| 7 mins read
Experience the Paris the mainstream doesn’t know about. It’s a city of a thousand clichés, but there’s an overabundance of under-the-radar gems to be found by wandering off the tourist trail. From modern street art in Belleville, antique shopping at weekends to cocktails with jazz, Paris has something to intrigue everyone, young and old, and they’ll be sure to fall head-over-heels in love with her.
Paris is a compact city and while the metro is good for encountering oddball characters among the Parisian commuters, walking is the best way to stumble upon some genuinely intriguing sights you would never spot while underground.
As the masses flock to the Champs-Elysées for big name shopping, the remnants of a bygone Paris are still alive in ‘Les Passages Couverts’- the covered passages filled with independent proprietors selling everything from vintage postcards to quirky toys. Some are more worth a visit than others (Passage du Caire is possibly memorable for the wrong reasons) but all are a step back in time. Passage Jouffroy, home to Musée Grévin with its waxworks and hall of mirrors should be on your list, as well as Passage du Grand Cerf, recognized by Louis Malle fans as featuring in the 1960 film, ‘Zazie Dans Le Metro’. The elegant Galerie Vivienne in the 2nd arrondissement is the smartest of them all.
Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre no longer discuss existentialism on the Left Bank, but eager tourists frequent Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore to inhale the literary history and pay tourist prices for coffee. The more savvy will instead stop at Coutume for good espresso or opt for the Right Bank to seek out a less crowded atmosphere and more satisfying meal from Di Loretta - arguably the best pizza in Paris.
When the budget can’t extend to fresh flowers from Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite, Lachaume, the flower market near Notre Dame Cathedral is not to be missed. Follow the intoxicating scent of the blooms to Île de la Cité and possibly pick up some seasonal or exotic flowers. Be sure to return on a Sunday when it becomes a bird market, with canaries and parrots and some other animals too, on display in and out of the cages. It makes for a memorable morning even when taking a feathered friend home is not on the agenda.
For animals less lively, Deyrolle is a remarkable cabinet of curiosities where zebra are able to relax around tigers and a polar bear rubs shoulders with an elephant. As this elegant taxidermy store has become more popular, it's regarded almost a museum/shop so there’s no pressure to purchase a pair of swans on a visit to Rue du Bac.
Paris is a city of contrasts, and while many visitors seek out the past, the most exciting things are happening in the present. Street Art is all over the city - if you know where to look. There are some excellent street art tour guides who know all the best neighbourhoods and passageways to find the best of the genre. Belleville is an especially good starting place with a free open-air gallery of always-changing graffiti and art on shop fronts and lamp posts. A particularly good street is Rue Dénoyez. Once in decline, artists moved in where run-down hotels stood, and young families started renovating ramshackle apartments, making it one of the most vibrant areas in the city. Don’t be surprised if art freshly painted in the morning has already morphed into something different by evening.
A tourist attraction for those with at least a little curiosity for the macabre, the Paris catacombs is an unusual subterranean experience. It was built in 1810 to tackle the overcrowding in the Paris cemeteries and has an entrance at Place Denfert-Rochereau. Those with a nervous disposition may feel uneasy being guided through the walkways made up of the bones and skulls of six million Parisians, but it’s more fascinating than eerie. By booking one of the allocated time slots in advance, a lengthy wait to enter can be avoided.
A visit to Pere-Lachaise cemetery is a popular choice for visitors hoping to find the grave of their idol. A Paris tour guide will be a good choice for this outing as it can be difficult to find the headstones of specific people in the sprawling graveyard. Jim Morrison from The Doors, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Balzac were all laid to rest here, and there’s a particularly beautiful pointe shoe and floral tribute to ballerina Marie Taglioni.
Many come to Paris for the flea markets, hoping to pick up some vintage jewellery or second-hand treasures. Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is one of the most popular, but can be daunting to the first-time visitor. For those serious about finding some pieces of interest, it would be wise to go with a French-speaking tour guide to lead the way and haggle over inflated prices if necessary. The closest metro at Clignancourt can appear overwhelmingly prepossessing as pickpockets, police and fake goods crowd the market outskirts. Instead, take the metro to Garibaldi for the entrance closest to artefacts and rarities. Puces de Vanves sees fewer tourists and has a less frenetic pace, with a smaller but potentially more interesting collection of vendors. Get there early (it opens at 8 am and on weekends only) and be prepared to negotiate on pricier items.
After serious sightseeing, a few cocktails may be in order. Head to Le Rosebud for laidback elegance and quiet contemplation where the white-jacketed waiters serve classic drinks with style. Not for party animals, this cosy, dimly-lit establishment in Montparnasse was a 14th arrondissement favourite of Sartre et al and is still frequented by artists and writers who appreciate the jazz 45s played on the old record player.
Only after an evening of drinks is it forgivable to use a 24-hour baguette vending machine in a city famed for its wonderful cuisine. Place €1 in the machine on Avenue Mathurin Moreau and receive a crisp, hot baguette. Although it won’t replace shopping for delicacies at Poilâne, Pierre Hermé or La Pâtisserie des Rêves, it’s a unique concept and should be tried for novelty value, at least.
With so many places to experience in Paris, this selection only touches the surface of some interesting attractions. If you don’t have a Parisian friend to let you into the secret of their favourite spots, hiring a local French guide is the next best thing as they open your eyes to a native’s view of the French capital; a fascinatingly unique one at that.
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