The Palais Royal and Buren's columns and other Paris, France Off The Beaten Path Tips

The Palais Royal was built in 1629 for the Cardinal de Richelieu and given to Louis XIII after his death. It consists in two intersting parts : the palace itself and the galleries surrounding it.

The main courtyard, with access via a vaulted passage, is now decorated with a set of 260 unequal sections of columns, striped black and white, courtesy to the sculptor Paul Buren.
Initially (in 1986), this exhibit created a lot of controversy but is now totaly part of parisan landscape as the columns have been found useful for more than one purpose : children's games, seats, ...

The Palais Royal houses the Council of the state, the Constitutional Council, the ministry of Culture,those can be visited only once a year (during the journées du Patrimoine - 2nd week end of September) and the Comedie Française (you can visit on appointment or each 3rd sunday of the month : http://www.comedie-francaise.fr/en/histoire/visiter_cf.php)

The old gardens, surrounded by the galleries, hosting luxury shops, are a haven of peace

Place du Palais-Royal, 75001 Paris
Metro line 1 or 7 - Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre

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Website: http://www.paris.fr/portail/Parcs/Portal.lut?page_id=4974&document_type_id=5&document_id=8135&portlet_id=10670

The Louvre is not only the most famous french museum but has an educational vocation too.

Beside the visits, you can attend conferences and workshops. They are generally organized for groups but individuals can always be added to a group.

Some of them are specificaly intended for children (different ages groups) or disabled people.

To participate, you need to book about a fourtnight ahead (especially for the children modelling workshop who gets a huge success : which kid doesn't like to get his/her hands in the clay and bring home a "real" statue ?)

PS ; some other workshops are organized by the Ecole du Louvre (a national school that graduate degrees in archaeology, epigraphy, art history, history of civilizations and museology)

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Phone: 01 40 20 51 77
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/
Other Contact: activitesmusee@louvre.fr

Facing the Colonnade du Louvre, the gothic church of Saint-Germain-l'auxerrois is built above the ruines from the Oratoire Saint Germain le Rond (thrown down by the Normans in 886) and named after an Auxerre's bishop.

It was built during the XIIth century, the tower is now the only remnant of the original church, the rest being from the XVth and XVIth centuries and having undergone some renovations at the end of the XIXth century.

Inside the church, you can find two marvelous flemish altarpieces.

Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois is sadly infamous : here, on Aug. 24 1572, was given the signal launching the Saint-Barthelemy's Day massacres.

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Website: http://architecture.relig.free.fr/auxerrois.htm

Walking along the rue de Rivoli – on the opposite side of the Louvre or rue de l’Oratoire, if you are paying attention, you will notice – among the luxury and souvenir shops – a ‘different’ building – a Temple : the Oratoire du Louvre (in fact, what will attract your eyes is certainly the statue of the Admiral de Coligny (at the back of the church)), Coligny was assassinated on August 24, 1572, during the massacre of Saint-Bathélémy – those massacres were started just a couple of meters away, in Saint Germain l'Auxerrois).

Built a the beginning of the XVII th century for the catholic Confrérie de l’Oratoire, it is - since 1811 - a protestant temple.

Beside being one of the rare protestant chuches in Paris, it is also often used for concerts (mainly choirs and/or organ concerts).

Address : 4 rue de l'Oratoire - 75001 Paris
Open all year round - guided tours on request
Metro Station Louvre-Rivoli (Line 1) or Station Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre (Lines 1,7)

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Phone: +33 (0)1 42 60 21 64
Website: http://www.oratoiredulouvre.fr/
Other Contact: oratoiredulouvre@free.fr

The Musee de Jeu de Paume has nothing (except the name) in common with the "serment du jeu de paume" so important in the french history.

This "Jeu de Paume" was constructed under Napoleon III (1851). He authorized the members of the circle of the Paume to build it, under the condition that they respected the same style as the Orangerie (on the opposite side of the Jardin des Tuileries).

It used to host painting exhibitions at the beginning of the 20 th century and was turned into the Museum of impressionism in 1922.

In 1987 the collection of impressionist art was transferred to the Musee d'Orsay.

Recently remodeled, hugely relying on natural light, the Jeu de Paume is now an exhibition hall for contemporary art and photography.

Opening
Tuesday noon to 9.30 pm
Wednesday to Friday : 12 noon to 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday : 10 am to 7 pm
closed on monday

1, place de la concorde 75008
Metro Concorde or Tuileries

The museum du Jeu de Paume has a second location in the Hotel de Sully (in the Marais)
62, rue Saint-Antoine 75004 Paris
01 42 74 47 75
Metro Saint-Paul or Bastille

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Phone: 01 47 03 12 50
Website: http://www.jeudepaume.org/site/frameset.php?idModule=7
Other Contact: 1, place de la concorde 75008

An original way to see Paris from above is the Jardin des Tuileries' ferris wheel.

