We’re taking you on a Parisian adventure!
Whether you’ve already been to Paris or not, the city has a draw to it that compares to nowhere else.
The city really does have it all, but split into such quaint little neighbourhoods that it doesn’t feel like an overwhelming big city (unless you are at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower that is).
The highlights
You can’t come to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre (the Pyramid, of course, no need to queue and see all the expos if you aren’t interested or want to spend more time exploring the city), Notre-Dame, the Sacred Heart Cathedral from where you have a view of the entire city, Montmartre and its artists, walking along the river Seine and taking in the Champs-Élysées and its Arc de Triomphe.
The lesser-known attractions
One of the lesser-known places – internationally – are sometimes even more special and have amazing views. The Palais Garnier for example, often overseen by tourists, is the Parisian opera and its stunning interior is open to visitors as long as there’s no performance on.
Similarly, rather than going up the Eiffel Tower, you should go up the Montparnasse Tower to get a clear view of the city with the Eiffel Tower front and centre.
Rather than following everyone to Notre-Dame, head just behind it on the island, where you will find the beautiful Sainte Chapelle! And while you’re there, did you know Paris has a miniature Statue of Liberty? It’s right by the chapel at the western point of the island, but you’ll get the best view once you are on either side of the river.
And instead of just taking a little boat trip on the Seine, you can actually rent a boat and do a themed tour, be it historical or of street art, to get to know the city from a very different angle.
Cafes and food not to miss
Let’s start off with the Hotel du Louvre where you can get a full meal, but also a coffee or pastry… looking out onto the Louvre pyramid.
If you want something a little out of the ordinary, you can go to 2D atelier, a coffee shop in black and white comic style! Yes, everything is covered from top to bottom.
Not typical for France, but proof that Paris has it all, you can go to Roll in Paris, a shop dedicated to Cinnamon Rolls! And for more traditional French patisserie, Ladurée Paris Royal has plenty of options for you.
To travel within your travel, Montmartre has an Australian Restaurant called The Hardware Société, and Chulla Vida is an Ecuadorean and South American restaurant or even Harry’s New York Bar where, so they say, the Bloody Mary was invented.
What will blow your mind however is Long&Tee, a café that does optical illusion cakes (in personal sizes). Their specialty are fluffy little sleeping teddy bears, but you can also get a lifelike “Tom and Jerry playing around a piece of cheese” kind of cake!
The Instagram shots you need
Paris is FULL of shots you will love, frame and post. So here is a non-exhaustive list just to get you started:
- The leaning house; at the bottom of the Montmartre funicular, you’ll find a house that is leaning more than the tower of Pisa and looks as though it will fall into the ground
- Cité du Figuier; a beautiful green oasis that looks straight out of a travel magazine for a quaint little French village
- Passage des Panorama; an old-fashioned passage with traditional writing and beautiful shop entries
- Le Bon Pecheur; a floral entrance and wall decoration if there ever was one!
- Musée d’Orsay; head for the big clock, you won’t be disappointed
- Petit Palais; so many angles to take around this beautiful building and its gardens
- La Maison Rose; dating from the 1850s, this probably is the cutest house in Paris
- Mazarine Library; is the oldest library in France and it’s… impressive. Take it all in because it will never fit into a picture
- Flower market Queen Elizabeth II; go get lost in between the flowers, welcome to a whole different world
- Colourful houses in rue Crémieux; the name says it all
- Square Rapp; for a gorgeous shot of the Eiffel Tower
The green breaks
People often miss the gardens, thinking the architecture is more important, but actually taking the time to sit down in a green space is key.
In Paris, it will allow you to take a break and watch life go by, and more importantly, watch Parisian life go by. The gardens are where the locals go for a bit of fresh air, to walk their dogs or to play chess or checkers outside.
Apart from the obvious Jardin du Luxembourg and Jardin des Tuileries, head to Parc Monceau, a park that will remind you of impressionist paintings with its layers of green and flowers.
Especially in spring when the cherry trees are in full bloom, you will want to see the Parc des Buttes-Chaumount. The rest of the year its home to a number of exotic trees.
