PARIS, FRANCE
Eiffel Tower
The Louvre
Notre Dame
Day Trip: Château de Versailles
Seine-Side Meander
Sights
Shopping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Information
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Paris, France
The enchanting French capital is awash with iconic landmarks, world-class museums and galleries safeguarding one of the world’s finest art repositories. Cream-stone Haussmann townhouses, dove-grey mansard rooftops, lamp-lit bridges and fountain-clad parks are other integral elements of the city fabric. Dining is a quintessential part of the Parisian experience – whether it be in traditional bistros, Michelin-starred restaurants, boulangeries (bakeries) or street markets. But against this cinematic backdrop, Paris’ real magic lies in the unexpected: hidden parks, small unsung museums and sun-spangled cafe pavement terraces.
Two Days in Paris
Start early with the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower. Afterwards, head to the Champs-Élysées to shop and climb the Arc de Triomphe. On day two take a boat cruise along the Seine and visit Musée d’Orsay and the impossibly romantic Musée Rodin; or trade both for a Versailles day trip. Make soulful St-Germain your dinner date.
Four Days in Paris
Devote day three to exploring Montmartre. On day four, begin with a top sight you missed on day one. Picnic in a Parisian park and spend the afternoon scouting out treasures at the St-Ouen flea market or checking out famous graves in Cimetière du Père Lachaise. By night, take in a performance at Opéra Bastille or Philharmonie de Paris and bar crawl in Le Marais.
Not finished with France? Head south to Provence.
Arriving in Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport Trains (RER), buses and night buses to the city centre €6 to €18; taxi €50 to €55.
Orly Airport Trains (Orlyval then RER), buses and night buses to the city centre €8.70 to €13.25; T7 tram to Villejuif-Louis Aragon, then metro to centre (€3.80); a taxi costs from €30 to €35.
Gare du Nord train station Within central Paris; served by metro (€1.90).
Where to Stay
Paris has a wealth of accommodation for all budgets, but it’s often complet (full) well in advance. Reservations are recommended year-round and are essential during the warmer months (April to October) and all public and school holidays.
Parisian hotel rooms tend to be small by international standards.
Breakfast is rarely included in hotel rates.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Eiffel Tower
Paris today is unimaginable without its signature spire. Originally constructed as a temporary 1889 Exposition Universelle exhibit, it went on to become the defining fixture of the city’s skyline.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
The view of the tower in lights – each night, every hour on the hour, the entire tower sparkles for five minutes with 20,000 6-watt lights. For the best view of the light show, head across the Seine to the Jardins du Trocadéro.
8Need to Know
map Google map; 
%08 92 70 12 39; www.toureiffel.paris; Champ de Mars, 5 av Anatole France, 7e; adult/child lift to top €25/12.50, lift to 2nd fl €16/8, stairs to 2nd fl €10/5; 
hlifts & stairs 9am-12.45am mid-Jun–Aug, lifts 9.30am-11.45pm, stairs 9.30am-6.30pm Sep–mid-Jun; 
mBir Hakeim or RER Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel
5Take a Break
At the tower’s restaurants, Macaroon Bar or top-floor Bar à Champagne.
oTop Tip
Head here at dusk for the best daytime vistas and glittering night-time city views.
Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, the Tour Eiffel was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair). It took 300 workers, 2.5 million rivets and two years of nonstop labour to assemble. Upon completion the tower became the tallest human-made structure in the world (324m or 1063ft) – a record held until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York (1930). This symbol of the modern age faced massive opposition from Paris’ artistic and literary elite, and the ‘metal asparagus’, as some Parisians derided it, was originally slated to be torn down in 1909. It was spared only because it proved an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas needed for the newfangled science of radio-telegraphy.
Tickets & Queues
Buy tickets in advance online to avoid monumental queues. Print your ticket or show it on a smartphone screen. If you can’t reserve your tickets ahead of time, expect waits of well over an hour in high season.
Stair tickets can’t be reserved online. They are sold at the south pillar, where the staircase can also be accessed: the climb consists of 360 steps to the 1st floor and another 360 steps to the 2nd floor.
Ascend as far as the 2nd floor (either on foot or by lift), from where it is lift-only to the top floor. Pushchairs must be folded in lifts and you are not allowed to take bags or backpacks larger than aeroplane-cabin size.
Despite the new 2.5m-high bulletproof glass wall around the tower, the base is still free to visit after passing through the security checks. Along with a renovated 2nd floor, it’s part of a 15-year, €300 million modernisation project.
1st Floor
Of the tower’s three floors, the 1st (57m) has the most space, but the least impressive views. The glass-enclosed Pavillon Ferrié houses an immersion film along with a small cafe and souvenir shop, while the outer walkway features a discovery circuit to help visitors learn more about the tower’s ingenious design. Check out the sections of glass flooring that proffer a dizzying view of the ant-like people walking on the ground far below.
This level also hosts the casual brasserie restaurant, 58 Tour Eiffel (map Google map; %08 25 56 66 62; www.restaurants-toureiffel.com; menus lunch €41, dinner €86-125; h11.30am-3.30pm & 6.30-11pm; 
v
c).
Not all lifts stop at the 1st floor (check before ascending), but it’s an easy walk down from the 2nd floor should you accidentally end up one floor too high.
2nd Floor
Views from the 2nd floor (115m) are the best – impressively high, but still close enough to see the details of the city below. Telescopes and panoramic maps placed around the tower pinpoint locations in Paris and beyond. Story windows give an overview of the lifts’ mechanics, and the vision well allows you to gaze through glass panels to the ground. Also up here are toilets, a souvenir shop and gastronomic restaurant Le Jules Verne (map Google map).
Top Floor
Views from the wind-buffeted top floor (276m) stretch up to 60km on a clear day, though at this height the panoramas are more sweeping than detailed. Celebrate your ascent with a glass of bubbly (€13 to €22) from the Bar à Champagne (open 11am to 10.30pm, to midnight in July and August). Afterwards peep into Gustave Eiffel’s restored top-level office where lifelike wax models of Eiffel and his daughter Claire greet Thomas Edison.
To access the top floor, take a separate lift on the 2nd floor (closed during heavy winds).
What’s Nearby?
Parc du Champ de MarsPark
(map Google map; Champ de Mars, 7e; h24hr; mÉcole Militaire or RER Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel)
Running southeast from the Eiffel Tower, the grassy Champ de Mars – an ideal summer picnic spot – was originally used as a parade ground for the cadets of the 18th-century École Militaire, the vast French-classical building at the southeastern end of the park, which counts Napoléon Bonaparte among its graduates. The steel-and-etched-glass Wall for Peace Memorial (map Google map; http://wallforpeace.org; mÉcole Militaire or RER Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel), erected in 2000, is by Clara Halter.
Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques ChiracMuseum
(map Google map; %01 56 61 70 00; www.quaibranly.fr; 37 quai Branly, 7e; adult/child €10/free; h11am-7pm Tue, Wed & Sun, 11am-9pm Thu-Sat, plus 11am-7pm Mon during school holidays; mAlma Marceau or RER Pont de l’Alma)
A tribute to the diversity of human culture, Musée du Quai Branly inspires travellers, armchair anthropologists, and anyone who appreciates the beauty of traditional craftsmanship, through an overview of indigenous and folk art. Spanning four main sections – Oceania, Asia, Africa and the Americas – an impressive array of masks, carvings, weapons, jewellery and more makes up the body of the rich collection, displayed in a refreshingly unique interior without rooms or high walls. Look out for excellent temporary exhibitions and performances.
