shops and stalls, the produce is top quality, with the patisseries
and cheese shops being particularly good.
Rue Cler
Market Tue–Sat
8
Exit rue Cler via rue St-Dominique, then take a right onto Avenue Bosquet and the entrance to Les Égouts de Paris will be at the top of the avenue overlooking the river (opposite No. 93 Quai d’Orsay). This is a popular if somewhat eccentric tourist attraction. Baron Haussmann is most famous for the grand boulevards he built throughout the city in the mid-19th century, but one of his most important achievements was Paris’ sewerage system (égouts). This museum explains their history and workings and makes for an interesting if unusual visit. Tours are limited to the small part of the sewer network around the Quai d’Orsay, which is just as well, as they stretch more than 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) under the city.
Les Égouts de Paris
Opening times: 11am–5pm Sat–Wed (to 4pm in winter)
Closed two weeks in Jan
Tel: 01. 53 68 27 81
9
Walk along Quai Branly and you will come to the Musée du Quai Branly on your left. This remarkable museum by architect Jean Nouvel displays 3,500 exhibits from the French state’s collection of non-Western art. Established by former President Jacques Chirac, this popular museum opened in 2006. Perched on pillars above a lush garden, a group of four inter-connected buildings made of glass, wood and concrete are organised around symbols of forests, rivers and, oddly, death and oblivion. Tickets are purchased outside the main building, and once inside visitors follow a 180-metre (590-foot) ramp that spirals around a glass tower displaying musical instruments. This leads to the main collections, from which routes pass through four colour-coded zones dedicated to Oceania, Asia, Africa and the Americas. There are stairs to three mezzanine galleries, one of which is home to the museum’s multimedia resources. There is also a rooftop restaurant with stunning views in the garden, which is home to 15,000 carefully tended plants, and a 500-seat auditorium used for open-air music and dance performances.
Musée du Quai Branly
Opening times: 11am–7pm daily (9pm Thur–Sat)
Website:
www.quaibranly.frTel: 01. 56 61 70 00
Invalides
147
