Many of you already went to Paris at least once. You probably visited Le Louvre, Notre-Dame (if you came before April 2019), Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower. You saw the Champs de Mars, the Tuileries, the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe during a sightseeing tour. Maybe you had the chance to enjoy a dinner cruise on the Seine to see Paris by night and the lights of its emblematic monuments.
Paris is a capital that fascinates and visiting the romantic city only once is definitely not enough so you have decided to come back. Even if you are not a Paris-beginner, there are some iconic places in Paris that you may have not seen yet and that are however must-sees. We know you also want to discover secret places, places where you will not risk to be drown in a crowd of tourists and where you will savor Parisian architecture and charms in a quiet and peaceful environment.
If you recognize yourself in this description, here is a list of ideas to create your next week-end in Paris as repeater. (You can also follow it in the order).
Saturday:
1. Visit the Grand Mosquée de Paris
The Great Mosque of Paris is located in the 5th arrondissement. It is the oldest mosque in Metropolitan France and one of the largest mosques of the country. There are prayer rooms with beautiful carpets, a lovely outdoor garden, a small library, a gift shop, along with a cafe and restaurant. The mosque is one of the biggest of the country. Its history is inextricably linked to France's colonization of large parts of the Muslim world over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It was built after the First World War to pay tribute to the 100,000 Muslim fighters who died for France.
2. Stroll in Rue Mouffetard district
Situated in the fifth arrondissement of Paris and on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, the pedestrian Rue Mouffetard is one of Paris's oldest neighborhoods. As with Rue Galante, Rue Lagrange, Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève and Rue Descartes, it us used to be a Roman road heading south to Italy. During the Middle Ages it became a main artery. The area escaped to the Haussmann's redevelopment during the reign of Napoleon III and remained authentic. This charming and lively street now has many restaurants, shops, and cafés, and a regular open market. You may want to grab something to eat in one of its local restaurants.
You may also enjoy a stop to the Arènes de Lutèce. It is among the most important ancient Roman remains from the era in Paris. Constructed in the 1st century AD, this theatre could once seat 15,000 people and was used also as an amphitheater to show gladiator combats. Nowadays the amphitheater is filled with Parisian families playing Pétanque and soccer with their kids.
3. Visit Pantheon's crypt
Also located in the Latin District, Le Panthéon has played a major role throughout history. Originally designed to be a Church, the prestigious place now houses many exhibitions as well as a crypt, the mausoleum of many French great men and women, celebrities who made the history and the glory of France. Among them: Victor Hugo, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Alexandre Dumas, Jean Jaurès, André Malraux, Jean Monnet, Simone Veil, Jean Moulin, Voltaire and Emile Zola.
4. Sunbathing in the Luxembourg gardens:
Ideally located near the Latin district, the Luxembourg Palace is the seat of the Senate of the Fifth Republic. It used to be the residence of the Queen Marie de Medici, King Louis VIII's mother.
In 1612, Marie de Medici ordered the creation of the Luxembourg Gardens, inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence.
When the sun is up, it is the perfect place for a familial relaxing moment: kids can play with remote control boats on the pond, adults can play chess or sunbath. It is also ideal to plan a picnic break.
5. En-route stop to taste best Parisian choux (cream puffs)
Created several years ago, La Maison Odette Paris is a pastry shop specializing in cream puffs. Cream puffs are traditional French pastry that can be enjoyed plain or with cream inside. The tower made out of Cream Puffs, the Pièce Montée, is still today one of the most popular cake in French weddings. Maison Odette offers the traditional chou and a true blend of vintage tastes and flavors: Vanilla or chocolate, pistachio or coffee, passion or caramel with salted butter, lemon, berries or praline.
Sunday:
6. Brunching in Le Marais
Brunching is a great trend in France. After a night out, it allows more time to sleep than breakfast and it is also a convivial moment to share with family and friends. Le Marais was built on a marshland, marais in French, hence its name. It later became an aristocratic district of Paris. It hosts outstanding buildings that testify from its history. Today, it is a festive, trendy and romantic district with its cobblestone streets, its charming petites boutiques and its restaurants. Many of the lovely restaurants scattered in the district offer brunches on Sundays.
7. Climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe
You may have seen the Arc de Triomphe when you came to see the famous Champs Elysées...but did you go to the top?
The Eiffel Tower is today a real victim of her success: getting tickets to the top can become a real challenge. For those who would like to enjoy a stunning view of Paris without standing on line for hours, here is a lovely alternative to the Iron Lady. It will allow you also to see and take some nice pictures with the tower. The Arc de Triomphe is also a great memory place as it honors the soldiers who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Beneath its vault, lies also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during WWI.
8. Exploring Paris secret passages
There are several covered passages in Paris. Built during the first half of the 19th century, there used to be approximately 150 covered passages until the Haussmann's renovation of Paris. Today only a couple of dozens passages remain, all of them hidden on the Right bank. The covered passages are pedestrian passages connecting two streets. They house small shops under ornamented glass-ceilings.
Please contact me if you have any question or would need more info on a specific theme at info@inland-travel.com
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