Musée Guimet des Arts AsiatiquesGallery
(map Google map; %01 56 52 54 33; www.guimet.fr; 6 place d’Iéna, 16e; adult/child €8.50/free; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon; mIéna)
France’s foremost Asian art museum has a superb collection of sculptures, paintings and religious articles that originated in the vast stretch of land between Afghanistan and Japan. Observe the gradual transmission of both Buddhism and artistic styles along the Silk Road in pieces ranging from 1st-century Gandhara Buddhas from Afghanistan and Pakistan to later Central Asian, Chinese and Japanese Buddhist sculptures and art. Part of the collection is housed in the nearby Galeries du Panthéon Bouddhique (map; www.guimet.fr; 19 av d’Iéna, 16e; incl in Musée Guimet admission; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon, garden during special events; mIéna) with a Japanese garden.
Palais de TokyoGallery
(map Google map; %01 81 97 35 88; www.palaisdetokyo.com; 13 av du Président Wilson, 16e; adult/child €12/free; hnoon-midnight Wed-Mon; mIéna)
The Tokyo Palace, created for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life), has no permanent collection. Instead, its shell-like interior of concrete and steel is a stark backdrop to interactive contemporary-art exhibitions and installations. Its bookshop is fabulous for art and design magazines, and its eating and drinking options are magic.
Musée Marmottan MonetGallery
(%01 44 96 50 33; www.marmottan.fr; 2 rue Louis Boilly, 16e; adult/child €12/8.50; h10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 9pm Thu; mLa Muette)
This museum showcases the world’s largest collection of works – about 100 – by impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840–1926). Some of the masterpieces to look out for include La Barque (1887), Cathédrale de Rouen (1892), Londres, le Parlement (1901) and the various Nymphéas.
oDid You Know?
Slapping a fresh coat of paint on the tower is no easy feat. It takes a 25-person team 18 months to apply the 60 tonnes of paint, redone every seven years.
TOP EXPERIENCE
The Louvre
The Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo are just two of the priceless treasures resplendently housed inside the fortress turned royal palace turned France’s first national museum: Paris’ pièce de résistance that no first-time visitor to the city can (or should) resist.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
Self-guided thematic trails, from the art of eating to love, downloadable from the website.
8Need to Know
map; %01 40 20 53 17; www.louvre.fr; rue de Rivoli & quai des Tuileries, 1er; adult/child €15/free, 6-9.45pm 1st Sat of month free; h9am-6pm Mon, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9.45pm Wed, Fri & 1st Sat of month; mPalais Royal–Musée du Louvre
5Take a Break
Grab a sandwich from Hall Napoléon beneath Pei’s Grande Pyramide to eat in the Jardin des Tuileries.
oTop Tip
Tickets are valid for the whole day, so you can come and go.
Few art galleries are as prized or as daunting as the Musée du Louvre – one of the world’s largest and most diverse museums. The museum showcases 35,000 works of art; it would take nine months to glance at every piece, so planning your visit is essential.
Works of art from Europe form the permanent exhibition, alongside priceless collections of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Islamic art and antiquities – a fascinating presentation of the evolution of Western art up through the mid-19th century.
Visiting
You need to queue twice to get in: once for security and then again to buy tickets. The longest queues are outside the Grande Pyramide; use the Carrousel du Louvre entrance (99 rue de Rivoli or direct from the metro).
A Paris Museum Pass or Paris City Passport gives you priority; buying tickets in advance (on the Louvre website; €2 surcharge) also helps expedite the process.
You can rent a Nintendo 3DS multimedia guide (€5; ID required). More formal, English-language guided tours (map; %01 40 20 52 63; adult/child €12/7; h11am & 2pm daily except 1st Tue & Sun of month, plus 7pm Wed; mPalais Royal–Musée du Louvre) depart from the Hall Napoléon. Reserve a spot up to 14 days in advance or sign up on arrival at the museum.
Check the ‘Schedule of Room Closures’ on the website to ensure you’ll be able to see what you want to see. In 2018, two new rooms were opened to the public on the 2nd floor of the Richelieu Wing (displaying artworks stolen during the Nazi occupation of France and recovered postwar by the French government).
Palais du Louvre
The Louvre today rambles over four floors and through three wings: the Sully Wing creates the four sides of the Cour Carrée (literally ‘Square Courtyard’) at the eastern end of the complex; the Denon Wing stretches 800m along the Seine to the south; and the northern Richelieu Wing skirts rue de Rivoli. The building started life as a fortress built by Philippe-Auguste in the 12th century – medieval remnants are still visible on the Lower Ground Floor (Sully). In the 16th century it became a royal residence, and after the Revolution, in 1793, it was turned into a national museum. At the time, its booty was no more than 2500 paintings and objets d’art.
Over the centuries French governments amassed the paintings, sculptures and artefacts displayed today. The ‘Grand Louvre’ project, inaugurated by the late President Mitterrand in 1989, doubled the museum’s exhibition space, and both new and renovated galleries have since opened, including the state-of-the-art Islamic art galleries (Lower Ground Floor, Denon) in the stunningly restored Cour Visconti.
Priceless Antiquities
Whatever your plans are, don’t rush by the Louvre’s astonishing cache of treasures from antiquity: both Mesopotamia (ground floor, Richelieu) and Egypt (ground and 1st floors, Sully) are well represented, as seen in the Code of Hammurabi (Room 227, ground floor, Richelieu) and the Seated Scribe (Room 635, 1st floor, Sully). Room 324 (ground floor, Sully), otherwise known as Le Temple (Temple Room), holds impressive friezes, an enormous two-headed-bull column from the Darius Palace in ancient Iran and an enormous seated statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II.
Also worth a look are the mosaics and figurines from the Byzantine empire (lower ground floor, Denon), and the Greek statuary collection, culminating with the world’s most famous armless duo, the Venus de Milo (Room 346, ground floor, Sully) and the Winged Victory of Samothrace (top of Daru staircase, 1st floor, Denon).
French & Italian Masterpieces
The 1st floor of the Denon Wing, where the Mona Lisa is found, is the most popular part of the Louvre. Rooms 700 to 702 are hung with monumental French paintings, many iconic: look for the Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I (David), The Raft of the Medusa (Géricault) and Grande Odalisque (Ingres).
Room 706, with graceful frescoes by Botticelli, and the Grande Galerie (Rooms 710, 712 and 716 – filled with classic works by Italian Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Titian, Uccello, Botticini – are must-visits. A crowd always fills Room 711 (Salle de La Joconde), which stars Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and, directly opposite, Paolo Veronese’s superbly detailed Wedding Feast at Cana.
Mona Lisa
Easily the Louvre’s most admired work (and the world’s most famous painting) is Leonardo da Vinci’s La Joconde (in French; La Gioconda in Italian), the lady with that enigmatic smile known as Mona Lisa (Room 711, 1st floor, Denon).
