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Tips 1 - 10 of 50 Paris Things to Do
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Things To Do: Intro
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Paris.... how to start a page on a famous destination like this. How to write a tip on VT about Paris that hasn't been written before? How to write something new, say something new, and be original or unique.....? Could I do all that? Is it worth to write a Paris page? A question I've asked myself many times.....
I've been to Paris twice, and my recent trip in October 2006 is the one that is in my mind now and the one that I want to remember. A long weekend in the city of lights. A wonderful wonderful weekend. But, would it be worth to write about it on VT? The answer is honestly said 'no'. I don't have much to add that hasn't already been written here, and I can't say I am very original in places I've visited. No real off-the-beaten paths secrets I can tell you about. I don't know any hidden gems no one has heard of before......
All I can do is give you a bit of 'my' impressions about Paris and I hope you will enjoy reading it. I know I had have fun writing it, as it brought back so many wonderful memories :-))
On this page I will start at the Place de la Bastille and slowly walk westwards and discover the city on the right side of the Seine. After that working my way back slowly on the left bank ending up at the heart of the city at the Ile de la Cité.
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My journey around Paris started off at the Colonne de Juillet, located on the Place de la Bastille. My hotel was located in this area, and this was one of the first views of Paris I got. The long column, almost 52 metres high, with the gold statue on top was towering high above anything else in the area. And like everything in Paris this column has a long history to it.
The Colonne de Juillet is located in the middle of the square and is surrounded by a rather busy roundabout. The square and its surroundings are often referred to as the 'Bastille', which is a lively and popular area in Paris, with lots of cafes and bars. But, hahaha, I guess I am getting on a side-track here; back to the column and why it is placed here....
The column dates back to July 28, 1840, and was build in order of King Louis-Philippe (1773 – 1850) who wanted a monument to commemorate both the French revolution of 1789 (also known as the storming of the Bastille) and the "three glorious days" of the July revolt in 1830. The column is located roughly where the medieval Porte Sainte-Antoine once stood.
On a sunny day the glistering gold-leafed bronze statue on top will certainly draw your attention. This is the Génie de la Liberté (the Spirit of Freedom) and was designed by sculptor Augustin-Alexandre Dumont.
Interested in reading more about the history of the Place the La Bastille and the July revolution? Then these two external links might be something for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_of_1830
http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Monuments-Paris/Bastille.shtml#Overview
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Address: Place de la Bastille
Directions: Place de la Bastille
In the quarter 'Marais'
12th Arrondissement
Métro stop: Bastille
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Also located on the Place de la Bastille is the interesting building of the Opéra National de Paris Bastille. It is hard not to notice this building as it is in such a sharp contrast with the more historical surroundings. But I can't say it is ugly, or out of tone with the rest, I actually found the architecture rather interesting and fascinating to look at. Unfortunately with the busy square in front of it, it wasn't so easy to get a good view (especially with the camera) of the whole building.
I haven't been inside, although I wouldn't mind taking a peek there! The design on the outside is quite impressive and it made me wonder how the inside would be like. The Opera building was inaugurated on July 13, 1989, on the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.
When talking about opera, one name here on VT comes to mind right away: VT member Nemorino. He has been to Paris recently and saw no less then 8 operas during his stay. So if you are interested in seeing an opera, do drop by on his pages, he has a wealth of information about the opera on them.
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Address: Place de la Bastille
Directions: Place de la Bastille
In the quarter 'Marais'
12th Arrondissement
Métro stop: Bastille
Website: http://www.operadeparis.fr/
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After having had a nice cup of coffee and some croissants as a quick breakfast, we wandered into the quarter called the 'Marais'. Our first stop was the 'Place des Voges', and what a wonderful surprise this was. I hadn't been here before, but it stole my heart right away. The tranquillity of the square combined with the symmetry of the park and the surrounding buildings is a feast for the eyes. The sun had come out, making the red bricks of the houses look more vividly of colour. I am not really surprised that some people call this one of the most beautiful squares in the world, although I don't think this is a 100% true. But it certainly IS a beautiful square and not to be missed during a visit to Paris.
In total there are 36 houses, nine on each side, build in red brick, with large symmetric windows and steep roofs with those large chimneys that I like so much. Some says there are 39 houses in total though, hahaha, I guess it all depends what you call a 'house' I haven't even tried counting them, for me the total effect of it all was what took my breathe away.
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Address: Place des Vosges
Directions: Place des Vosges
In the quarter 'Marais'
3rd and 4th Arrondissement
Métro stop: Bastille, Chemin Vert or St-Paul
Website: http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Vosges/
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In 1605 - 1612 Henri IV had this beautiful square build and called it Place Royale. The square got its new name in 1799 and was renamed after the 'Department of the Vosges', which is a part of France near the German border. Of course the renaming had a good reason; money! The Vosges was the first to pay its taxes to a particular military campaign; and I guess that that is good enough reason as any to get the honour of having a square named after it ;-)
But let’s forget all these facts about the square and get back to the here and now, and start to look around. The square, which is now a little park, is beautiful, with several fountains, symmetric paths crossing through the park from one side to the other, old trees that filter the light of the sun in a magical way, and a large statue of Louis XIII in the middle. Just sit down on one of the benches and take it all in. While looking around you probably be surprised by all the details you'll see, like the old lanterns placed around and on the square that caught my eye. They look so romantic and fit so perfectly in the atmosphere of it all.
In the photos you can see a small impression of the park.
