Paris: La Ville Lumière, the city of light.
Paris, the city of love, the city of fairytales, the city of dreams. Artists and creative people have made Paris their home for centuries in the hope it will inspire them to greatness. Degas painted his ballerinas here, Hemingway looked for inspiration and Pablo Picasso found several muses in the streets of Paris. As you explore and get to know Paris, you will discover that it is so much more than just the Champs Elysées and the shopping streets. To fall in love with Paris you must explore one of the oldest and biggest cities in Europe. Not just the spectacular Eiffel Tower, daring Arc de Triomphe or majestic Louvre, but the charming narrow and winey alleys of the medieval city, that still stand today.
The small coffee shops, that haven’t changed since the 1920s, where you stop at the counter for an espresso macchiato. The boulangeries where you start your very own contest to find the best pastry in Paris. In Paris, the only limit is your imagination. Be bedazzled by the chestnut trees as they bloom and give you the breathtaking smells of spring. Get to know the buildings that were important during the revolution, the reign of Louis the 14th, or explore the city like a temple knight on the search for the holy grail. I have collected some of my favorite places in Paris to share with you. Some you will know, some you will get to know.
La Ville Lumière, the city of light.
Paris is one of the oldest cities in Europe, it was built by the Romans in 52 BC and after that, the city just kept expanding and grew into the city of light that so many people know and love today.
Paris is especially known for its love of art and hence their many museums host some of history’s greatest art pieces. The Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie are great to visit if you like impressionist art, like me, being the home of some of Monet and Degas’ greatest pieces. I love looking at these ‘feel good’ pieces of art that, even to a commoner who knows nothing about art, are timeless pieces of beauty.
The Louvre is a museum everyone has to visit at least once in their lives. This majestic building is suited for a King - it was the royal palace until Versailles was built. The architecture itself is enough to justify a visit but more than that it has a collection of just about everything France owns and are proud of when it comes to art. Hosting some of the most popular pieces of art like the Mona Lisa and Venus from Milo. And of course, the Louvre is the setting of the Da Vinci Code.
Walking around here you can spend days, or weeks if you are genuinely interested in art. Most of the museum is an absolute pleasure to be in. You can sit and enjoy the dramatic or daring art in peace and quiet. The one place where you have to fight your way through, is the sea of Asian tourists all wanting to take selfies in front of the Mona Lisa. The painting, in itself, is small and located behind bullet-proof glass, behind around 1000 other tourists at all time. For me, it was nothing fancy, but when visiting the Louvre for the first time you must gaze upon it. Luckily, in the gallery that leads to the Mona Lisa, you can admire, in quiet peace, many of Da Vinci’s other masterpieces. Because he used a special mix for his paint, his pieces have turned darker with time which distinguishes them from the neighboring paintings.
There are hundreds of museums to visit in Paris and you will have to take several trips here to fully enjoy and comprehend the magnificent pieces of art collected and gathered here. So my advice would be: don’t cram in too much. Give yourself time to walk around the streets of Paris and be amazed by the old and the new, the medieval, the Renaissance and the modern grandness of Paris.
Walks around Paris
My all-time favorite walk around Paris is the ‘Coulée verte René-Dumont promenade’. This marvelous trail takes you on a secret 5 km walk through the city, or at least some of the city, exploring the12th arrondissement of Paris. It is not really a tourist attraction which means you will have this dazzling place almost all to yourself. It is like a breathing-hole inside Paris. It is called the ‘Promenade plantée' and, as you may have guessed it, is filled with amazing greeneries that follow the old Vincennes railway line. Meaning it is built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure. You start the walk close to Opéra Bastille and walk east towards ‘Boulevard Périphérique’.
Another wonderful walk is through the historic district along the scenic Seine River in the city center. If it is your first time in Paris, or if you just haven’t been here in a long time, it is a good choice. It takes you to all the great sites of inner Paris. You will stop by the Cathedral of Notre Dame where the hunchback once lived and rang the bells. Stroll along the river promenade where you will find various painters re-living the dream of ‘La Belle Époque' painting along the riverside.