Mona (monna in Italian) is a contraction of madonna, and Gioconda is the feminine form of the surname Giocondo. Canadian scientists used infrared technology to peer through paint layers and confirm Mona Lisa’s identity as Lisa Gherardini (1479–1542?), wife of Florentine merchant Francesco de Giocondo. Scientists also discovered that her dress was covered in a transparent gauze veil typically worn in early 16th-century Italy by pregnant women or new mothers; it’s surmised that the work was painted to commemorate the birth of her second son around 1503, when she was aged about 24.
oItalian Sculptures
On the ground floor of the Denon Wing, take time for the Italian sculptures, including Michelangelo’s The Dying Slave and Canova’s Psyche and Cupid (Room 403).
The Pyramid Inside & Out
Almost as stunning as the masterpieces inside is the 21m-high glass pyramid designed by Chinese-born American architect IM Pei that bedecks the main entrance to the Louvre. Beneath Pei’s Grande Pyramide is the Hall Napoléon, the main entrance area, comprising an information booth, temporary exhibition hall, bookshop, souvenir store, cafe and auditoriums. To revel in another Pei pyramid of equally dramatic dimensions, head toward the Carrousel du Louvre (map Google map; www.carrouseldulouvre.com; 99 rue de Rivoli, 1er; h10am-8pm Wed-Mon, 11am-7pm Tue; 
W; mPalais Royal–Musée du Louvre), a busy shopping mall – its centrepiece is Pei’s Pyramide Inversée (inverted glass pyramid).
oBehind the Smile
Recent tests done with ‘emotion recognition’ computer software suggest that the smile on ‘Madame Lisa’ is at least 83% happy. And one other point remains unequivocally certain: she was not the lover of Leonardo, who preferred his Vitruvian Man to his Mona.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Notre Dame
A vision of stained-glass rose windows, flying buttresses and frightening gargoyles, Paris’ glorious cathedral, on the larger of the two inner-city islands, is the city’s geographic and spiritual heart.
Great For…
8Notre Dame Closed
The cathedral suffered a devastating fire in 2019. Visitors will most likely not be able to enter Notre Dame for many years.
8Need to Know
map; www.notredamedeparis.fr; 6 Parvis Notre Dame – place Jean-Paul-II, 4e; hclosed indefinitely; mCité
oTop Tip
One of the best views of the cathedral’s forest of flying buttresses is from square Jean XXIII, the little park behind the cathedral.
When you enter the cathedral its grand dimensions are immediately evident: the interior alone is 127m long, 48m wide and 35m high, and can accommodate some 6000 worshippers.
Fire of April 2019
A blaze broke out under the cathedral’s roof on the evening of 15 April 2019. Though firefighters were able to control the fire and ultimately save the church, it suffered devastating damage.
The fire destroyed most of the roof and toppled its spire, a 19th-century addition. However, the oldest parts of the cathedral – notably the two bell towers, the rose windows and the west facade – were all saved.
At the time of the fire, Notre Dame was undergoing a planned restoration, and this spared several statues and other artefacts, which had been taken off site to be restored.
Despite the damage, the awesome exterior of the cathedral and its surrounding squares are well worth a visit – for the sublime gothic architecture and the church’s historical and cultural significance.
Rebuilding Notre Dame
After the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron said he’d like the cathedral to be rebuilt by 2024, in time for the Olympic Games, but others estimate that a full restoration could take decades.
There is debate over the form that the restoration should take: should it be restored to its original era, to the 19th-century update or something more modern still?
Though it will be a long while before visits to the interior can resume, the cathedral’s significance has not dimmed. The gothic structure stands strong and continues to inspire awe and devotion more than 800 years after it was first built.
Architecture
Built on a site occupied by earlier churches and, a millennium prior, a Gallo-Roman temple, the construction of Notre Dame was begun in 1163 and largely completed by the early 14th century. The cathedral was badly damaged during the Revolution, prompting architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc to oversee extensive renovations between 1845 and 1864.
Notre Dame is known for its sublime balance, though if you look closely you’ll see all sorts of minor asymmetrical elements introduced to avoid monotony, in accordance with standard Gothic practice. These include the slightly different shapes of each of the three main portals, whose statues were once brightly coloured to make them more effective as a Biblia pauperum – a ‘Bible of the poor’ to help the illiterate faithful understand Old Testament stories, the Passion of the Christ and the lives of the saints.
The grand dimensions of the cathedral are immediately evident: the interior alone is 127m long, 48m wide and 35m high, and can accommodate some 6000 worshippers.
Rose Windows
A cathedral highlight, the three rose windows are Notre Dame’s most spectacular feature. All three windows appear to have survived the 2019 fires, with no catastrophic damage.
Towers
Gargoyles grimace and grin on the rooftop Galerie des Chimères (Gargoyles Gallery), around the cathedral’s bell towers. These grotesque statues divert rainwater from the roof to prevent masonry damage, with the water exiting through their elongated open mouths. They also, purportedly, ward off evil spirits. Although they appear medieval, they were installed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century.
In the South Tower hangs Emmanuel, the cathedral’s original 13-tonne bourdon bell (all of the cathedral’s bells are named). During the night of 24 August 1944, when the Île de la Cité was retaken by French, Allied and Resistance troops, the tolling of the Emmanuel announced Paris’ approaching liberation. Emmanuel’s peal purity comes from the precious gems and jewels Parisian women threw into the pot when it was recast from copper and bronze in 1631.
As part of 2013’s celebrations for Notre Dame’s 850th anniversary since construction began, nine new bells were installed, replicating the original medieval chimes.
Point Zéro
Distances from Paris to every part of metropolitan France are measured from this bronze star, embedded in the paving stones of Place Jean-Paul II, the vast square in front of Notre Dame. When the sun floods onto the cathedral’s exquisitely sculptured front facade, the square is packed, making it a challenge to locate the Point Zéro des Routes de France (map Google map; Parvis Notre Dame – place Jean-Paul II, 4e; mCité), emperor of the Franks, on horseback.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Day Trip: Château de Versailles
This monumental, 700-room palace and sprawling estate – with its gardens, fountains, ponds and canals – is a Unesco World Heritage–listed wonder situated an easy 40-minute train ride from central Paris.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
Summertime ‘dancing water’ displays set to music by baroque- and classical-era composers.
8Need to Know
%01 30 83 78 00; www.chateauversailles.fr; place d’Armes; adult/child passport ticket incl estate-wide access €20/free, with musical events €27/free, palace €18/free except during musical events; h9am-6.30pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, to 5.30pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar; mRER Versailles-Château–Rive Gauche
5Take a Break
Nearby rue de Satory is lined with restaurants and cafes.
oTop Tip
Prepurchase tickets on the château’s website or at Fnac branches and head straight to the entrance.
Amid magnificently landscaped formal gardens, this splendid and enormous palace was built in the mid-17th century during the reign of Louis XIV – the Roi Soleil (Sun King) – to project the absolute power of the French monarchy, which was then at the height of its glory. The château has undergone relatively few alterations since its construction, though almost all the interior furnishings disappeared during the Revolution and many of the rooms were rebuilt by Louis-Philippe (r 1830–48).
