“See Paris and die”, “a city for those who are in love”, “a holiday that is always with you” – everything you have ever heard about the capital of France is actually true. Paris has not only a romantic flair praised by poets and artists, this city is also known as one of the most touristic in the world. The word “most” generally perfectly describes all the delights of Paris: the largest museum, the most popular attraction, the most picturesque parks, the most delicious croissants in the end.
Interesting excursions from local residents in Paris
“See Paris and die”, “a city for those who are in love”, “a holiday that is always with you” – everything you have ever heard about the capital of France is actually true. Paris has not only a romantic flair praised by poets and artists, this city is also known as one of the most touristic in the world. The word “most” generally perfectly describes all the delights of Paris: the largest museum, the most popular attraction, the most picturesque parks, the most delicious croissants in the end.
Eiffel Tower
The concentration of beauty in Paris exceeds all reasonable limits. But the most noticeable and famous landmark is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. It was built in 1889 for the World Exhibition, and at first Parisians did not perceive it favorably, even submitting petitions to the municipality for demolition. However, over time, the tower gained the love of townspeople and tourists. You can climb it and admire the city from above, or you can take a blanket, sandwiches and lemonade and sit on the grass of the Champ de Mars to look at the beauty from a close distance. A little hint: with the onset of darkness at the beginning of each hour, the Eiffel Tower’s illumination with “running” lights turns on, but only for 5 minutes. Don’t miss it!
Louvre, Orsay and Center Pompidou
The three museums of the Louvre, Orsay and the Center Georges Pompidou (or as the Parisians themselves call it – Beaubourg) cover a huge layer of world cultural heritage. The Louvre has exhibits from antiquity to 1848, but is best known as the largest and one of the most popular museums in the world (over 9 million visitors annually). The famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is kept here, which is not so easy to approach – it is almost always surrounded by a huge crowd. You shouldn’t hope to see all the exhibits of the Louvre at one time, because there are countless rooms here.
To see art from 1848 onwards throughout the 19th century, you need to cross the bridge over the Seine from the Louvre, where the Orsay Museum is located and an extensive collection of impressionists. By the way, from its foundation in 1900 until 1939, Orsay was a railway station, and only in the early 70s it was decided to turn the building into a museum.
For “almost contemporary” art, or rather works of the 20th century, you should go to the Center Georges Pompidou, which stands out among the ancient Parisian architecture. The Pompidou was built in a high-tech style, and all communications of the building are displayed on its facades: for example, ventilation pipes are painted blue, electrical wiring is yellow, and escalators and elevators are painted red. At the very top of the Center there is a restaurant, but it is not at all necessary to dine there – the prices, as in all places aimed at tourists, are quite high. But admiring the city from above from the open area is a free pleasure.
Notre Dame Cathedral
For those who have been reading the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, a visit to the cathedral will sparkle with additional colors. The exciting experience of walking within the seven-hundred-year-old walls will be superimposed on the story of Esmeralda and Quasimodo, which unfolded within the walls of this Gothic architectural monument. You can explore Notre-Dame de Paris on your own, or decide on the time: on Wednesdays and Saturdays there are free excursions in Russian. And on Sundays you can go to a Catholic service and enjoy the sounds of the organ.
Montmartre
The artists’ quarter, crowned by the highest point in Paris – the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. Once upon a time, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Renoir, Amedeo Modigliani and many others began their creative careers in Montmartre. And even today the quarter belongs to urban bohemia. Every evening crowds of young people, wandering performers, and painters gather near the walls of the Sacré-Coeur, and a little to the side of the basilica there are souvenir shops, where for 6-8 euros you can buy a beret or a set of postcards with beautiful views of the city. In the same quarter there are famous cabarets, the Museum of Erotica and other, even more immodest entertainment.
Marais District
Marais is a quarter free from national, racial, gender and other prejudices. Since the 13th century, Orthodox Jews settled in the Marais; after the First World War, Chinese emigrants were added to them; in recent years, representatives of sexual minorities have also preferred to settle here. The Marais is home to many art galleries, a food market, small boutiques of local brands and vintage clothing stores. A must-visit place is the L’As du Fallafel restaurant (on the map), which, as the name suggests, specializes only in falafel. On weekdays, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to grab a table, but on weekends a huge line of Parisians lines up at the small restaurant, everyone in line is given their own number, and everyone calmly waits 30-40 minutes on the street to then dine on the best Israeli snack in the city .
In the Marais, the easiest way to feel like an expat is to walk the streets, buy the freshest vegetables and delicious cheese at the market, flowers, baguettes and wine right there in the shops where the owners themselves often sell. And everyone, without exception, is happy to see clients.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Don’t imagine walking through Père Lachaise as a nerve-wracking adventure. This cemetery is very well-groomed and calm, and one of the outstanding personalities is buried here “once every hundred years.” Well, maybe a little more often. However, getting here after death is almost impossible if you are not a descendant of an eminent family. The cemetery is famous for the presence of several dozen graves of celebrities from different years: Honore de Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf – the full list can be found at the entrance. Opposite each surname is the number of the place allocated in the cemetery. Therefore, in order to honor the memory of a deceased idol, it is enough to correlate the grave number with the Père Lachaise map.
Vincennes Zoo and Natural History Museum
You should set aside at least half a day to visit Vincennes Park, and if you are traveling with children, the entire trip can be stretched from morning to evening. The first attraction is a zoo, where animals do not sit in enclosures, but walk respectably behind small fences; predators are located in enclosed spaces, but again there are no bars, only thick glass. Next according to plan — botanical greenhouses and a vegetable garden with medicinal herbs, after which you can break the exciting walk for lunch in the open air. And then go explore the paleontological museum and the natural history museum, the joint collections of which demonstrate 600 million years of the history of life on Earth.
Food and shopping
The capital of France is one of four cities that hosts the world fashion week twice a year. It’s no surprise that many travelers flock here for shopping. The main department stores, Printemps Haussmann and Lafayette, are located next to each other on Boulevard Haussmann. Even if you have no interest in shopping at all, you can go to Printam for a stunning view of the city from the top floor terrace, and to Lafayette to admire the stained glass dome of the building.
What else is there to do in Paris? Of course, enjoy local food: croissants and coffee for breakfast, a piece of baguette with brie cheese and a glass of wine – instead of a full dinner. A gastronomic paradise for the discerning are restaurants with a selection of seafood delicacies and the Ladurée confectionery (on the map), where the famous macarons were invented. Another, purely Parisian pleasure, is to take a bag of roasted chestnuts and leisurely walk around the city, it’s so beautiful!
