The Best of Tuileries, Opéra & Montmartre
One of the magnificent ceilings in the Opéra Garnier
Paris’s busy city centre spreads north from the Louvre to Montmartre. Shops, restaurants and cafés stand in harmony alongside innumerable museums, theatres and cinemas, fusing history, art and culture with entertainment and pleasure. This area comes alive in winter, when Parisians flock to the glittering Opéra. During the Christmas season, snowflakes over Sacré-Coeur add to Montmartre’s charming village feel. In summer, unwind in the Palais Royal’s peaceful garden or in the trendy Square des Batignolles.
A perfect Parisian adventure
After lunch, take bus no. 95 north to Place de Clichy (see
Les Batignolles), passing by the opera house, the
Opéra Garnier. Walk to Place Pigalle and catch the little train up to
Sacré-Coeur. Kids will love the view, and a ride on the old-fashioned carousel.
Stroll down the hill past the old windmills on
Rue Lepic. Have dinner and stock up on
berlingots, traditional sweets, at
Coquelicot before heading home from Abbesses, the deepest Métro station in Paris.
History, royals and revolutionaries
Go underground at the Louvre to check out the foundations of Philippe Auguste’s medieval fortress and retrace the steps of the kings, queens and emperors of France through the magnificent royal apartments. Hop across the road to the
Palais Royal, where the Revolution began in 1789. Take the kids on a journey through time in the footsteps of Napoleon’s soldiers, starting under the arcades of the popular
Rue de Rivoli, commissioned to celebrate one of his greatest victories, then see the army in action on the
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and on the huge column in
Place Vendôme.
Cool off in the Jardin des Tuileries, but watch out for the little red dwarf who appears on the eve of a national disaster. Finish the day at the Opéra Garnier, which sits at the heart of the new, modern city built by Baron Haussmann in the 19th century. This is the place to feel like a true belle époque Parisian, strolling along the boulevards, enjoying the good things in life.
Works by Dalí, including the sculpture The Profile of Time, Espace Dalí
Art lessons
The Louvre, home to the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, never ceases to amaze. Ponder why the Venus de Milo has no arms and see art as propaganda in David’s paintings of Napoleon.
Admire gorgeous jewellery at the
Musée des Art Décoratifs and gaze in awe at Monet’s giant water lily paintings at the
Musée de l’Orangerie, before hopping on to bus no. 95 to another of his favourites, the busy Gare St-Lazare, to sketch the trains from the Pont de l’Europe. From here walk up to Montmartre, past the former homes of some of the most famous artists who ever lived. Round off the day in the wonderful world of the Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, at the
Espace Dalí.
The glass pyramid of the Louvre
Shop till you drop
Shopping as entertainment began in the covered arcades of
Les Passages, which are home to fantastic toy stores and tea rooms. Check out Paris’s two big stores,
Galeries Lafayette and
Printemps, then lunch in Printemps’s rooftop café. Be sure not to miss its state-of-the-art washrooms. Budding ballerinas can spend their pocket money in the shop at the Paris opera house, the Opéra Garnier. Wander around the unusual shops at the Palais Royal, find something chic at the Carrousel du Louvre, or buy something fun to take home in the streets of Montmartre.
< Tuileries, Opéra & Montmartre
The Louvre and Around
Relaxing by the fountain in the Jardin du Palais Royal
The biggest museum in the world, the Louvre dazzles through the sheer scale and brilliance of its art collections. Kids will love the underground moats, the Egyptian gallery and the Mona Lisa. At night the Lourve looks spectacular, with the glass pyramid, which is the entrance to the museum, magically illuminated. The sights around the Louvre are concentrated in a small area, and there is a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities. There can be traffic in the late afternoon, during rush hour, so for a more peaceful walk choose a Sunday morning or public holiday.
1. The Louvre
2. Jardin des Tuileries
3. Musée de l’Orangerie
4. Rue de Rivoli
5. Musée des Arts Décoratifs
6. Joan of Arc Statue
7. Place Vendôme
8. Comédie Française
9. Palais Royal
10. Musée en Herbe
Statue of Napoleon atop the Vendôme Column, in Place Vendôme
1. The Louvre
Mummies, mysterious ladies and medieval moats
Statues on top of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
Fascinating and beyond famous, the Louvre houses a stunning selection of art from the Middle Ages to 1848, as well as one of the biggest collections of ancient Egyptian treasures in the world. In all there are 35,000 things to see, and to look at them all would take about nine months. In over 800 years, it has metamorphosized from being a fortress to a palace, a stable, a granary and a home for squatters once the kings abandoned Paris. In 1793, after the Revolution, it opened as a museum to display the royal treasures.