Some 30,000 workers and soldiers toiled on the structure, the bills for which all but emptied the kingdom’s coffers. Work began in 1661 under the guidance of architect Louis Le Vau (Jules Hardouin-Mansart took over from Le Vau in the mid-1670s); painter and interior designer Charles Le Brun; and landscape artist André Le Nôtre, whose workers flattened hills, drained marshes and relocated forests as they laid out the seemingly endless gardens (www.chateauversailles.fr; place d’Armes; free except during musical events; hgardens 8am-8.30pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar, park 7am-8.30pm Apr-Oct, 8am-6pm Nov-Mar), ponds and fountains.
Le Brun and his hundreds of artisans decorated every moulding, cornice, ceiling and door of the interior with the most luxurious and ostentatious of appointments: frescos, marble, gilt and woodcarvings, many with themes and symbols drawn from Greek and Roman mythology. The King’s Suite of the Grands Appartements du Roi et de la Reine (King’s and Queen’s State Apartments) includes rooms dedicated to Hercules, Venus, Diana, Mars and Mercury. The opulence reaches its peak in the Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors), a 75m-long ballroom with 17 huge mirrors and an equal number of windows looking out over the gardens and the setting sun.
Guided Tours
To access areas that are otherwise off limits, prebook a 90-minute guided tour (%01 30 83 77 88; www.chateauversailles.fr; Château de Versailles; tours €10, plus palace entry; hEnglish-language tours 11am, 1.30pm & 3pm Tue-Sun) of the Private Apartments of Louis XV and Louis XVI and the Opera House or Royal Chapel.
Planning Your Visit
The château is situated in the leafy, bourgeois suburb of Versailles, about 22km southwest of central Paris. Take the frequent RER C5 (return €7.10) from Paris’ Left Bank RER stations to Versailles-Château–Rive Gauche station.
Western Paris, Champs-Élysées, St-Germain & Les Invalides
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
7Shopping
3Entertainment
1Sights
1Right Bank
Basilique du Sacré-CœurBasilica
(map Google map; %01 53 41 89 00; www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com; Parvis du Sacré-Cœur, 18e; basilica free, dome adult/child €6/4, cash only; hbasilica 6am-10.30pm, dome 8.30am-8pm May-Sep, 9am-5pm Oct-Apr; mAnvers or Abbesses)
Begun in 1875 in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War and the chaos of the Paris Commune, Sacré-Cœur is a symbol of the former struggle between the conservative Catholic old guard and the secular, republican radicals. It was finally consecrated in 1919, standing in contrast to the bohemian lifestyle that surrounded it. The view over Paris from its parvis is breathtaking. Avoid walking up the steep hill by using a regular metro ticket aboard the funicular (www.ratp.fr; place St-Pierre, 18e; h6am-12.45am; mAnvers or Abbesses) to the upper station (www.ratp.fr; rue du Cardinal Dubois, 18e; h6am-12.45am; mAbbesses).
Centre PompidouMuseum
(map Google map; %01 44 78 12 33; www.centrepompidou.fr; place Georges Pompidou, 4e; museum, exhibitions & panorama adult/child €14/free, panorama only ticket €5/free; h11am-9pm Wed-Mon, temporary exhibits to 11pm Thu; mRambuteau)
Renowned for its radical architectural statement, the 1977-opened Centre Pompidou brings together galleries and cutting-edge exhibitions, hands-on workshops, dance performances, cinemas and other entertainment venues, with street performers and fanciful fountains outside. The Musée National d’Art Moderne, France’s national collection of art dating from 1905 onwards, is the main draw; a fraction of its 100,000-plus pieces – including Fauvist, cubist, surrealist, pop art and contemporary works – is on display. Don’t miss the spectacular Parisian panorama from the rooftop.
Sainte-ChapelleChapel
(map Google map; %01 53 40 60 80, concerts 01 42 77 65 65; www.sainte-chapelle.fr; 8 bd du Palais, 1er; adult/child €10/free, joint ticket with Conciergerie €15/free; h9am-7pm Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Mar; mCité)
Try to save Sainte-Chapelle for a sunny day, when Paris’ oldest, finest stained glass is at its dazzling best. Enshrined within the Palais de Justice (Law Courts), this gem-like Holy Chapel is Paris’ most exquisite Gothic monument. It was completed in 1248, just six years after the first stone was laid, and was conceived by Louis IX to house his personal collection of holy relics, including the famous Holy Crown (eventually moved to Notre Dame).
Musée National PicassoMuseum
(map Google map; %01 85 56 00 36; www.museepicassoparis.fr; 5 rue de Thorigny, 3e; adult/child €12.50/free; h10.30am-6pm Tue-Fri, from 9.30am Sat & Sun; mChemin Vert or St-Paul)
One of Paris’ most treasured art collections is showcased inside the mid-17th-century Hôtel Salé, an exquisite private mansion owned by the city since 1964. The Musée National Picasso is a staggering art museum devoted to Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), who spent much of his life living and working in Paris. The collection includes more than 5000 drawings, engravings, paintings, ceramic works and sculptures by the grand maître (great master), although they’re not all displayed at the same time.
Arc de TriompheLandmark
(map Google map; www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr; place Charles de Gaulle, 8e; viewing platform adult/child €12/free; h10am-11pm Apr-Sep, to 10.30pm Oct-Mar; mCharles de Gaulle–Étoile)
If anything rivals the Eiffel Tower as the symbol of Paris, it’s this magnificent 1836 monument to Napoléon’s victory at Austerlitz (1805), which he commissioned the following year. The intricately sculpted triumphal arch stands sentinel in the centre of the Étoile (Star) roundabout. From the viewing platform on top of the arch (50m up via 284 steps and well worth the climb) you can see the dozen avenues.
If anything rivals the Eiffel Tower as the symbol of Paris, it’s this magnificent 1836 monument to Napoléon’s victory at Austerlitz (1805). For two weeks in April 2020, conceptual artist Christo – of Jeanne-Claude and Christo fame – will wrap the arch in silvery-blue polypropylene fabric, tied by 7000m of red rope.
Palais GarnierHistoric Building
(map Google map; %08 92 89 90 90; www.operadeparis.fr; cnr rues Scribe & Auber, 9e; self-guided tours adult/child €12/8, guided tours adult/child €15.50/8.50; hself-guided tours 10am-5pm, English-language guided tours 11am & 2.30pm; mOpéra)
The fabled ‘phantom of the opera’ lurked in this opulent opera house designed in 1860 by Charles Garnier (then an unknown 35-year-old architect). Reserve a spot on a 90-minute English-language guided tour, or visit on your own (audioguides available; €5). Don’t miss the Grand Staircase and gilded auditorium with red velvet seats, a massive chandelier and Marc Chagall’s ceiling mural. Also worth a peek is the museum, with posters, costumes, backdrops, original scores and other memorabilia.
Cimetière du Père LachaiseCemetery
(map Google map; %01 55 25 82 10; www.pere-lachaise.com; 16 rue du Repos & 8 bd de Ménilmontant, 20e; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, from 8.30am Sat, from 9am Sun mid-Mar–Oct, shorter hours Nov–mid-Mar; mPère Lachaise or Gambetta)
Opened in 1804, Père Lachaise is today the world’s most visited cemetery. Its 70,000 ornate tombs of the rich and famous form a verdant, 44-hectare sculpture garden. The most visited are those of 1960s rock star Jim Morrison (division 6) and Oscar Wilde (division 89). Pick up cemetery maps at the conservation office (Bureaux de la Conservation; map; h8.30am-12.30pm & 2-5pm Mon-Fri; mPhilippe Auguste, Père Lachaise) near the main bd de Ménilmontant entrance. Other notables buried here include composer Chopin, playwright Molière, poet Apollinaire, and writers Balzac, Proust, Stein and Colette.
