The history of Paris starts in the Île de la Cité: the first inhabitants of Lutèce are said to have lived in this island, before Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Then, the Romans developed the Left Bank (thus the name “Latin Quarter”), and later, medieval kings the Right Bank.

Nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine that the Cité is the oldest part of Paris: Haussmann’s renovation of Paris destroyed the small streets which testified to its historical role and homogeneity (refer to this page), and the omnipresence of police and justice institutions break all its charm. Therefore, most tourists only visit the two big spots of the island: Notre-Dame cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle, famous for its stained glass windows.

But thankfully, two areas have been slightly preserved. In the West, the deserted and quiet Place Dauphine (see the Place Dauphine article) is one of the most charming places in Paris. And in the East, between the Seine and Notre-Dame, a few streets have kept a sort of medieval romantic character. They are generally ignored by the crowds, which gives them even more quietness and mystery, especially in the evening onwards.

So, if you like wandering off the beaten track, explore narrow Rue Chanoinesse, with its beautifully-restored buildings, and walk into neighbouring Rues de la Colombe, des Ursins, des Chantres, and Massillon, onto the steps of Esmeralda and Quasimodo. You might be overwhelmed by the contrast between these streets where time seems to have stopped and the big touristic confusion nearby at Notre-Dame, just one block away!

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Rue Chanoinesse area | Art & culture, Relaxing
Rue Chanoinesse | Quartier Latin
24 hours daily

You probably won’t need to read Spotted by Locals to know that the Louvre is a Paris “must-see”.

By the way, why is it a must-see??? Probably because it is a gorgeous historical palace, which now hosts the biggest museum of the world, whose collections are among the richest of all, covering all periods of “western” art, from Mesopotamia until the 19th century and Romanticism.

Nevertheless, most guides always advise the same tour path, focusing on the same masterpieces, like the Mona Lisa or the Victory of Samothrace. And for the average visitor without much knowledge in history of art, I’m not sure it makes much sense to follow hordes of tourists whose main purpose is to photograph themselves in front of the same world-famous masterpieces… And it is definitely not the best introduction to art, which, according to me, must target the senses before the reason.

On the contrary, walking in the endless corridors, monumental staircases and exhibition rooms of the Louvre, without any imposed sense of visit, just following one’s intuition, looking OR NOT at the artworks, is a great experience. You will be more relaxed not only to appreciate the works (and also the beautiful views of Paris from the windows) but also to feel this unique sensation to be nearly alone, surrounded by paintings, sculptures or objects, witnessing the glorious heritage of centuries of history and testifying the great genius of human kind!

Far more convincing than any learned explanation about Da Vinci and Mona Lisa…

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Louvre’s empty rooms | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance adults € 10
Cour Napoléon | Louvre/Les Halles | +33140205050
Wed – Mon 09:00 – 18:00, Wed & Fri 09:30 – 22:00

An original cemetery is the cats and dogs’ one, located in Asnières (suburbs near Paris).

French people are not particularly animal rights activists, but they love pets! And for more than a century now, pet lovers can bury their pets in this special cemetery, located in a very peaceful and beautiful area along the river Seine.

Reading the pets’ names, their owners’ short epitaphs (some of them are in English) is quite entertaining, and there are actually beautiful graves, showing how some people are more attached to animals than to human beings. The place also hosts a shelter for abandoned cats, which brings life to this area where death reigns.

To get there: metro line 13, until « Gabriel Péri » (be careful, you have to use the yellow branch after « La Fourche »), or bus 54 until « Place Voltaire ».

If you’re still in the mood for another cemetery, walk along the Seine opposite its flow and cross the next bridge until rue Baudin, in Levallois-Perret: this (human) cemetery (not as famous as the big three: Père-Lachaise, Montparnasse and Montmartre) hosts a British WW1 memorial, and the graves of Gustave Eiffel (you might have heard of his tower…), Maurice Ravel (you might know his Bolero) and Louise Michel (the Red Virgin, a key figure of the Commune). Open between 09:00 and 17:00.

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Cimetière des chiens | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance fee € 3.50
Parc Robinson (Asnières-sur-Seine) | Montmartre/Clichy
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 16:30

The Pavillon de l’Arsenal – a great place to understand historical and contemporary architecture and urban planning of Paris – recently changed its permanent collection, making it even more attractive than before.