Key Features
1. Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel This triumphal arch was built to celebrate Napoleon’s victories in 1805. Its marble columns are adorned with statues of soldiers of the Grand Armée.
2. Inverted pyramid Made out of glass, this pyramid brings light to the subterranean complex, the Carrousel du Louvre, echoing that of the main entrance.
3. Cours Visconti The department of Islamic Art collection ranges from the 7th century to the fall of the Ottoman Empire. More than 3,000 objects are on display, in what is regarded as one of the world’s best collections of Islamic Art.
4. Tapestries from the Gobelins factory The museum’s Decorative Arts collection, which covers a vast range of objects including jewellery, silver and glassware also showcases a series of beautiful tapestries from the famous Gobelins factory.
5. Medieval moat The sheer size of the twin towers and the drawbridge in the moat will impress the kids and give them a taste of the vast fortified castle that once stood here.
6. Glass Pyramid The popular modern main entrance, designed by Chinese-American architect, I M Pei, was opened in 1989. It is made out of glass and so does not disturb the view of the historic buildings that surround it.
7. Atrium The light-filled atrium of IM Pei’s glass pyramid is the entry point into the Denon, Sully and Richelieu wings.
8. Mona Lisa This famous painting once hung on both Louis XIV’s and Napoleon’s bedroom walls. Leonardo da Vinci never revealed the identity of this mysterious lady.
9. Venus di Milo In this famous Ancient Greek statue Venus, the goddess of Love, may have lost her arms but this is still one of the most famous and beautiful statues in the world.
10. François I French kings and queens were crazy about Italian art and amassed much of the collection. See François I, in his magnificent Renaissance finery, his hand resting on his dagger, in the museum’s French and Italian painting department.
11. Giant Sphinx Sphinxes were placed at the entrance of Egyptian temples to guard the mysteries of the powerful gods. The mythical monster here guards the museum’s Ancient Egyptian antiquities collection.
12. The Dying Slave Michelangelo sculpted this work as part of a group of statues for the base of the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome. These statues along with the 15th-century Madonna and Child by Donatello are displayed in the French and Italian sculpture collection.
13. Assyrian temple The Near Eastern antiquities collection is home to a recreated Assyrian temple. The ancient Assyrians believed that the winged bulls with human heads now on show in the Louvre would protect them against their enemies.
14. Marly Horses These dramatic statues once stood in the garden of Louis XIV’s Château de Marly but were later shifted to the Place de la Concorde.
15. Galerie d’Apollon With its gilded, panelled interior, this gallery looks like a jewel box, and is one too – it holds the crown jewels, including Empress Eugénie’s crown, which has 2,490 diamonds.
16. Winged Victory of Samothrace One of the most famous Ancient Greek statues in the world, this belongs to the Hellenistic period (late 3rd to 2nd century BC), when statues began to get more naturalistic human forms. A restoration of this statue is underway.
17. Statue of Charlemagne The Decorative Arts collection spans many countries and centuries. It contains this rider, who is believed to be either Charlemagne or his grandson, Charles the Bald.
18. The Lacemaker The highlight of the museum’s Dutch painting collection is Jan Vermeer’s masterpiece, painted around 1665. His works give a glimpse into everyday life in the Netherlands.
19. Coronation of Napoleon This 1807 painting by Jacques-Louis David is a piece of propaganda. Napoleon’s family is shown, including his mother who was not even present for the ceremony. The artist also included himself – look for a man sketching in the balcony.
20. The Raft of the Medusa Thédore Géricault derived inspiration for this gigantic and moving work from the shipwreck of a French frigate in 1816.
21. Code of Hammurabi The King of Babylon wrote the first legal code in the world on a stone called a stele. Housed in the impressive Near Eastern antiquities collection, this is the world’s oldest legal document.
Left
Atrium Middle Giant Sphinx Right Glass Pyramid
Kids’ Corner
A devilish pyramid
The modern glass pyramid in the courtyard is exactly 10 times smaller than the Pyramid of Cheops and contrary to belief it does not have 666 panes of glass. The number 666 is linked with the Devil and has sparked all sorts of rumours about the Louvre and shot it to fame in the popular book, and later film, The Da Vinci Code. In fact it has a completely uninteresting 673 panes.
Filching fact file
Venus de Milo, the armless sculpture of the Goddess of Love, was discovered hidden under the ground by a Greek peasant while he was ransacking an ancient site on the island of Milos.