Jardin des TuileriesPark
(map Google map; rue de Rivoli, 1er; h7am-9pm Apr-late Sep, 7.30am-7.30pm late Sep-Mar; mTuileries or Concorde)
Filled with fountains, ponds and sculptures, the formal 28-hectare Tuileries Garden, which begins just west of the Jardin du Carrousel, was laid out in its present form in 1664 by André Le Nôtre, architect of the gardens at Versailles. The Tuileries soon became the most fashionable spot in Paris for parading about in one’s finery. It now forms part of the Banks of the Seine Unesco World Heritage Site.
Canal St-MartinCanal
(map Google map; 10e; mRépublique, Jaurès, Jacques Bonsergent)
The tranquil, 4.5km-long Canal St-Martin was inaugurated in 1825 to provide a shipping link between the Seine and Paris’ northeastern suburbs. Emerging from below ground near place de la République, its towpaths take you past locks, bridges and local neighbourhoods. Come for a romantic stroll, cycle, picnic or dusk-time drink. From the iron footbridge by the intersection of rue de la Grange aux Belles and quai de Jemmapes, watch the vintage road bridge swing open to let canal boats pass.
Jardin du Palais RoyalGardens
(map Google map; www.domaine-palais-royal.fr; 2 place Colette, 1er; h8am-10.30pm Apr-Sep, to 8.30pm Oct-Mar; mPalais Royal–Musée du Louvre)
The Jardin du Palais Royal is a perfect spot to sit, contemplate and picnic between boxed hedges, or shop in the trio of beautiful arcades that frame the garden: the Galerie de Valois (east), Galerie de Montpensier (west) and Galerie Beaujolais (north). However, it’s the southern end of the complex, polka-dotted with sculptor Daniel Buren’s 260 black-and-white striped columns, that has become the garden’s signature feature.
Parisian Island Life
Paris’ geographic and spiritual heart lies on its island twinset, and there is no finer spot for admiring Notre Dame or lapping up local life than on the pavement terrace at Café Saint Régis (map Google map; %01 43 54 59 41; www.cafesaintregisparis.com; 6 rue Jean du Bellay, 4e; breakfast & snacks €3.50-15.50, mains €18-33.50; h6.30am-2am, kitchen 8am-midnight; W; mPont Marie) on Île St-Louis. Waiters in long white aprons, a ceramic-tiled interior and retro vintage decor make it a hip hang-out for eating or drinking any time of day. Nearby, Berthillon (map Google map; www.berthillon.fr; 29-31 & 46 rue St-Louis en l’Île, 4e; 1/2/3/4 scoops takeaway €3/4.50/6/7.50; h10am-8pm Wed-Sun, closed mid-Feb–early Mar & Aug; mPont Marie) is the capital’s most-esteemed glacier (ice-cream maker), founded in 1954 and still run by the same family.
Les Halles, Le Marais & the Islands
1Sights
7Shopping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
1Left Bank
Musée d’OrsayMuseum
(map Google map; %01 40 49 48 14; www.musee-orsay.fr; 1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 7e; adult/child €14/free; h9.30am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 9.45pm Thu; mAssemblée Nationale or RER Musée d’Orsay)
This is the home of France’s national collection from the impressionist, post-impressionist and art nouveau movements spanning from 1848 to 1914. The glorious former Gare d’Orsay train station – itself an art nouveau showpiece – displays a roll-call of masters and their world-famous works.
Top of every visitor’s must-see list is the world’s largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art. Allow ample time to swoon over masterpieces by Manet, Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro and Van Gogh.
Musée RodinMuseum, Garden
(map Google map; %01 44 18 61 10; www.musee-rodin.fr; 79 rue de Varenne, 7e; adult/child €10/free, garden only €4/free; h10am-5.45pm Tue-Sun; mVarenne or Invalides)
Sculptor, painter, sketcher, engraver and collector Auguste Rodin donated his entire collection to the French state in 1908 on the proviso that it dedicate his former workshop and showroom, the beautiful 1730 Hôtel Biron, to displaying his works. They’re now installed not only in the mansion itself, but also in its rose-filled garden – one of the most peaceful places in central Paris and a wonderful spot to contemplate his famous work The Thinker.
Purchase tickets online to avoid queuing.
Hôtel des InvalidesMonument, Museum
(map Google map; www.musee-armee.fr; 129 rue de Grenelle, 7e; adult/child €12/free; h10am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Mar; mVarenne or La Tour Maubourg)
Flanked by the 500m-long Esplanade des Invalides lawns, Hôtel des Invalides was built in the 1670s by Louis XIV to house 4000 invalides (disabled war veterans). On 14 July 1789, a mob broke into the building and seized 32,000 rifles before heading on to the prison at Bastille and the start of the French Revolution.
Admission includes entry to all Hôtel des Invalides sights (temporary exhibitions cost extra). Hours for individual sites can vary – check the website for updates.
PanthéonMausoleum
(map Google map; %01 44 32 18 00; www.paris-pantheon.fr; place du Panthéon, 5e; adult/child €9/free; h10am-6.30pm Apr-Sep, to 6pm Oct-Mar; mMaubert-Mutualité or RER Luxembourg)
The Panthéon’s stately neoclassical dome is an icon of the Parisian skyline. Its vast interior is an architectural masterpiece: originally an abbey church dedicated to Ste Geneviève and now a mausoleum, it has served since 1791 as the resting place of some of France’s greatest thinkers, including Voltaire, Rousseau, Braille and Hugo. A copy of Foucault’s pendulum, first hung from the dome in 1851 to demonstrate the rotation of the earth, takes pride of place.
Les CatacombesCemetery
(%01 43 22 47 63; www.catacombes.paris.fr; place Denfert-Rochereau, 14e; adult/child €13/free, online booking incl audio guide €29/5; h10am-8.30pm Tue-Sun; mDenfert-Rochereau)
These skull- and bone-lined underground tunnels are Paris’ most macabre sight. In 1785 it was decided to rectify the hygiene problems of Paris’ overflowing cemeteries by exhuming the bones and storing them in disused quarry tunnels, and the Catacombes were created in 1810. After descending 20m (via 131 narrow, dizzying spiral steps), you follow dark, subterranean passages to the ossuary (1.5km in all). Exit up 112 steps via a ‘transition space’ (with gift shop onto 21bis av René Coty, 14e.
Jardin du LuxembourgPark
(map Google map; www.senat.fr/visite/jardin; 6e; hhours vary; mMabillon, St-Sulpice, Rennes, Notre Dame des Champs or RER Luxembourg)
This inner-city oasis of formal terraces, chestnut groves and lush lawns has a special place in Parisians’ hearts. Napoléon dedicated the 23 gracefully laid-out hectares of the Luxembourg Gardens to the children of Paris, and many residents spent their childhood prodding 1920s wooden sailboats (sailboat rental per 30min €4; h11am-6pm Apr-Oct) with long sticks on the octagonal Grand Bassin pond, watching puppets perform puppet shows at the Théâtre du Luxembourg (map Google map; %01 43 29 50 97; www.marionnettesduluxembourg.fr; tickets €6.40; hWed, Sat & Sun, daily during school holidays) and riding the carrousel (merry-go-round) or ponies (%06 07 32 53 95; www.animaponey.com; 600m/900m pony ride €6/8.50; h3-6pm Wed, Sat, Sun & school holidays).