The Eiffel Tower, the theatrical trademark of Paris, where every tourist has their photo taken in the park in front, the Champ de Mrs. An insider tip is to walk over to the Trocadéro. This gives you some pretty superb photo options from a different angle.
The dramatic Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysées is the place for grand gatherings like the finals of the Tour d’France and the annual Bastille Day Military Parade. Walking down the street from here, you will walk by the fashion and shopping street of the world with the majestic Louis Vuitton on the way down the street. The city center also hides The Grand- and Petit Palais, and many other historical buildings, all with an impressive history to them.
If you are here with a significant other, you must stop by Pont des Amoureux, the Love Lock Bridge. Fun fact is you can no longer lock in your love. Because so many lovers have done this for years the bridge is now so heavy the structure can no longer hold its weight. The city has tried to build supportive measures but the result is that it is now prohibited to show that kind of love here.
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
If you want to experience the history of Paris up-close, I would suggest you go visit Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. Many famous people have been buried here and it gives an excellent perspective of history and values throughout time. It is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, located in the 20th arrondissement, and is notable for being the first garden cemetery. Its famous inhabitants include Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Édith Piaf, Salvador and Jim Morrison, to name a few, and the remains of the most famous pre-Romeo-and-Juliet-love-story of Paris: Heloise and Abelard. Set in the 12th century when the philosopher and theologian Abelard falls in love with his student Heloise. It is a terrible story honestly, where both star-crossed lovers end up in misery. Heloise ends up in a convent and Abelard gets castrated and tossed out. They never meet again, but continue their love through letters until the end of their days. They had to spend 600 years apart until Josephine Bonaparte heard the story and thought the two lovers should spend eternity together, so she had them buried together at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise.
The cemetery is actually a really beautiful place with lots of interesting history to it and shows a different take on the history of Paris. Talking about dark places, the Catacombs is another fascinating place to visit. This maze runs beneath the very heart of Paris twenty meters below ground, where human remnants were transferred gradually between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. When the city expanded the graveyards took up a lot of places and valuable land and were a health threat to the inhabitants, so the city dug up most of the cemeteries and buried the human remains in ‘mass graves’ under the city. They have put labels of the year on these more than six million people. You can read more about it when you visit Municipal Ossuary.
Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis
When tired of sharing Paris with tourists try something new, go look for something old… At Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis you will find everything old, new, borrowed, potentially stolen and amazing all the way through. Saint-Ouen is home to the Paris’ famous flea market. Here you can find a million incredible antique and second-hand furniture dealers. Some of them deal in treasures. Paul Bert Serpette has covered alleyways where you can find some rare antiques and uniques treasures. It is famous worldwide for collectors but even as a normal person you will enjoy spending a couple of hours both along the professional antique dealers and shops and the more low-key establishments. It is quaint and quiet and a perfect place to spend a day in Paris. You can find something in every price range and walk around Saint-Ouen you will stumble upon many daring small cafes, boulangeries and restaurants far away from the touristy center of Paris.
Montmartre
My last must-do in Paris (in this blog post at least) is the hill of Montmartre. This is what most tourists fall in love with because they imagine that is what the real Paris should look like. Charming, quaint, and utterly fabulous. With it's daring narrow alleys, artsy small shops, quaint coffee shops and wine shops on every corner. The chat noir and street performers everywhere present at all times. You can shop here if you want to be urban and street smart. Spend at least one afternoon and evening in the remarkable Montmartre browsing around the small boutiques and restaurants with the rustic interior and charming hosts. Don’t just eat at the main streets, explore the narrow maze of streets, and find the right untouched pearl that sells just the perfect french menu for you. Coq au vin tonight perhaps?