The central space is now occupied by a huge interactive animation which allows the visitors (one by one) to show an aerial view of a place in Paris or its region. All around, short notices (with explanations in French and English), illustrations, maps and models explain how Paris’s territory evolved since the Middle Ages and what major urban planning decisions were undertaken in the 19th and 20th centuries to shape contemporary city. A section is also dedicated to the current projects in Paris and its suburbs.

The only thing I regret is that the very comfortable cushions on the floor were substituted by strangely shaped triangular chairs, quite comfortable too, but a little bit too serious to my taste…

The first and second floors are still dedicated to temporary exhibitions, generally more technical than the permanent one on the floor ground, still about architecture and urban planning. And a documentaion centre is accessible from Tuesday to Friday (14:00 – 18:15, 14:00 – 17:15 on Fridays).

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Pavillon de l’Arsenal | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
21 Boulevard Morland | Marais/Bastille | +33142763397
Tue – Sat 10:30 – 18:30, Sun 11:00 – 19:00

The Marais is generally known for falafel snacks, gay bars and trendy stores, but it also has a great architectural heritage: many aristocrats lived there in the 17th Century, before the Court moved to Versailles. During the French Revolution, aristocrats were beheaded or exiled, their residencies were turned public and now many of these host museums, libraries, or archives, (when not hosting the new Parisian aristocracy…).

One such palace is “Hôtel Carnavalet” (funny name coming from a mispronunciation of the Briton name de Kernevenoy, the first owners of the palace), which now hosts a museum dedicated to the history of Paris.

In this museum, you won’t find big names or famous masterpieces, but many paintings showing how Paris was throughout the different ages of its history, which is very interesting if you have already gone all over modern city’s streets and squares.

The collections (paintings, but also pieces of furniture) are also of great interest for history enthusiasts, and displays the most important events of French history (many of which occurred in Paris), notably the Revolutions (from 1789 to the Commune, passing by 1830 and 1848).

Like other museums run by the municipality, the visit to the collections is free, though you might be charged for some temporary exhibitions. And even if you’re not a museum addict, the place is worth a visit for its gorgeous courtyard, freely accessible from the entrance of the museum.

Current exhibition (until 29th July): Eugène Atget (1857-1927), a great photograph of 100-year-old Paris.

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Musée Carnavalet | Art & culture | Free
23 rue de Sévigné | Marais/Bastille | +33144595858
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Everyone knows the Eiffel tower, the symbol of Paris and of France. In a way, Eiffel Tower (1889) is symbolic of the « iron civilization », characteristic of the second part of 19th century, when Paris regularly organized World Fairs, in which were presented all international technological new trends.

But 45 years before the tower, a less famous construction – but not less interesting at all – inaugurated the « age of iron »: the church Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile, located in the working-class Faubourg Poissonnière.

Built in 20 months only, in ogival style (it’s an example of Gothic Revival in Paris), it is the first church in France with a fully metallic structure (except the 4 main walls, built in masonry), as you can check if you knock one of the numerous slender and colored columns… The use of metal not only reduced the costs considerably, but its strength allowed the columns and walls to be thinner, which increases the impression of space and lightness when you get inside, and made the use of flying-buttresses, those structural elements typical of Gothic Art, that you can see at Notre-Dame or Saint-Séverin, unnecessary.

Many elements of the decoration (stained glass windows, organ, spiral staircases at the angles…) are also worth a look: they were all presented at the first Paris Expo in 1855, at the time of Haussmann’s Renovations of Paris.

Last but not least, the church is often empty and quiet.

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Eglise Saint-Eugène | Art & culture | Free
6, rue Sainte-Cécile | Grands Boulevards | +33148247025
Mon 18:00 – 20:00, Tue – Fri 09:30 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 14:00, Sun 09:00 – 13:00 & 18:00 – 20:00

With its two screens showing only “Latin” films (ie films from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Latin America, and more rarely Romania), and its dance-floor upstairs hosting Latin dances classes, Le Latina cinema has become over the years an inevitable place for Latin cultures’ enthusiasts wishing to watch an Almodovar film downstairs while hearing the noise of High Heels on the floor above…

In 2009, Le Latina was slightly renamed in Le Nouveau Latina (The New Latina), and it slightly changed too, even if it keeps its strong Latin identity. Most of the films are still from Latin countries, but the programming is broader now, and also includes international auteur cinema (with a preference for films about homosexuality: we’re in the deep heart of the Marais).