7Shopping
La Grande Épicerie de ParisFood & Drinks
(map Google map; www.lagrandeepicerie.com; 38 rue de Sèvres, 7e; h8.30am-9pm Mon-Sat, 10am-8pm Sun; mSèvres-Babylone)
The magnificent food hall of department store Le Bon Marché (map Google map; %01 44 39 80 00; www.24sevres.com; 24 rue de Sèvres, 7e; h10am-8pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, 10am-8.45pm Thu, 11am-7.45pm Sun; mSèvres-Babylone) sells 30,000 rare and/or luxury gourmet products, including 60 different types of bread baked on-site and delicacies such as caviar ravioli. Its fantastical displays of chocolates, pastries, biscuits, cheeses, fresh fruit and vegetables and deli goods are a sight in themselves. Wine tastings regularly take place in the basement.
Shakespeare & CompanyBooks
(map Google map; %01 43 25 40 93; www.shakespeareandcompany.com; 37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5e; h10am-10pm; mSt-Michel)
Enchanting nooks and crannies overflow with new and secondhand English-language books. The original shop (12 rue l’Odéon, 6e; closed by the Nazis in 1941) was run by Sylvia Beach and became the meeting point for Hemingway’s ‘Lost Generation’. Readings by emerging and illustrious authors regularly take place and there’s a wonderful cafe (map; www.shakespeareandcompany.com; 2 rue St-Julien le Pauvre, 5e; h9.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat & Sun; W; mSt-Michel) 
S next door.
Marché aux Puces de St-OuenMarket
(www.marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com; rue des Rosiers, St-Ouen; hSat-Mon; mPorte de Clignancourt)
Spanning 9 hectares, this vast flea market was founded in 1870 and is said to be Europe’s largest. Over 2000 stalls are grouped into 15 marchés (markets) selling everything from 17th-century furniture to 21st-century clothing. Each market has different opening hours – check the website for details. There are miles upon miles of ‘freelance’ stalls; come prepared to spend some time.
5Eating
5Right Bank
Le Verre VoléBistro€
(map Google map; %01 48 03 17 34; www.leverrevole.fr; 67 rue de Lancry, 10e; mains €11-22, sandwiches €7.90; hbistro 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-11.30pm, wine bar 10am-2am; W; mJacques Bonsergent)
The tiny ‘Stolen Glass’ – a wine shop with a few tables – is one of Paris’ most popular wine bar–restaurants, with outstanding natural and unfiltered wines and expert advice. Unpretentious, hearty plats du jour are excellent. Reserve in advance for meals, or stop by to pick up a gourmet sandwich (such as mustard-smoked burrata with garlic-pork sausage) and a bottle.
RicherBistro€
(map Google map; www.lericher.com; 2 rue Richer, 9e; mains €17-28; hnoon-2.30pm & 7.30-10.30pm; mPoissonnière or Bonne Nouvelle)
Run by the same team as across-the-street neighbour L’Office (map Google map; %01 47 70 67 31; www.office-resto.com; 3 rue Richer, 9e; 2-/3-course lunch menus €22/27, mains €22-29; hnoon-2pm & 7.30-10.30pm Mon-Fri), Richer’s pared-back, exposed-brick decor is a smart setting for genius creations including smoked-duck-breast ravioli in miso broth, and quince-and-lime cheesecake for dessert. It doesn’t take reservations, but it serves snacks and Chinese tea, and has a full bar (open until midnight). Fantastic value.
Breizh CaféCrêpes€
(map Google map; %01 42 72 13 77; www.breizhcafe.com; 109 rue Vieille du Temple, 3e; crêpes & galettes €6.80-18.80; h10am-11pm; mSt-Sébastien–Froissart)
Everything at the Breizh (‘Breton’ in Breton) is 100% authentic, including its organic-flour crêpes and galettes (savoury buckwheat crêpes) that top many Parisians’ lists for the best in the city. Other specialities include Cancale oysters and 20 types of cider. Tables are limited and there’s often a wait; book ahead or try its deli, L’Épicerie (map; %01 42 71 39 44; 111 rue Vieille du Temple, 3e; h10am-10pm), next door.
LaduréePastries€€
(map Google map; %01 40 75 08 75; www.laduree.fr; 75 av des Champs-Élysées, 8e; pastries €2.60-13, mains €20-45, 2-/3-course lunch menu €35/42; h7.30am-11.30pm Mon-Thu, 7.30am-12.30am Fri, 8.30am-12.30am Sat, 8.30am-11.30pm Sun; Wc; mGeorge V)
One of Paris’ oldest patisseries, Ladurée has been around since 1862 and first created the lighter-than-air, ganache-filled macaron in the 1930s. Its tearoom is the classiest spot to indulge on the Champs. Alternatively, pick up some pastries to go – from croissants to its trademark macarons, it’s all quite heavenly.
Maison MaisonMediterranean€€
(map Google map; %09 67 82 07 32; www.restaurant-maisonmaison.com; 63 Parc Rives de Seine, 1er; 2-/3-course lunch menu €20/25, small plates €7-16; hkitchen 7-10pm Mon, noon-3pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sun, bar to 2am; mPont Neuf)
Halfway down the stairs by Pont Neuf is this wonderfully secret space beneath the bouquinistes (used-book sellers), where you can watch the bateaux-mouches (river-cruise boats) float by as you dine on creations such as beetroot and pink-grapefruit-cured bonito or gnocchi with white asparagus and broccoli pesto. In nice weather, cocktails at the glorious riverside terrace are not to be missed.
FrenchieBistro€€€
(map Google map; %01 40 39 96 19; www.frenchie-ruedunil.com; 5 rue du Nil, 2e; 3-course lunch menu €48, 5-course dinner menu €65, with wine €175; h6.30-10pm Mon-Wed, noon-2.30pm & 6.30-10pm Thu & Fri; mSentier)
Tucked down an inconspicuous alley, this tiny bistro with wooden tables and old stone walls is always packed and for good reason: French chef Gregory Marchand’s modern, market-driven dishes prepared with unpretentious flair have earned him a Michelin star. Reserve well in advance or arrive early and pray for a cancellation (it does happen). Alternatively, head to neighbouring Frenchie Bar à Vins (map Google map; www.frenchie-bav.com; 6 rue du Nil, 2e; dishes €8-28; h6.30-11pm).
No reservations at Frenchie Bar à Vins – write your name on the sheet of paper strung outside and wait for your name to be called.
During the day, swing by its adjacent deli-style takeaway outlet Frenchie to Go (map Google map; %01 40 26 23 43; www.frenchie-ftg.com; 9 rue du Nil, 2e; dishes €11-21; h8.30am-5pm; W).