Spend sunset at the steps in front of the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur on the hill of Montmartre and get an amazing view of Paris. With good eyes, you can spot most of the famous buildings in the city center and street artists are always giving a show here. Venture into the basilica and have a rendezvous with God before heading into the Pigalle quarter, also known as the red-light-district. Stop by the Moulin Rouge, because you can-can-can and have a belle vie.
* All pictures are private and taken by me.
The small coffee shops, that haven’t changed since the 1920s, where you stop at the counter for an espresso macchiato. The boulangeries where you start your very own contest to find the best pastry in Paris. In Paris, the only limit is your imagination. Be bedazzled by the chestnut trees as they bloom and give you the breathtaking smells of spring. Get to know the buildings that were important during the revolution, the reign of Louis the 14th, or explore the city like a temple knight on the search for the holy grail. I have collected some of my favorite places in Paris to share with you. Some you will know, some you will get to know.
La Ville Lumière, the city of light.
Paris is one of the oldest cities in Europe, it was built by the Romans in 52 BC and after that, the city just kept expanding and grew into the city of light that so many people know and love today.
Paris is especially known for its love of art and hence their many museums host some of history’s greatest art pieces. The Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie are great to visit if you like impressionist art, like me, being the home of some of Monet and Degas’ greatest pieces. I love looking at these ‘feel good’ pieces of art that, even to a commoner who knows nothing about art, are timeless pieces of beauty.
The Louvre is a museum everyone has to visit at least once in their lives. This majestic building is suited for a King - it was the royal palace until Versailles was built. The architecture itself is enough to justify a visit but more than that it has a collection of just about everything France owns and are proud of when it comes to art. Hosting some of the most popular pieces of art like the Mona Lisa and Venus from Milo. And of course, the Louvre is the setting of the Da Vinci Code.
Walking around here you can spend days, or weeks if you are genuinely interested in art. Most of the museum is an absolute pleasure to be in. You can sit and enjoy the dramatic or daring art in peace and quiet. The one place where you have to fight your way through, is the sea of Asian tourists all wanting to take selfies in front of the Mona Lisa. The painting, in itself, is small and located behind bullet-proof glass, behind around 1000 other tourists at all time. For me, it was nothing fancy, but when visiting the Louvre for the first time you must gaze upon it. Luckily, in the gallery that leads to the Mona Lisa, you can admire, in quiet peace, many of Da Vinci’s other masterpieces. Because he used a special mix for his paint, his pieces have turned darker with time which distinguishes them from the neighboring paintings.
There are hundreds of museums to visit in Paris and you will have to take several trips here to fully enjoy and comprehend the magnificent pieces of art collected and gathered here. So my advice would be: don’t cram in too much. Give yourself time to walk around the streets of Paris and be amazed by the old and the new, the medieval, the Renaissance and the modern grandness of Paris.
 |
| Coulée verte René-Dumont promenade |
Walks around Paris
My all-time favorite walk around Paris is the ‘Coulée verte René-Dumont promenade’. This marvelous trail takes you on a secret 5 km walk through the city, or at least some of the city, exploring the12th arrondissement of Paris. It is not really a tourist attraction which means you will have this dazzling place almost all to yourself. It is like a breathing-hole inside Paris. It is called the ‘Promenade plantée' and, as you may have guessed it, is filled with amazing greeneries that follow the old Vincennes railway line. Meaning it is built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure. You start the walk close to Opéra Bastille and walk east towards ‘Boulevard Périphérique’.
 |
| Coulée verte René-Dumont promenade |
Another wonderful walk is through the historic district along the scenic Seine River in the city center. If it is your first time in Paris, or if you just haven’t been here in a long time, it is a good choice. It takes you to all the great sites of inner Paris. You will stop by the Cathedral of Notre Dame where the hunchback once lived and rang the bells. Stroll along the river promenade where you will find various painters re-living the dream of ‘La Belle Époque' painting along the riverside.