A thief in the museum
On a scorching hot summer Sunday in August 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen by an Italian glazier who was working in the Louvre. The newspapers went wild and overnight it became the scandal of the year. The question now was not about the identity of the woman in the painting but where the stolen painting was located. Thousands queued to stare at the empty wall as a massive manhunt got underway. Two years later the glazier tried to sell the painting in Florence. He claimed to have kidnapped the painting to avenge the wagonloads of treasure hauled back from Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Look out for…
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Men with heads made out of pumpkins and pears. Giuseppe Arcimboldo was an Italian who combined fruit and vegetables to create portraits.
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The figure of the Seated Scribe. Few people could write in Ancient Egypt. Those who could immediately became very important and famous.
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The Borghese Gladiator. This amazingly muscly statue of a fighting warrior was sold to Napoleon by his brother-in-law, who was forced into the deal. Find out more on
www.louvre.fr
The wolf’s lair
The Louvre got its name from the word louvre meaning a female wolf. The kings of France once kept packs of wolves here for hunting.
Egyptomania
In 1798, when Napoleon set off to conquer Egypt, he took with him 167 scholars. Among them was the man who became the first director of the Louvre, Dominique Vivant Denon. He amassed a huge collection of mummies, statues and sketches, including the Rosetta Stone. Although the stone was found by Napoleon’s army and a French Egyptologist called Champollion, working at the Louvre, used it to discover how to read hieroglyphs, it is now in the British Museum in London. In 1801, when the English captured the Egyptian city of Alexandria from the French, they seized all the antiquities found by the French, including the Rosetta Stone.
2. Jardin des Tuileries
A Parisian playground and a missing palace
Children’s playground in the midst of the Jardin des Tuileries
Kids have been in love with the Jardin des Tuileries since it was opened to the public in the 17th century, supposedly after Charles Perrault, the author of the classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty, persuaded Louis XIV’s minister Colbert that the people of Paris needed somewhere to let off steam. Designed in the 1660s by André Le Nôtre, who was responsible for the grounds at Versailles, these formal gardens create a beautiful green artery through the city centre, linking the Louvre with the Champs-Elysées.
The gardens were once an integral part of the now lost Palais des Tuileries, which was burned to the ground during the Commune of 1871. The palace originally stood at the top of the steps in front of the Arc du Carrousel built by Napoleon, thus forming a fourth side to the Louvre quadrangle.
There is a playground and a carousel, in addition to two ponds. Kids love sailing wooden boats in the large pond by the Louvre. In summer a large funfair moves in, with rides, stalls and a giant Ferris wheel.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
A moat. The fortress of Charles V was surrounded by a large moat that ran along the bottom of the stairs and into the Tuileries from the Place du Carrousel.
Telling tales
The first author to write a book of fairytales, Charles Perrault published his stories, including Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Puss in Boots and Little Red Riding Hood, in 1697. Although these tales had been known and told for generations, they had never been written down. Perrault first wrote the content for his children.
The Little Red Man of the Tuileries
The Palais des Tuileries was said to be haunted by a red hobgoblin who appeared whenever there was about to be a national catastrophe. The sinister dwarf was seen by Catherine de Médici before the deaths of three of her six children. Henri IV also saw him just before he was assassinated. The goblin was last seen in the flames of the palace as it burned to the ground in 1871.
3. Musée de l’Orangerie
Monet and water lilies
Small and compact, the Musée de l’Orangerie is a lovely art museum for children. It houses works from the Walter-Guillaume collection, which spans art from the late Impressionist era to the inter-war period, including works by Cézanne, Matisse and Renoir. It is the sheer size of the gigantic paintings by Claude Monet, Les Nymphéas or water-lily paintings, which curve around the walls, that will make the biggest impression. Monet spent much of his old age painting this series in his garden in Giverny. Notice the thick paint and blurring of the image, which are partly the result of Monet’s failing eyesight. The colours he used weave a magical, restful spell.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
1. The Jeu de Paume, opposite the Musée de l’Orangerie, is where the king used to play indoor tennis. The name means “palm game” because it was played with bare hands then!
2. Monet’s famous paintings of water lilies in the Musée de l’Orangerie. Can you see which tree often features in them?
4. Rue de Rivoli
A touch of Napoleonic grandeur
The elegant Rue de Rivoli was laid out in 1802 by Napoleon, part of his campaign to proclaim Paris as the capital of Europe. It is named after his victory over the Austrians at the Battle of Rivoli in 1797. It stretches from Place de la Concorde to the Marais, although the section that runs east from the Louvre, which has the biggest concentration of shops, was finished only in 1865. The new thoroughfare cut through a network of medieval streets in which a bomb had almost killed Napoleon in 1800. Be sure to take a stroll down the long arcades.
5. Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Glittering jewels, dolls and posters
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs with the Saut du Loup café in the foreground
Learn how to live and dress in style through the four museums housed in the eclectic Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The Galerie des Jouets has around 12,000 toys from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including a beautiful collection of dolls. The Galerie des Bijoux has a stunning jewellery collection, including over-the-top Baroque bling and delicate elf brooches in Art Nouveau style. Look out for the 10 rooms that show how the rich lived from 1400 to the early 20th century. The Musée de la Publicité (Advertising Museum) showcases 40,000 historic advertising posters, and also has a cinema room with designer seating, where visitors can watch advertising films. Try also to catch one of the dazzling temporary exhibitions of clothes shown in the Musée de la Mode.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
In the jewellery section of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, can you find the golden comb with bees and dandelions?
6. Joan of Arc Statue
A knight in shining armour
Gleaming Joan of Arc in the middle of Place des Pyramides
Erected in 1880, this glittering golden equestrian statue of Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) stands on Place des Pyramides. During the Hundred Years’ War, Joan of Arc gazed down on Paris from the small hill that is now Place André Malraux – La Butte des Moulin, or Windmill Hill – hoping that her army of 12,000 men would drive the English out of the city. It was here that she was wounded in the leg by an arrow. Canonized in 1920, Joan of Arc is one of the patron saints of France along with St Denis and St Louis.
Kids’ Corner
Braveheart!
Joan of Arc was a simple peasant girl who claimed that she heard the voice of God calling her to save France from the would-be English conquerors during the Hundred Years’ War. Joan secured the confidence of the Dauphin, later King Charles VII, and led the French army in a momentous victory at Orleans in 1429. Captured by the Burgundians, she was handed over to the English and tried as a witch before being burned at the stake in 1341.
7. Place Vendôme
Paris’s chicest square
Napoleonic details on the Vendôme Column in Place Vendôme
Built in 1699 to reflect the glory of the equestrian statue of Louis XIV that was placed in the centre, Place Vendôme failed to impress the revolutionaries. They melted the statue to make cannons to fight off invading armies. In 1806, a giant column, based on Trajan’s Column in Rome, was constructed using captured enemy cannons. It proclaimed Napoleon’s army’s exploits in a spiral strip around the outside. This too was torn down by revolutionaries in 1871, and a copy now stands in its place. Perhaps the most chic spot in Paris, this square is beautiful at night. It has also witnessed famous events such as the marriage of Napoleon to Josephine at No. 3. The Ritz hotel at No. 15 has had a long list of famous guests including Ernest Hemingway, Edward VII, Charlie Chaplin and Princess Diana.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
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On the base of the Vendôme Column, can you spot an axe, a helmet and a lion?
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What is the weather forecast? Check out the old barometer on the corner of Rue Duphot and Rue St-Honoré, not far from Place Vendôme.
Measuring Woes
The metric stone was placed in front of the Ministry of Justice on Place Vendôme so that people could check that they were not being cheated when the revolutionary government introduced the metre as a form of measurement in 1799.
8. Comédie Française
A staged death
Colonnaded façade of the Comédie Française
Founded by King Louis XIV in 1680, the Comédie Française is often known by its earlier name, Maison de Molière, after the troupe of actors brought together by the famous French playwright, Molière. Its productions in period costume are sensational, although best appreciated by those who understand French. The present building was built in 1900 after a severe fire destroyed the original structure. Look out for the armchair in which Molière died, a few hours after collapsing dramatically on stage while performing his aptly named play, Le Malade Imaginaire – The Imaginary Invalid. He did not receive the last rites, since two priests refused to visit him while a third arrived too late. The theatre then was a drunken, violent and riotous place, and actors were considered the ultimate lowlife. In 1673, a dissatisfied audience even tried to burn the theatre down.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
The chair in which France’s most famous playwright, Molière, died after collapsing on stage. Where can you find it?
9. Palais Royal
The king of the castle and the dirty rascal
Built in 1624, Palais Royal was originally the home of Cardinal Richelieu, who, during the reign of Louis XIII, was considered the most powerful man in France. Later, the palace became the childhood home of Louis XIV. In the 1780s, Louis XVI’s brother, the Duke of Orléans, enclosed the gardens with arcades and filled them with plenty of cafés, shops and theatres. Unlike Versailles it was somewhere everyone could come and enjoy themselves. As a result it was often quite rowdy and dangerous. The restaurants and coffee houses were the seedbed of the Revolution, which began when Camille Desmoulins called the city to arms in one of the cafés here the night before the Bastille was stormed. The arcades continue to house several fine restaurants as well as lots of intriguing shops selling stamps, toy soldiers, music boxes and medals.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
1. A cannon in the garden of the Palais Royal. It fires at noon triggered by the rays of the sun.
2. How many black and white columns are there in the courtyard of the Palais Royal?
Lobster love
The poet Gérard de Nerval had a pet lobster named Thibault, which he took for walks in the Palais Royal using a blue silk ribbon for a leash.