Formerly situated Place de la Concorde (built there for the Y2K celebrations), the "Grande Roue de Paris" is now located in the Jardin des Tuileries, just beside the Rue de Rivoli.

Risen on a 21m X 25m platform, revolving on a 60m high axis, it's Europe's tallest ferris whell.
The 6 seats cabines provide an exceptional view on Paris. You can see the city from the Arche de la Defense to the Tour Eiffel and from jardin des Tuileries to the Sacré Coeur.
By night, the sight is especially impressive.

The wheel operates every day from 11am to 12 pm (but may be closed in case of heavy rain)
Price : 8€ adult, 5€ children
The ferris wheel is a seasonal thing and operates only during holidays (winter and summer), so depending on when you are comming, you may find it or not.

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Other Contact: Rue de Rivoli - Metro Concorde

If you happen to stroll rue de Paradis (the "crokery and china" street of Paris), you may notice, among the surronding non descript buildings, a very special looking house : the Galerie Paradis
Built in 1900 by Jacottin, it was initially the Ceramic fabricant Boulenger's main store (the factory was located in Choisy le Roi).
The facade looks like an italian theatre and the walls are decorated with pictures made out of ceramics.
The designs are from Arnoux and Guidetti who were also the Maison Boulenger's main designers.
From 1978 to 1991, the house used to host the Musee de l'Affiche et de la Publicite now situated in the Louvre (in the Pavillon de Marsan).
If you are lucky enough, you can enter the courtyard and have a closer look (or else, just catch a glimpse though the railings).

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Other Contact: 14 Rue de Paradis - 75010 Paris

The idea of providing protected shopping 'centers' is as old as trading : no one wants the goods to be ruined or the potential custommer deterred by weather conditions. The form may differ depending on the era and the country but such places always and everywhere exist(ed), be they souks, covered markets or shopping malls.

While the wooden galeries du Palais Royal, built in 1786 and destroyed since, are considered as the parisian galeries prototype, the real expansion of the concept occured in the first half of the19th century.

More than 30 passages or galeries have been built since and most of them still exist, each of them having its own personality: from the luxuous shops in Galerie Vivienne and Colbert to the simple passage way like Passage Dauphine, from the fashion designers haunt in Passage du Grand Cerf to the little Indian/Pakistan restaurants' collection in the shaddy Passage Brady; including the more 'classical' Passage Verdeau, Passage Jouffroy and Passage des Panoramas.

After a quasi-disapearance during the 2nd empire (overshadowed by the new 'Grands Magasins'), they found a second youth at the end of the 20th century and continue to change : the Passage du Havre has been renovated and turned into a modern mini-mall, new passages have even been created like the marche Saint Honore (hosting furniture designers)...

But they all have some things in common, the light and the sounds: due to their glass roofs, the natural light, even filtered through pebble-glass differs from any sort of man-made light, and they retain this incredible quality of peace due to muted sounds.

Some more photos here

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Website: http://www.passagesetgaleries.org/

Very close to the famous Moulin Rouge and Cabarets, near eglise Notre Dame de Lorette lies the quiet and luminous Place Saint Georges.

On one side of the place is a peaceful square (hosting the bust of the painter Gavarni) , on the other side superbs troubadour style, statues, and medallions cover the façade of the town house occupied by Thérèse Lachman at the beginning of her career. She later became Marchioness of Paîva (marrying Mr Paiva among all her succesive husbands) and promptly left to take up a more splendid mansion on the Champs Elysées (behind what is now the HSBC change office).

Her house (housing a financial institution) is impossible to visit but you can still admire the facades.

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Other Contact: Metro St Georges

When shopping at le Printemps Boulevard Haussmann, don't forget to pay a visit to the 9th floor of the Printemps 'Beaute et Maison' store.

Not because of the restaurant (just adequate - at best (it's a branch of Flo Brasserie)) but to do a bit of sightseeing from the panoramic terrace.

The view, if not as stunning as from more renown sightseeing spots like Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame.... makes for some nice photos.

Plus ; it's free and there are mechanic stairs to come up.

And, when you are there, don't forget to pay a look at the building's itself details - the roofs are absolutely exquisite.

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Phone: 33 (0) 142825787
Website: www.printemps.com
Other Contact: Metro Havre Caumartin-RER Auber