VerjusModern American€€€
(map Google map; %01 42 97 54 40; www.verjusparis.com; 52 rue de Richelieu, 1er; menu €78, with wine €133; h7-11pm Mon-Fri; mBourse, Pyramides)
Opened by American duo Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian, Verjus was born out of their former clandestine supper club, the Hidden Kitchen. The restaurant builds on that tradition, offering a chance to sample some excellent, creative cuisine in a casual space. The tasting menu is a series of small plates, using ingredients sourced straight from producers. Reserve well in advance.
If you’re just after an aperitif or a prelude to dinner, the downstairs Verjus Bar à Vins (map Google map; 47 rue de Montpensier, 1er; h6-11pm Mon-Fri) serves a handful of charcuterie and cheese plates. For lunch or a more casual dinner, don’t miss nearby Ellsworth (map Google map; %01 42 60 59 66; www.ellsworthparis.com; 34 rue de Richelieu, 1er; 2-/3-course lunch menu €24/30, small dinner plates €12-20; h12.15-2.15pm & 7-10.30pm Tue-Fri, 7-10.30pm Sat; mPyramides), Verjus’ sister restaurant.
5Left Bank
Café de la Nouvelle MairieCafe€
(map Google map; %01 44 07 04 41; 19 rue des Fossés St-Jacques, 5e; mains €11-17; h8am-12.30am Mon-Fri, kitchen noon-2.30pm & 8-10.30pm Mon-Thu, 8-10pm Fri; mCardinal Lemoine)
Shhhh…just around the corner from the Panthéon but hidden away on a small, fountained square, this hybrid cafe-restaurant and wine bar is a tip-top neighbourhood secret, serving natural wines and delicious seasonal bistro fare, from oysters and ribs (à la française) to grilled lamb sausage over lentils. It takes reservations for dinner but not lunch – arrive early.
Bouillon RacineBrasserie€€
(map Google map; %01 44 32 15 60; www.bouillonracine.fr; 3 rue Racine, 6e; 2-course weekday lunch menu €17.50, 3-course menu €35, mains €17-24.50; hnoon-11pm; c; mCluny–La Sorbonne)
Inconspicuously situated in a quiet street, this heritage-listed art nouveau ‘soup kitchen’, with mirrored walls, floral motifs and ceramic tiling, was built in 1906 to feed market workers. Despite the magnificent interior, the food – inspired by age-old recipes – is no afterthought and superbly executed (stuffed, spit-roasted suckling pig, pork shank in Rodenbach red beer, scallops and shrimps with lobster coulis).
Huîtrerie RegisSeafood€€
(map Google map; www.huitrerie-regis.com; 3 rue de Montfaucon, 6e; dozen oysters from €26; hnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-10.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-10.45pm Sat, noon-10pm Sun; mMabillon)
Hip, trendy, tiny and white, this is the spot for slurping oysters on crisp winter days – inside or on the tiny pavement terrace sporting sage-green Fermob chairs. Oysters arrive live from the Bassin de Marennes-Oléron and come only by the dozen. Wash them down with a glass of chilled Muscadet. No reservations, so arrive early.
Best Boulangeries
Du Pain et des Idées (map Google map; www.dupainetdesidees.com; 34 rue Yves Toudic, 10e; breads €1.20-7, pastries €2.50-6.50; h6.45am-8pm Mon-Fri, closed Aug; mJacques Bonsergent) Traditional bakery with dazzling 1889 interior.
The French Bastards (map Google map; 61 rue Oberkampf, 11e; pastries €1.50-5.50, sandwiches €7.50-9; h7am-8.30pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 8am-8pm Sat, 8am-6pm Sun; mParmentier) Fantastic pastries and sandwiches near Canal St-Martin.
Le Grenier à Pain (map Google map; www.legrenierapain.com; 38 rue des Abbesses, 18e; pastries €1.10-4.50; h7.30am-8pm Thu-Mon; mAbbesses) Perfect Montmartre picnic stop.
Chambelland (map Google map; %01 43 55 07 30; www.chambelland.com; 14 rue Ternaux, 11e; lunch menus €10-12, pastries €2.50-5.50; h8am-8pm Tue-Sat, to 6pm Sun; mParmentier) A 100%-gluten-free bakery.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Bar HemingwayCocktail Bar
(map Google map; www.ritzparis.com; Hôtel Ritz Paris, 15 place Vendôme, 1er; h6pm-2am; W; mOpéra)
Black-and-white photos and memorabilia (hunting trophies, old typewriters and framed handwritten letters by the great writer) fill this snug bar inside the Ritz. Head bartender Colin Peter Field mixes monumental cocktails, including three different Bloody Marys made with juice from freshly squeezed seasonal tomatoes. Legend has it that Hemingway himself, wielding a machine gun, helped liberate the bar during WWII.
Le Baron RougeWine Bar
(www.lebaronrouge.net; 1 rue Théophile Roussel, 12e; h5-10pm Mon, 10am-2pm & 5-10pm Tue-Fri, 10am-10pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; mLedru-Rollin)
Just about the ultimate Parisian wine-bar experience, this wonderfully unpretentious local meeting place, where everyone is welcome, has barrels stacked against the bottle-lined walls and serves cheese, charcuterie and oysters in season. It’s especially busy on Sunday after the Marché d’Aligre wraps up. For a small deposit, you can fill up 1L bottles straight from the barrel for less than €5.
Coutume CaféCoffee
(%01 45 51 50 47; www.coutumecafe.com; 47 rue de Babylone, 7e; h8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun; W; mSt-François Xavier) S
The Parisian coffee revolution is thanks in no small part to Coutume, artisanal roaster of premium beans for scores of establishments around town. Its flagship cafe – a light-filled, post-industrial space – is ground zero for innovative preparation methods including cold extraction and siphon brews. Couple some of Paris’ finest coffee with tasty, seasonal cuisine and the place is always packed out.
Les Deux MagotsCafe
(map Google map; %01 45 48 55 25; www.lesdeuxmagots.fr; 6 place St-Germain des Prés, 6e; h7.30am-1am; mSt-Germain des Prés)
If ever there was a cafe that summed up St-Germain des Prés’ early-20th-century literary scene, it’s this former hang-out of anyone who was anyone. You’ll spend substantially more here to sip un café (€4.80) in a wicker chair on the pavement terrace shaded by dark-green awnings and geraniums spilling from window boxes, but it’s an undeniable piece of Parisian history.
Le PerchoirRooftop Bar
(map Google map; %01 48 06 18 48; www.leperchoir.tv; 14 rue Crespin du Gast, 11e; h6pm-2am Tue-Sat; W; mMénilmontant)
Sunset is the best time to head up to this 7th-floor bar for a drink overlooking Paris’ rooftops, where DJs spin on Saturday nights. Greenery provides shade in summer; in winter it’s covered by a sail-like canopy and warmed by fires burning in metal drums. It’s accessed off an inner courtyard via a lift (or a spiralling staircase).
Experimental Cocktail ClubCocktail Bar
(ECC; map Google map; www.experimentalcocktailclub.fr; 37 rue St-Sauveur, 2e; h7pm-2am; mRéaumur Sébastopol)
With a black curtain façade, this retro-chic speakeasy – with sister bars in London, Ibiza, New York and, bien sûr, Paris – is a sophisticated flashback to those années folles (crazy years) of Prohibition New York. Cocktails are individual and fabulous, and DJs keep the party going until dawn at weekends. It’s not a large space, however, and fills to capacity quickly.
