Paris The City Of Love
A mecca for artists and romantics, France’s capital has plenty of gems waiting to be discovered.
With its reputation as the ‘city of love’, Paris certainly has a lot to live up to but in this sprawling city made up of winding streets and lookalike buildings, it’s easy to find yourself stumbling into Paris’s most romantic quarters.
Of all of Paris’s districts, however, there’s no arrondissement quite as spectacular and mesmerising as Montmartre. A suburb built up on the city’s steepest hill, Montmartre thrived in the late 19th century as a creative hub, a mecca for all of Europe’s greatest artists, including Picasso, Dalí, Van Gogh and Degas. With its cobbled streets, unspoilt vibe and wealth of independent shops and stalls, Montmartre is the living memory of the celebrated Belle Époque, a golden age of French history immortalised in film and literature.
To truly absorb the beauty of Montmartre, it’s a good idea to spend a full day and night out and about. Visit one of the many crêperies that flank street corners for a chocolatey treat, then allow your feet to take you around town. Any trip to Montmartre isn’t worth doing unless you visit the Basilica de Sacré-Coeur, where you’ll be granted incredible panoramic views over the city. From here, walk around to the square at the back of the church, where you’ll find yourself being hustled and charmed by local artists selling their wares. If you’re feeling brave, pose for one of the market’s infamous caricaturists!
If you’d rather soak up the art, there are several key locations to visit within minutes of the square the local Dalí Paris show exhibits some of the kooky artist’s key pieces, including one of his Lobster Telephones. Theodorus van Gogh, brother and patron of the celebrated Vincent van Gogh, lived on Rue Lepic, one of the small streets leading down from the Sacré-Coeur, where his brother lived with him from 1886 to 1888. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, another of Van Gogh’s close acquaintances, also lived around the corner from the Van Gogh brothers.
Indeed, Montmartre is home to many Parisian institutions, including the infamous Moulin Rouge on one of the main roads through the arrondissement. Despite its less-thanconvenient location, tourists flock to this iconic red windmill, keen to capture a photo. The cabaret itself still ranks as one of the best in Paris despite its fame. If you’d rather skip the crowd, however, head across town to Le Zèbre de Belleville for a more intimate, traditional experience.
While Montmartre might embody most people’s expectations of Paris, the city has so much more to offer in its other arrondissements. Belleville, one of Paris’s most diverse suburbs, is renowned for being among the coolest places in the city. Here, take a tour of the local graffiti art on Rue Dénoyez. Nearby is also the famed Père Lachaise cemetery, the final resting place of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison, among others. An unlikely destination on many tourists’ itineraries, the cemetery is nevertheless a popular site and well worth a visit away from the hubbub of the general city.
Not that Paris is overwhelmed or overworked. In fact, Paris is unlike many of the world’s capital cities in that its inhabitants take a very different view on life. Where Londoners or New Yorkers rush around, a week’s worth of work to be done in a day, Parisians have embraced a rather different approach to living. Life is to be savoured and enjoyed; health and happiness come first. To visit Paris and to hurry around is very un-Parisian why not take a tip from the locals? The city is filled with brasseries and cafés, restaurants and bars, so make the most of it. Most arrondissements have their own vibe; once you’ve found a place you like, sit down, sip on a glass of wine and watch the world go by. Worthwhile visits include La Fée Verte in the 11th arrondissement, an absinthe bar inspired by the Belle Époque. For film buffs, the café featured in the film Amélie is down the road from Van Gogh’s residence on Rue Lepic.
While Paris has long been hailed as the home of bohemian artists, there is another equally prodigious kind of person who considers the city an essential port of call. Any chef worth his salt has done a stint in France’s capital, earning their stripes in the home of the world’s greatest cuisine. Paris has been the make-or-break for many leading chefs, so naturally it’s one of the greatest places in Europe to eat out.
While the city does have its fair share of fancy restaurants, excellent food and experimental cooking is available if you know where to look. Don’t be tempted to visit the restaurants that line the key tourist spots while the sight of visitors dining on mussels and sipping wine at their table might tempt you, often the better restaurants are tucked away off the beaten track. If you’re visiting Paris during the week, you’ll find that many of the city’s restaurants offer cheaper lunch menus, or in the evening there will likely be a fixed menu for a reasonable cost. As well as eating out in Paris, be sure to enjoy the incredible wine on offer. Because France produces plenty of the world’s wine, from Bordeaux to Merlot, you’ll find that the cost of wine is much cheaper than anywhere else on the planet.
No trip to Paris is complete without soaking up the great art pencil in a whole day to visit the Musée du Louvre. Built on the site of the old Louvre Castle, which was once residence for the French royals, the Louvre is a beautiful mix of old and new, with its glorious palatial complex contrasted by the glass pyramids in the museum’s square. Inside the museum is equally spectacular, featuring some of the world’s most celebrated artworks including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the celebrated Liberty Leading the People.
Another iconic Parisian institution that cannot be missed is the Eiffel Tower. Queues form quickly for this attraction, so head over as early as possible to get through security, and ascend before the crowds. With tickets costing about £22 ($28) to travel the 276 metres (906 feet) to the top, it’s not the cheapest visit, but the view from the summit is worth it on a clear day. To make the most of your ticket, visit the exhibits, as well as the champagne bar at the top, or take in the views at the second-floor’s restaurant.
With so many incredible sites, galleries and museums to visit, Paris can quickly become an expensive place for tourists hoping to soak up the city’s history and culture. However, the first Sunday of every month sees most museums open their doors for free. If you’re lucky enough to be in town on this date, be sure to get up early to beat the crowds, as queues are quick to form at the more popular destinations. To make the most of the day, plan an itinerary, using the internet to find out how much time you’re likely to spend at different sites. While you can lose yourself for hours in most of Paris’s galleries, you may find that half an hour will suffice at other sites. It’s worth checking online to find out which museums are part of the Sunday scheme not all museums participate, and some that do will charge entry at peak summer season.