The Eiffel Tower, the theatrical trademark of Paris, where every tourist has their photo taken in the park in front, the Champ de Mrs. An insider tip is to walk over to the Trocadéro. This gives you some pretty superb photo options from a different angle.
 |
| Trocadéro |
The dramatic Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysées is the place for grand gatherings like the finals of the Tour d’France and the annual Bastille Day Military Parade. Walking down the street from here, you will walk by the fashion and shopping street of the world with the majestic Louis Vuitton on the way down the street. The city center also hides The Grand- and Petit Palais, and many other historical buildings, all with an impressive history to them.
If you are here with a significant other, you must stop by Pont des Amoureux, the Love Lock Bridge. Fun fact is you can no longer lock in your love. Because so many lovers have done this for years the bridge is now so heavy the structure can no longer hold its weight. The city has tried to build supportive measures but the result is that it is now prohibited to show that kind of love here.
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
If you want to experience the history of Paris up-close, I would suggest you go visit Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. Many famous people have been buried here and it gives an excellent perspective of history and values throughout time. It is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, located in the 20th arrondissement, and is notable for being the first garden cemetery. Its famous inhabitants include Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Édith Piaf, Salvador and Jim Morrison, to name a few, and the remains of the most famous pre-Romeo-and-Juliet-love-story of Paris: Heloise and Abelard. Set in the 12th century when the philosopher and theologian Abelard falls in love with his student Heloise. It is a terrible story honestly, where both star-crossed lovers end up in misery. Heloise ends up in a convent and Abelard gets castrated and tossed out. They never meet again, but continue their love through letters until the end of their days. They had to spend 600 years apart until Josephine Bonaparte heard the story and thought the two lovers should spend eternity together, so she had them buried together at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise.
 |
| Oscar Wilde |
 |
| Catacombs |
The cemetery is actually a really beautiful place with lots of interesting history to it and shows a different take on the history of Paris. Talking about dark places, the Catacombs is another fascinating place to visit. This maze runs beneath the very heart of Paris twenty meters below ground, where human remnants were transferred gradually between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. When the city expanded the graveyards took up a lot of places and valuable land and were a health threat to the inhabitants, so the city dug up most of the cemeteries and buried the human remains in ‘mass graves’ under the city. They have put labels of the year on these more than six million people. You can read more about it when you visit Municipal Ossuary.
Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis
When tired of sharing Paris with tourists try something new, go look for something old… At Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis you will find everything old, new, borrowed, potentially stolen and amazing all the way through. Saint-Ouen is home to the Paris’ famous flea market. Here you can find a million incredible antique and second-hand furniture dealers. Some of them deal in treasures. Paul Bert Serpette has covered alleyways where you can find some rare antiques and uniques treasures. It is famous worldwide for collectors but even as a normal person you will enjoy spending a couple of hours both along the professional antique dealers and shops and the more low-key establishments. It is quaint and quiet and a perfect place to spend a day in Paris. You can find something in every price range and walk around Saint-Ouen you will stumble upon many daring small cafes, boulangeries and restaurants far away from the touristy center of Paris.
 |
| Paul Bert Serpette |
Montmartre
My last must-do in Paris (in this blog post at least) is the hill of Montmartre. This is what most tourists fall in love with because they imagine that is what the real Paris should look like. Charming, quaint, and utterly fabulous. With it's daring narrow alleys, artsy small shops, quaint coffee shops and wine shops on every corner. The chat noir and street performers everywhere present at all times. You can shop here if you want to be urban and street smart. Spend at least one afternoon and evening in the remarkable Montmartre browsing around the small boutiques and restaurants with the rustic interior and charming hosts. Don’t just eat at the main streets, explore the narrow maze of streets, and find the right untouched pearl that sells just the perfect french menu for you. Coq au vin tonight perhaps?
 |
| Basilica of Sacré-Coeur |
 |
| Moulin Rouge |
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