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Address: Place des Vosges
Directions: Place des Vosges In the quarter 'Marais' 3rd and 4th Arrondissement Métro stop: Bastille, Chemin Vert or St-Paul
Website: http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Vosges/
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Le Marais: Walking around in Le Marais
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The Marais is a beautiful part of Paris and perfect to get 'lost' in. I loved wandering around in the small streets, look at all the houses, which have so many architectural details. Old doors, decorated with wonderful wooden carvings, a funny cornerstone build in the wall, balconies, balconies and more balconies, often filled with flowerpots. I just didn’t know where to look anymore! In the old days the Marais used to be a marshland, which is really hard to believe when you walk around this area these days…
There are some famous houses in this area, like Hôtel des Francs-Boureois, Hôtel de Sully and Hôtel de Lamoignon, all which I planned to look at. But strangely enough I forgot about those plans within no time. The Marais had put its spell on me and made me love it as a whole. I forgot my urge to see specific houses; I just wanted to absorb it all. I was too amazed by all the details of the houses, the grandeur; all I wanted tot do was look around one more corner to see what surprises I would find there……
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Directions: 3rd and 4th arrondissements
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And one of those surprises in the Quarter of the Marais was the Musée Carnavalet. I know this is a very well-known museum, but I wasn't thinking of going here..... Until I stood right in front of it!
The museum is housed in 2 adjoining mansions from the 16th century and the little courtyard immediately grabbed my attention. The little formal garden and the architecture of the mansions (the Hôtel Le Peletier de St-Fargeau and the Hôtel Carnavalet) just drew me inside the courtyard, wanting to see more of it. At the gate, just before entering the courtyard, they were handing out tickets for a free entrance to the museum; it was all so tempting....
I got torn in two: I wanted to go inside, to see it all, the houses, the museum, it looked so wonderful and right up my alley. The museum is devoted to the history of Paris and inside you can see entire decorated rooms with panelling, furniture and many works of art. I was so tempted! But outside the sun was shining and more of Paris was waiting for me.....
The sunshine won in the end, and I didn't see more then a glimpse of the museum, making myself a promise to go back later. The weather forecast warned for rain, which would be perfect for visiting this museum..... but it didn't work out that way. it never rained, so I never went back. But on a next visit even the sun won't stop me to go here! And back in Paris I will certainly be again :-)
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Phone: 01 44 59 58 58
Address: 23 Rue de Sévigné
Directions: In the quarter 'Marais' Métro stop: Bastille, Chemin Vert or St-Paul
Website: http://www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=6468
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Our stroll through the Marais continued, and we ended up at the crossing where the Rue the St.Antoine splits into two and becomes the Rue de Rivoli and Rue Francois Miron. Here your eyes most likely will be drawn to the church St.Paul-St.Louis. I didn't think the façade of the building was so beautiful, but it did intrigue me, so I decided to take a look inside the church. And I was certainly not disappointed!
St.Paul-St.Louis is a Jesuit church and dates back to 1627. The one thing that strikes the most when entering this church is the 60 metres high dome. I loved the way the light filtered through the windows of the dome and I was just in awe by the architecture. The church is rather bare as it was looted and emptied during the Revolution, but the architecture compensates for all of that. To be honest: I didn't miss it at all, as I was so enchanted by the architecture.
There is some art left in the church, and the most famous piece is Delacroix's "Christ in the Garden of Olives." My attention however was drawn to this sculpture in the right wing of the church. The sunlight coming through the window touched the sculpture in a magical way, giving it an emotion and extra dimension that touched my heart.
The church is open from Monday to Saturday: 8:00-19:30 and on Sundays from 15:99-19:00. I really can recommend going in here to take a look when you are in the area!
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Phone: 01 42 72 30 32
Address: 99 Rue St.Antoine
Directions: In the quarter 'Marais' Métro stop: St-Paul
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Probably more famous then the church I just mentioned, but certainly not better for me, is the Hôtel de Sens. The only thing I can say about it is that it looks 'different' with the little towers. But it didn't leave me in awe at all.
Hôtel de Sens is one of the 3 remaining medieval private residences in Paris and it was built between 1475 and 1507. Nowadays it houses Bibliothèque Forney, where you can admire decorative and fine arts, as well as industrial techniques. I haven't been inside, so I can't judge about that. I just can say that the outside is disappointing, and for me not worth making a detour for.
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Phone: 01 42 78 14 60
Address: 1 Rue du Figuier
Directions: In the quarter 'Marais' Métro stop: Pont-Marie, St-Paul
Website: http://www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=465
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From the Marais we walked towards the west and entered into the areas also known as Beaubourg and Les Halles. I am not sure what to think of this part of Paris, I guess you love it or hate it. And I leaned more to the latter part then to the first. Although I did enjoy some features of it and it certainly could be called 'interesting'.
Beaubourg and Les Halles is a clash between modern and old, and I found it rather confusing. One moment I was standing in front of the modern architecture of the Centre Pompidou and a few steps later I was thrown back in time again, looking at the Fontaine des Innocents. But what drove me away from this area the most, was the more obvious poverty on the streets and neglect of the area. The shopping centre Les Halles for example, was once a pompous piece of architecture, but now it seemed to have had its best days. Ah well, I guess you get the drift by now: Beaubourg and Les Halles just didn't mesmerize me as much as the Marais did. But as I said it is 'interesting' and also lively, and therefore worth a visit. Hahaha, but in my case it would be a short one ;-)
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Directions: Métro stop: Chatelet, Les Halles
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