Pavillon PueblaBeer Garden
(map Google map; www.leperchoir.tv; Parc des Buttes Chaumont, 39 av Simon Bolivar, 19e; h6pm-2am Wed-Fri, from noon Sat, noon-10pm Sun; W; mButtes Chaumont)
Strung with fairy lights, this rustic ivy-draped cottage’s two rambling terraces in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont evoke a guinguette (old-fashioned outdoor tavern/dance venue), with a 21st-century vibe provided by its Moroccan decor, contemporary furniture, and DJ beats from Thursdays to Saturdays. Alongside mostly French wines and craft beers, cocktails include its signature Spritz du Pavillon (Aperol, Prosecco and soda).
NuageCafe
(map Google map; %09 82 39 80 69; www.nuagecafe.fr; 14 rue des Carmes, 5e; per hr/day €5/25; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 11am-8pm Sat & Sun; W; mMaubert-Mutualité)
One of a crop of co-working cafes to mushroom in Paris, Nuage (Cloud) lures a loyal following of nomadic digital creatives with its cosy, home-like spaces in an old church (and subsequent school where Cyrano de Bergerac apparently studied). Payment is by the hour or day, craft coffee is by Parisian roaster Coutume and gourmet snacks stave off hunger pangs.
ConcreteClub
(www.concreteparis.fr; 69 Port de la Rapée, 12e; hfrom 10pm Thu-Mon; mGare de Lyon)
Moored by Gare de Lyon on a barge on the Seine, this wild-child club with two dance floors is famed for introducing an ‘after-hours’ element to Paris’ somewhat staid clubbing scene, with the country’s first 24-hour licence. Watch for world-class electro DJ appearances and all-weekend events on social media.
3Entertainment
Opéra BastilleOpera
(map Google map; %international calls 01 71 25 24 23, within France 08 92 89 90 90; www.operadeparis.fr; 2-6 place de la Bastille, 12e; hbox office 11.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 1hr prior to performances Sun; mBastille)
Paris’ premier opera hall, Opéra Bastille’s 2745-seat main auditorium also stages ballet and classical concerts. Online tickets go on sale up to three weeks before telephone or box-office sales (from noon on Wednesdays; online flash sales offer significant discounts). Standing-only tickets (places débouts; €5) are available 90 minutes before performances. French-language 90-minute guided tours (map; %within France 08 92 89 90 90; www.operadeparis.fr; 2-6 place de la Bastille, 12e; tours adult/child €17/12; htours Sep–mid-Jul; mBastille) take you backstage.
Philharmonie de ParisConcert Venue
(%01 44 84 44 84; www.philharmoniedeparis.fr; 221 av Jean Jaurès, 19e; hbox office noon-6pm Tue-Fri, from 10am Sat & Sun, plus concerts; mPorte de Pantin)
Major complex the Cité de la Musique – Philharmonie de Paris hosts an eclectic range of concerts, from classical to North African and Japanese, in the Philharmonie building’s Grande Salle Pierre Boulez, with an audience capacity of 2400 to 3600. The adjacent Cité de la Musique’s Salle des Concerts has a capacity of 900 to 1600.
Café UniverselJazz, Blues
(map Google map; %01 43 25 74 20; www.facebook.com/cafeuniversel.paris05; 267 rue St-Jacques, 5e; hconcerts from 8.30pm Tue-Sat, cafe 8.30am-3pm Mon, 8.30am-1am Tue-Fri, 4.30pm-1am Sat, 1.30pm-1am Sun; W; mCensier Daubenton or RER Port Royal)
Café Universel hosts a brilliant array of live concerts with everything from bebop and Latin sounds to vocal jazz sessions. Plenty of freedom is given to young producers and artists, and its convivial, relaxed atmosphere attracts a mix of students and jazz lovers. Concerts are free, but you should tip the artists when they pass the hat around.
Le BataclanLive Music
(map Google map; %01 43 14 00 30; www.bataclan.fr; 50 bd Voltaire, 11e; mOberkampf, Filles du Calvaire)
Built in 1864, intimate concert, theatre and dance hall Le Bataclan was Maurice Chevalier’s debut venue in 1910. The 1497-capacity venue reopened with a concert by Sting on 12 November 2016, almost a year to the day following the tragic 13 November 2015 terrorist attacks that took place here, and once again hosts French and international rock and pop legends.
8INFORMATION
Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau (Paris Office de Tourisme; map; %01 49 52 42 63; www.parisinfo.com; 29 rue de Rivoli, 4e; h9am-7pm May-Oct, 10am-7pm Nov-Apr; W; mHôtel de Ville) Paris’ main tourist office is at the Hôtel de Ville. It sells tickets for tours and several attractions, plus museum and transport passes.
Buying Tickets
The most convenient place to purchase concert, theatre and other cultural and sporting-event tickets is from electronics and entertainment megashop Fnac (%08 92 68 36 22; www.fnactickets.com) or by phone or online. On the day of performance, theatre, opera and ballet tickets are sold for half price (plus €3 commission) at the central Kiosque Théâtre Madeleine (map Google map; www.kiosqueculture.com; opposite 15 place de la Madeleine, 8e; h12.30-2.30pm & 3-7.30pm Tue-Sat, 12.30-3.45pm Sun Sep-Jun, closed Sun Jul & Aug; mMadeleine).
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
AIR
Paris is a major air-transport hub serviced by virtually all major airlines, with three airports.
Aéroport de Charles de Gaulle (CDG; %01 70 36 39 50; www.parisaeroport.fr) Major international airport, also known as ‘Roissy’, 28km northeast of central Paris.
Aéroport d’Orly (ORY; %01 70 36 39 50; www.parisaeroport.fr) Located 19km south of central Paris but not as frequently used by international airlines as CDG.
Aéroport de Beauvais (BVA; %08 92 68 20 66; www.aeroportbeauvais.com) Served by a few low-cost flights, 75km north of Paris.
BUS
Eurolines (map; %08 92 89 90 91; www.eurolines.fr; 55 rue St-Jacques, 5e; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Fri; mCluny–La Sorbonne) connects all major European capitals to Paris’ international bus terminal, Gare Routière Internationale de Paris-Galliéni (28 av du Général de Gaulle, Bagnolet; mGalliéni). The terminal is in the eastern suburb of Bagnolet; it’s about a 15-minute metro ride to the more central République station.
Major European bus company FlixBus (www.flixbus.com) uses western Parking Pershing (16-24 bd Pershing, 17e; mPorte Maillot).
TRAIN
Paris has six major train stations serving both national and international destinations. For mainline train information, check SNCF (www.sncf-voyages.com).
8GETTING AROUND
Walking is a pleasure in Paris, and the city also has one of the most efficient and inexpensive public-transport systems in the world, which makes getting around a breeze.
Metro & RER The fastest way to get around. Metros run from about 5.30am and finish around 1.15am (around 2.15am on Friday and Saturday nights), depending on the line. RER commuter trains operate from around 5.30am to 1.20am daily.
Bicycle Virtually free pick-up, drop-off Vélib’ bikes have docking stations across the city; electric bikes are also available.
Bus Good for parents with prams/strollers and people with limited mobility.
Boat The Batobus is a handy hop-on, hop-off service stopping at nine key destinations along the Seine.