishing
accuracy.
Because of their large size, the relief maps could not be made in a single piece. They each consist of multiple
wood tables.
The Musée des Plans-Reliefs was created in 1943.
The first section of the Musée des Plans-Reliefs’s new gallery was inaugurated in 1997, along with 28 relief
maps.