Crazy cat cardinal
Cardinal Richelieu had 14 cats, which he kept in a special room next to his bedroom. They were fed on chicken pâte twice a day and were said to be the only creatures in the kingdom that were not afraid of him.
Not his cup of coffee
In 1814, a cocky Prussian officer, who had just occupied the city with the Allied armies, went into a café in the Palais Royal and demanded coffee in a cup from which no Frenchman had ever drunk. He was duly presented with his beverage by the fuming waiter, served in a chamber pot!
10. Musée en Herbe
Sticking and glueing, Picasso-style
Innovative artwork by Keith Haring, on display at the Musée en Herbe
The inspirational Musée en Herbe, an art museum especially designed to introduce children to the world of art through reproductions of famous pictures and interactive games, was groundbreaking when it was set up in 1975. The museum presents art shows and workshops for children, based on the works of celebrated artists. Kids will enjoy the sticking and glueing activities while learning to appreciate art. There are workshops for toddlers, a gallery for aspiring young artists and a space for temporary exhibitions. Most of the permanent exhibits set out to showcase innovative work that plays with perspective or colour combinations.
< Tuileries, Opéra & Montmartre
Musée Grévin and Around
Symbol of the opulence of the Second Empire, Opéra Garnier
Spotting the who’s who of the celebrity world in the Musée Grévin, then gorging on a sumptuous bar of chocolate in one of the city’s oldest sweet shops, A la Mère de la Famille, is a wonderful, fun way to spend a rainy day in Paris with children. Les Passages, the covered arcades just off Boulevard Montmartre, are full of enchanting shops and cafés, which the kids will love. All the attractions are indoors and within easy walking distance of each other.
1. Musée Grévin
2. Les Passages
3. Les Grands Boulevards
4. Opéra Garnier
Paris’s historic waxworks museum, Musée Grévin
1. Musée Grévin
Glass eyes, great events and ghoulish murders
Sign outside the Musée Grévin
This is the best place for spotting celebrities captured in wax – kings and queens, pop stars and footballers. Comparisons with London’s Madame Tussauds are inevitable but Grévin is less gruesome and more authentic. The museum is famous for its historical scenes, among them a gory portrayal of the Revolution, and depictions of the big events of the 20th century. But what steals the show is the museum’s splendid Baroque building, home to the original light and sound show from the 1900 Universal Exhibition.
Key Features
1. Palais des Mirages The play of sound, light and mirrors in this giant kaleidoscope is amazing, and each glance upwards reveals a new perspective.
2. Le Théâtre Tout-Paris Mingle with celebrities in this stunning theatre and have a paparazzi take your picture with the likes of Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The stars change over the years – those on the wane head for the melting pot.
3. Grand Escalier de Marbre Make a grand entrance as you ascend the mirrored marble saircase, and be bowled over by the beauty of the interiors.
4. Les Clichés du 20e siècle See the great events of the 20th century in this section, including Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the Moon.
5. Secrets d’Atelier Learn the secrets of how a waxwork is created in the special exhibition – it takes six months and a team of 10 artists to make one model.
6. Salle des Colonnes The panelled columns in this hall are carved out of rosewood and decorated with gold and marble. Also housed inside are some of the museum’s best waxwork models.
7. Histoire de France Step back in time. This section has historical tableaux, one of which shows Jean-Paul Marat’s murder.
Left
Salle des Colonnes Middle Palais des Mirages Right Histoire de France
Kids’ Corner
Find Out More…
Track down the answers to all these on the waxworks:
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When did Louis Bleriot become the first person to fly across the Channel?
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When did Apollo 11 land on the moon?
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When did the Berlin Wall come down?
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When did France win the World Cup?
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When was the waxwork created that depicts the revolutionary Marat being murdered in his bath? It is the oldest model in the museum, and the bath is the original.
Cartoon caper
The first cartoon was shown at the Musée Grévin in 1894 by Charles Émile Reynaud, who died penniless after audiences deserted him, preferring to watch real movies rather than cartoons. Despondent, he threw most of his work into the Seine before he died.
Mr Meyer’s models
Waxwork museums were the celebrity magazines of their day, as photos were still a novelty and TV was yet to be invented. In 1882, a trip to theatre designer Alfred Grévin’s new museum was the only way to get a good look at the people who were hitting the headlines in the new mass-circulation newspapers that were taking Paris by storm. Look out for Grévin’s friend, the journalist Arthur Meyer, who cleverly came up with the whole idea – he is portrayed dozing over a copy of his own newspaper!
