Hi travel buddies
What are some Paris experiences you have especially enjoyed? We have tickets for Louvre, d’orsay, Versailles, Dior Gallerie. We are in Paris 6 nights in late April. It is not the first Paris trip for either of us. We both like music and dancing.
I am asking about not so obvious experiences that you particularly enjoyed.
Thanks
Js
Museums are terrific and we have seen them all, but I like to break up the museum gorging with some other activities.
Lunch or Dinner (we've done both) at this place https://www.lespapillesparis.fr/. Prix Fixe and creative, incredible food. An experience. Walk in the Luxembourg Gardens before or after.
A walk on the Coulee Verte https://www.paris.fr/lieux/coulee-verte-rene-dumont-1772
The Jardin des Plantes a lovely garden not much visited in our experience and convenient to a nice walk along the Seine as well.
Simply strolling through the many beautiful gardens and parks. And to prolong the experience, just sitting for awhile on one of the benchs, people watching, and just "being".
Walking the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe at dusk and climbing to the top for a spectacular view of the city.
My 11 yo granddaughter and I enjoyed the visit and self guided tour of a parfumeur in Paris at Fragonard and a Spring fashion show at Galleries LaFayette and then lunch on their rooftop deck.
These are my top 10 experiences in Paris in no particular order
1. The Christian Dior show exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts
2. The Willy Ronis show at the Pavillon Carré de Baudouin in the 20th arrondissement
3. Taking my son when he was much younger (he is now 18) to the carnival in the Tuileries Garden in exchange for him going to a
museum so much that he came to associate museums with a trip to the carnival would tell people he loved going to museums.
4. Doing a self-guided tour of Paris going to places related to/named for the American Revolution
5. Visiting the grave of the Marquis de LaFayette
6. Wine and snacks at L'Avant Comptoir
7. Oysters and Wine in October at Le Baron Rouge
8. Brunch at Moncoeur Belleville and then walking back to the 4th arrondissement from there
9. Champagne wine tasting cruise from O'Chateau (this one could have been the company -- I was with my BFF, my sister, one of my sisters-in-law, and my nephew's wife and they are a party wherever they go)
10. Getting facials at Biologique Recherche and La Maison Dr. Hauschka
I'm not sure they fall into the "not so obvious" category but some additions we enjoyed/found interesting:
Sainte-Chapelle (this is a gotta-do, IMHO)
Conciergerie
Musée de Cluny /Musée National du Moyen Âge
Musée de l'Orangerie
Église du Dôme and Église St-Louis des Invalides
Musée de l'Orangerie
Cimetière du Pere Lachaise
Cimetière de Montmartre
Arc de Triomphe (for the view)
Panthéon
Jardin des Tuileries (near the Louvre)
Jardin du Luxembourg
Église Saint-Séverin: 13th century with later expansions; very nice windows.
Église Saint-Sulpice: has a gnomon.
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont: relics of Paris' patron saint, Geneviève, are here plus a rare & lovely rood screen
Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés: this old lady has a long history
SUch a personal question---everyone has their own quirky likes and preferences. I especially enjoy:
--walking through the Tuileries or the Jardin de Luxembourg, in no special hurry, and watching the world go by. Sit, stroll, linger...
--doing a "croissant crawl" and sampling pastry at 4-5 bakeries in succession, traveling on foot to better soak in the city
--watching the lights on the Eiffel Tower flicker to life from Pont Alexandre II or up on the steps of Sacre Coeur
--the Orangerie, if you take your time and really linger over Monet's immense water lily cycles
Walking through the different arrondissements and simply enjoying the experience of being in Paris; stroll through all the beautiful gardens, sit in a cafe and people watch, stroll along the banks of the river. Cherish those moments and memories, which were what my daughter and I loved the most when we were there two years ago. Paris is huge and cannot be "seen" in one trip.
I enjoy doing walks with Paris Walks (www.paris-walks.com)
I've also put together my own "walks" from watching Corey Frey's youtube videos as well as the ones from France with Vero.
When are you traveling?
a self guided Paris walks books is a good investment. We like Frommers 24 walks book but there are many others.
St. Denis Basilica is amazing and often overlooked.
I noticed someone listed a Willy Ronis exhibit above -- if that is still available and you have an interest in photography that is fabulous. wE have done two in Paris over the years and enjoyed this amazing work each time. The last one we visited had a video of him discussing some of his work which was also wonderful.
Thank you all!
Has anyone enjoyed any of the swing dancing or jazz clubs in paris?
Has anyone enjoyed the St Chapelle classical music night concerts?
Thanks
Js
Pam, I am glad you mentioned Paris Walks as I just thought of it reading the other responses.
Jane mentions "24 Great Walks in Paris" by Frommers. It is excellent but last I knew, only available from on-line used book sellers. Worth seeking out.
@Laurel....I figured people would eventually think of them! Such fun and a neat way to see different parts of the city.
@Js...I have done the concert at Sainte-Chapelle several times and it's very enjoyable. In fact I saw "Robert" from Everyone Loves Raymond there one time. Get your ticket ahead. Not a jazz or swing fan but if you are I'm sure it would be fun!
Go easy on churches, they really do start to run together after a while. I know RS loves them but a little can go a long way.
You might also check out the vlogger Jay Swanson, his takes are a little more offbeat than someone like Les Frenchies.
"doing a "croissant crawl" and sampling pastry at 4-5 bakeries in succession, traveling on foot to better soak in the city"
We did a baguette crawl on year -- went to all of the recent best baguette winners over the course of 3 days. That was great.
And re Saint Chapelle, yes, I have been for a concert and it was lovely. Actually every concert that I have been to in a church in Paris has been lovely, each in its own way.
I don't see that anyone has mentioned the French military museum in Les Invalides. We found it fascinating.
One of my favorite Paris memories is seeing Cabaret at the Folies Bergère. It was in French, but I knew it in English, so could pretty easily follow along. The dancers, the music, the venue. Just outstanding.
The setting for the St. Chapelle concert is of course magnificent, but like so many tourist oriented concerts they tend to play the 4 Seasons -- I could go a lifetime without hearing that again. So do look to see what is being presented (or maybe you don't find 4 Seasons as tedious as I do)
Atelier des Lumières: https://www.atelier-lumieres.com/en
I have been to 3 separate exhibits so far.
Enjoy your trip.
There don't seem to be too many swing dancers here [including me] but it sounds like a lot of fun especially in Paris. I did a little Google search and found this on a July Reddit post. Not sure if it will work for April.
"Hi, for Paris during the month of July there is outdoor swing dacing at Place de la République (near the place called Fluctuat Nec mergitur) on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings (starting at 7pm), and at Place Colette on Saturday afternoons (starting at 3pm if I remember well)."
Other than that, I agree with others in that once you've seen most of the "must sees" it's the parks, bridges, Seine walks, etc. that are a highlight for me. We will be walking the Coulee Verte all the way to the Bois de Vincennes, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Monceau.
The end of April should be very nice for flowers and shrubs.
The best way to experience Paris, in my humble opinion, is just leisurely walking and exploring. Walking along the river, in the parks (Luxembourg Gardens and Place des Vosges are my favorites) and throughout different neighborhoods. Sitting outside at cafés to relax, and people watching is so enjoyable. Tourist sights and museums are low on my list.