The first floor has been renovated and is now Le Salon Rouge, a very cozy tea salon (open from 14:00 – 21:00) which also hosts a small store selling DVDs, film posters and books about cinema. If you add photography / drawing exhibitions and tango classes on Monday evenings (beginner / intermediate / free practice), it makes Le Nouveau Latina the perfect multidisciplinary space for modern “Latin lovers”…

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Le Nouveau Latina | Art & culture, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Snacks
20 rue du Temple | Marais/Bastille | +33142466271
11:30 – 00:00 daily

Henri Cartier-Bresson died in 2004 and is remembered as one of the most important French press photographers of the past century (he co-founded Magnum Photos agency in 1947). In 2003, he and his family decided to create this foundation in order to conserve his works and to organise lectures and exhibitions related to photography.

Not to be confused with contemporary art orientated Fondation Cartier which is in the same neighbourhood, Fondation Cartier-Bresson is located in an elegant building (once an atelier) in a small and isolated cul-de-sac. A bench and 5 birches confer an original charm to the place. The building has four floors, with the reception (plus vast convenient lockers) on the ground floor, exhibition rooms on the first and second, and a relaxing space on the third floor.

Temporary exhibitions are not focused only on Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, but generally display other artists whose style, period or favourite themes are similar to Cartier-Bresson’s.

The top floor is a relaxing area with a dozen of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs, and a resource centre, with books and audiovisual material.

On Wednesday evenings, it’s possible to visit the foundation for free between 18:30 and 20:30 (last admission 20:00). For photo lovers on a budget, it can thus be combined with the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (check the Maison Européenne de la Photographie article), also free on Wednesdays after 17:00.

Current exhibition (until 29th July): Yutaka Takanashi

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Fondation Cartier-Bresson | Art & culture | Entrance € 6.00
2 impasse Lebouis | Montparnasse | +33156802700
Tue – Sun 13:00 – 18:30, Sat 11:00 – 18:45, Wed free 18:30 – 20:30

When you walk through Luxembourg Garden, just in front of the fountain where you can hire and play with boats, there is a magnificent building guarded by men in uniform: This is the Senate of France.

The Senate is the upper house of the France Parliament, but this monument was actually built by Marie de Medicis who wanted to be close to her son, King Louis XIII, located at le Louvre, which gives you an idea of the links between mother and son !

Besides the wonderful garden you walk by to reach the Senate, it is worth to visit, as you can feel democracy in progress. And when you enter the hemicycle, (the debates are broadcasted on Thursday afternoons, you can imagine very famous franch people, like Georges Clemenceau (one of our French presidents) or Emile Zola sitting there and try to improve the life of millions of people.

As you visit this place, don’t miss the incredible library, very 19th century, and the amazing former ballroom, where you’ll admire the throne of Napoleon the 1st.

And by the way, try to see the private garden of the President of the Senate, with his private tennis.

Honestly, this place is very interesting to see to better understand the way French democracy works, and, while you are around, you can always enjoy walking in the Latin quarter just nearby or this wonderful garden that Le Luxembourg is. From there, you can reach either Montparnaase via the Vavin Street or St-Sulpice or St Michel Boulvard

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The Paris Senate | Art & culture | Free
15, rue de Vaugirard | Quartier Latin | +33142342000
1 Sat / month, check the website

From Place de La Bastille, named after the Bastille Prison which was taken by the people of Paris on July, the 14th 1789, you can follow Rue Saint Antoine and Rue de Birague, which leads to the most beautiful place in Paris, Place des Vosges, known in the whole world and not just because of the House of Victor Hugo or the 3 michelin star restaurant L’Ambroisie or the magnificent hotel “Le Pavilion de la Reine”, but also because of the renowned art galleries

This spot, called Place Royale before 1800, was renamed in honor of Les Vosges County, which was the first to pay taxes after the Revolution, and is the “sister” of the Place Ducale in Charleville-Mézières.

Between the numbers 21 and 24 lie at least six art galleries, which constitue an open-air museum, dedicated to the contemporary art. They organise lots of exhibition all year long as the others galleries near the Place. 

At number 21, and 24, you’ll find the two art symbol galleries, run by the same family, and which organizes varnishing around their artists like Chinikov, Micha Tauber, or photographer Lirone (you can see their work on the web).

At number 28, you can enter the Vivendi Gallery, where you currently can admire some Andy Warhol reproductions, and also some paintings from Arnaud or Lee Kui Dae.

To complete the panel, I can also cite Galerie 26, and Galerie Modus which presents also very contemporary works. Feel free to enter !

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Galleries of Place des Vosges | Art & culture
24, Place des Vosges | Marais/Bastille
Mon – Sun 12:00 – 20:00