2. Les Passages
A mini world in a hidden city
The Passage Verdeau, one of Paris’s lovely 19th-century shopping arcades
Les Passages were the world’s first shopping malls, and today they make up a hidden labyrinth of historic arcades crisscrossing the area between the Palais Royal and Boulevard Montmartre.
In their 19th-century heyday there were over 150 of these glass-covered walkways, created to cater for the emerging middle classes, who had money to spend and a taste for shopping, but did not want to dirty their shoes. At the time, the streets of Paris were still almost medieval, without pavements and sewers.
Today, the principal and most interesting arcades are the Passage des Panoramas, Galérie Vivienne, Galérie Colbert, Galérie Vero-Dodat and the Passage des Princes.
Les Passages offer a glimpse into a more elegant past, an oasis of calm and a secret treasure. They’re also great fun to explore with children, being full of intriguing shops, delightful cafés and quirky surprises. Best of all, for kids, the Passage des Princes is entirely given over to the
Village Joué Club, the city’s biggest and most amazing toyshop.
3. Les Grands Boulevards
A shopaholic’s paradise
Boulevard des Capucines, one of the original Grands Boulevards
The eight original Grands Boulevards – Madeleine, Capucines, Italiens, Montmartre, Poisonnière, Bonne Nouvelle, St-Denis and St-Martin – were laid out by Louis XIV around the line of the obsolete city walls. The word boulevard comes from the Middle Dutch bulwerc, which means rampart. In the 19th century, Baron Haussmann sliced through the city in several directions, destroying a labyrinth of stinking streets. He added the vast Avenue de l’Opéra, which Charles Garnier, the architect of the opera, insisted should have no trees that might obscure the view of his masterpiece. The opera is at the heart of the area while, just behind it, on Boulevard Haussmann, are two other 19th-century masterpieces, two stunning department stores crammed with luxuries: Galeries Lafayette, which looks like an opera house itself, and Printemps.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
A croque monsieur or “crispy mister”, a tasty ham and cheese toastie. Parisians had their first chance to try one in 1850 in an English restaurant on Blvd des Capucines. It was in fact a British invention. Try one!
Smooth landing
In 1919, Jules Védrines became the first person to land a plane on a building, winning 25,000 francs when he landed on top of Galeries Lafayette.
4. Opéra Garnier
Phantoms, ballerinas and bees
Bust of Charles Garnier, its architect, above one of the entrances to the Opéra
Decorated like a giant birthday cake, the Opéra National de Paris Garnier, or Palais Garnier, was designed by Charles Garnier in 1860. Its opulent splendour and red velvet boxes exude the sensuous and slightly sinister atmosphere of the story Fort Comme la Mort (1889) by writer Guy de Maupassant. The red and gold auditorium is lit by a gigantic crystal chandelier that crushed the audience below when it fell down in 1896. This event, as well as the building’s underground lake and vast cellars, inspired Gaston Leroux’s novel Phantom of the Opera. Junior Angelina Ballerina fans will enjoy twirling their way down the staircase. There is an excellent shop, the Boutique de l’Opéra National, so bring the piggy bank.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
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Buzzing bees. 450,000 of them live on the roof of l’Opéra Garnier.
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A domed church painted on the ceiling of l’Opéra Garnier by Marc Chagall. Chagall was a Russian Jew, and grew up thousands of miles away in the city of Vitebsk, now in Belarus. The church was in his home town.
The Alsatian Attila
Baron Georges Eugène Haussmann, whose family had come from Alsace, was responsible for the modernization of Paris. In 1853, he met with Napoleon III, who pulled out a city map crisscrossed with lines marking the broad, straight boulevards he wanted built to clean up the city and make it easier to police. New sewers did not calm down the simmering anger on the streets though. The modern apartments with running water were too expensive for the workers who had built them. Thousands of people were left homeless and driven out of the city centre. Thus Haussmann was nicknamed the Alsatian Attila – after Attila the Hun, who had laid waste to much of Europe.
< Tuileries, Opéra & Montmartre
Sacré-Coeur and Around
View of Sacré-Coeur from Square Louise Michel
Children love the sparkly white basilica of Sacré-Coeur, and, although Montmartre is packed with tourists, that has its own appeal – after all, souvenirs such as fridge magnets and postcards are what kids like. The easiest way to get to the heart of things is to take the little tourist train or the funicular; climbing the steps can be tiring. Walk back down Rue Lepic for the real Montmartre experience. On Sundays, traffic is restricted on Rue des Martyrs and across Montmartre, adding to the peaceful, village-like feel.
1. Sacré-Coeur
2. Place du Tertre and Montmartre Vineyard
3. Espace Dalí Montmartre
4. Rue Lepic
5. Cimetière de Montmartre
6. Europe
7. Les Batignolles
Parc de la Turlure, an oasis behind Sacré-Coeur
1. Sacré-Coeur
A big white meringue
Stained-glass rose window, Sacré-Coeur
Perched on the highest point in Paris, Sacré-Coeur is the city’s second-highest building after the Eiffel Tower. Paris lies at its feet, and kids will love the view from above. Built as a “penance” to expiate the sins of France, and especially the 1871 Paris Commune, it was intended to symbolize the restoration of conservative, Catholic values. Hence many of the Neo-Byzantine design elements incorporate nationalist themes. It is, however, also seen as a symbol of the repression of the uprising of 1871, which both started and came to a bloody climax here.
Key Features
1. Belltower Added in 1904, the belltower houses the 19-tonne (17-ton) Savoyarde bell. It is one of the heaviest bells in existence.
4. Tall dome There are incredible views of up to 40 km (24 miles) from the 129-m (423-ft) high dome. They are especially stunning at sunset.
• Statue of Christ This statue is symbolically placed in a niche over the main entrance above the two bronze saints.
• Bronze doors Beautifully decorated with relief sculptures, the doors in the portico entrance illustrate the story of the life of Jesus.
• Great Mosaic of Christ This glittering mosaic, dominating the chancel vault, is one of the largest in the world and represents France’s devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Left
Bronze doors Middle Great Mosaic of Christ Right Statue of Christ
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
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The relief sculptures on the bronze doors. Whose life do they depict?
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Two equestrian statues on the front of the building. Which one is Joan of Arc?
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The statue of Jesus Christ. What is he doing?
Vision in white
Sacré-Coeur is made of a special stone, travertine, which gets whiter when it rains. You can get the best view of the basilica from the gardens below.
Mountain of martyrs
Montmartre gets its name from the early Christians who were beheaded by the Romans at the site where the Chapelle du Martyre now stands on Rue Yvonne Le Tac. The Romans, who preferred to worship the god Mercury up on the hill, tried to get rid of St-Denis, the first bishop of Paris. According to legend, after being beheaded, he stood up, picked up his head and walked over to a fountain on the corner of Rue Girardon to give it a wash before setting off into the countryside for a hike. He finally dropped down dead where the
Basilica St-Denis now stands – 9 km (5 miles) away.
2. Place du Tertre and Montmartre Vineyard
The roof of Paris
View of the Montmartre Vineyard from Square Roland Dorgelès
“Tertre” means a little hill and, at 130 m (430 ft), this square is one of the highest spots in Paris. It was once the site of a gallows but, in the 19th century artists, began to sell their work here. It is still full of painters peddling their wares. To visit Montmartre without going for a wander in the quieter narrow, cobbled streets behind Place du Tertre is to miss out on the spirit of the area. The Montmartre Vineyard on Rue St-Vincent is one such peaceful corner and is all that is left of the acres of vineyards that once grew on the hill. It is particularly lovely in autumn, and can be viewed through the surrounding fence. Pull away the tourist veneer and Montmartre has a lot of character and a strong local community, which celebrates the wine harvest in style every October.
3. Espace Dalí Montmartre
The dreams of the man with the weird moustache
Le Moulin de la Galette restaurant with Moulin Radet in the background
Espace Dalí Montmartre is the only place to get a look at some actual works of art in the area, and although it is a bit commercial, it is a fun place to visit with kids. The museum has an interesting collection of sculptures and other objects by the Surrealist Spanish artist, Salvador Dalí (1904–89). Children will find his dreamlike models of melting watches, the table with human feet and the collection of crazy sculptures entertaining and intriguing. Although there are a few pictures in the museum, the sculptures, furniture, graphics and film show how Surrealist artists worked in all mediums.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
A table with human feet. Where is it?
Dada Dalí
A lot of people thought the artist Salvador Dalí was crazy. He was a great showman, and had an enormous moustache with twirly waxed ends that he claimed were antennae that helped him connect with cosmic forces. A Surrealist, Dalí lived a life as strange and magical as his art, once almost suffocating when he tried to give a lecture in a diving suit. He even died in a surreal way; he refused to drink anything after his wife Gala died, believing that he would simply dry out, and that later a drop of water would bring him back to life.
4. Rue Lepic
Montmartre from top to bottom
The best way to see Montmartre with children is to take the little tourist train from Place Pigalle and then walk back down Rue Lepic, which is a great place to shop and eat. At the top of the street there are two windmills that once milled flour. In 1870 they were converted into a dance hall and restaurant and immortalized in the painting Dance at the Moulin de la Galette by Pierre Auguste Renoir. The artist Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo once lived at No. 54. Just behind Place des Abbesses is the pretty Place Emile Goudeau, where Pablo Picasso painted the ground-breaking Cubist picture, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, in 1907.
Head home from the Abbesses Métro station. Built in 1912, it is one of the prettiest, and has one of only three original Hector Guimard-designed Art Nouveau glass entrances left in Paris. It is also the deepest station in the city.
Kids’ Corner
Look out for…
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The wall of love in Square Jehan Rictus, next to Métro Abbesses. “I love you” is written 311 times in 280 languages! Are there some you know?
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Windmills. There were once 30 windmills on Montmartre, but today only a few remain. How many are there?
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A brave fight
In 1814, when the Russians occupied Montmartre, the brothers who owned the windmill Moulin de Blute Fin at 74 Rue Lepic fought back bravely. One of them was killed, and the Cossacks nailed his body to its sails.
5. Cimetière de Montmartre
Take a walk with the dead
The atmospheric Cimetière de Montmartre
Built below street level in the hollow of an old quarry, this cemetery has become a popular tourist destination because of the famous artists and writers buried here. Although it was originally used as a mass grave during the Revolution, it is now an evocative and peaceful place. Maple trees shade the tombs of legends such as the Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who lived in a flat in Montmartre. It is also the final resting place of Louise Weber, better known as “La Goulou”, the cancan dancer famously painted by Toulouse-Lautrec. Other tombs include those of painters Edgar Degas and Francis Picabia, author Alexandre Dumas and New Wave filmmaker François Truffaut, whose autobiographical movie Les 400 Coups (1959) is set locally.
Kids’ Corner
Things to do…
Find the grave of famous dancer Vaslav Nijinsky – the seated statue on it is of him as the sad puppet Petrushka. Then see how many cats you can spot amongst the tombstones.
6. Europe
A baron’s dream
Painting of Gare St-Lazare by Claude Monet, on display in the Musée d’Orsay
The rigid order of Baron Haussmann’s redevelopment of Paris in the middle of the 19th century is nowhere more clear than in the angular streets of the area known as Europe. Haussmann annexed the villages of Monceau, Batignolles and Clichy to the city of Paris. Each of the streets south of Place de Clichy is named after a European capital. A short walk down Rue de Saint-Pétersbourg is Rue d’Edimbourg, where the Impressionist painter Claude Monet briefly lived. From the nearby Place de l’Europe he made a series of paintings of the comings and goings of puffing steam trains and busy passengers at the bustling Gare St-Lazare, which then represented something strikingly modern – look out for the pictures at the
Musée d’Orsay. The square is still a young trainspotter’s delight, with a view down on to the tracks and platforms of the oldest station in the city.
Kids’ Corner
Things to do…
1. Spot the cities of Europe in the street names of the Europe quarter. How many can you find?
2. Be an Impressionist painter and draw the people in a café.
Puffed-up potatoes
The first train left the Gare St-Lazare station on 24 August 1837, on a single-track line to St-Germain en Laye. On board was Marie Amélie, the wife of King Louis-Philippe. But the train was delayed and the chef who was cooking the celebration lunch found himself in a pickle. His potatoes were fried up perfectly, but the guests were nowhere to be seen. He had to fry them again. Far from being ruined, the slices puffed up like little golden brown balloons and the dish pommes soufflées was born. Try a bowlful for dinner.
7. Les Batignolles
A village enclave
The fun and funky interior style of Le Club des 5
The old working-class district of Batignolles became part of Paris in 1860 and rallied behind the Commune in 1871. It was a cheap place to live, and many famous artists and writers moved here, among them Edouard Manet.
Today, this peaceful but trendy enclave is a good place to get a taste of real Parisian life. There are some lovely cafés, interesting shops and two great parks, as well as an organic market and a bric-a-brac market during the weekend. Walk from Place du Clichy along Boulevard des Batignolles and then up the pleasant shopping street, Rue des Batignolles. Then head to the cafés and restaurants in Place Docteur Félix Lobligeoius. It is a lovely place to end the day on a summer evening as it is completely off the tourist track.
Kids’ Corner
On guard
In March 1814, 800,000 Allied soldiers marched into Paris, but Maréchal de Moncey managed to hold off the attack with just 15,000 volunteer guards at Place du Clichy. An armistice was declared on 30 March 1814.
