Lonely Planet Paris , livre ebook

Paris

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Paris
Paris’ Top Experiences
What’s New
Need to Know
First Time Paris
Perfect Days
Month By Month
With Kids
Like a Local
For Free
Under the Radar Paris
Museums & Galleries
Dining Out
Bar Open
Showtime
Treasure Hunt
LGBTIQ+ Travellers
Parks & Activities
The Seine

Explore Paris

Neighbourhoods at a Glance
Eiffel Tower & Western Paris
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Champs-Élysées & Grands Boulevards
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Louvre & Les Halles
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Bastille & Eastern Paris
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
The Islands
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Shopping
Latin Quarter
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Montparnasse & Southern Paris
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Day Trips from Paris
Release Your Inner Child at Disneyland
Revel in the Splendour of Versailles
Fontainebleau
Admire the Royal Rooms
Chartres
Visit the medieval Notre Dame
Giverny
Explore Monet’s gardens
Sleeping

Understand Paris

History
Fashion as a Way of Life
Architectural Splendour
Literary Paris
Painting & Visual Arts
French Cinema
Paris Soundtrack

Survival Guide

Transport
Air
Train
Bus
Car & Motorcycle
Train
Bicycle
Bus
Boat
Taxi
Car & Motorcycle
Trottinettes
Tours
Directory A–Z
Accessible Travel
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Emergency
Internet Access
Legal Matters
Medical Services
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Responsible Travel
Safe Travel
Taxes & Refunds
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Language
Paris Maps
Eiffel Tower & Western Paris
Champs Élysées
Grands Boulevards
Louvre
Les Halles
Montmarte & Pigalle
Gare du Nord & Canal St-Martin
Gare du Nord & Canal St-Martin East
Clichy & Gare St-Lazare
Le Marais
Ménilmontant & Belleville
Bastille & Eastern Paris
The Islands
Latin Quarter North
Latin Quarter South
St-Germain
Les Invalides
Place d’Italie & Chinatown
Montparnasse
15e

Table of Contents

Behind the Scenes
Our Writers

COVID-19
We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.
Welcome to Paris

Paris’ grandeur is inspiring, but what I love most about the city is its intimacy. Its quartiers (quarters) are like a patchwork of villages, and while it’s one of the world’s major metropolises – with all of the culture and facilities that go with that – there’s a real sense of community at the local shops, markets and cafes that hasn’t changed since my childhood. Yet because every little ‘village’ has its own evolving character, I’m constantly discovering and rediscovering hidden corners of the city.

rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre | CATARINA BELOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

By Catherine Le Nevez, Writer
For more about Our Writers .
Paris’ Top Experiences

1 ICONIC MONUMENTS
Paris’ streetscapes – lamplit bridges, awning-shaded cafe terraces filled with wicker chairs, and broad boulevards lined with cream-coloured Haussmannian apartment buildings – are emblematic. More recent structures like the Louvre’s glittering pyramid and the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s glass sails have meshed into the architectural fabric of the city, while famous monuments such as its arch and tower have become synonymous with Paris.

Pont Alexandre III | MARINAD_37/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Eiffel Tower
Although no one could imagine Paris today without its signature spire, Gustave Eiffel only constructed this graceful 320m-high tower – then the world’s tallest – as a temporary exhibit for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair). Its popularity saw it become the defining fixture of the city’s skyline.

GURGEN BAKHSHETYAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Arc de Triomphe
Paris’ magnificent, intricately sculpted triumphal arch, completed in 1836 to commemorate Napoléon’s 1805 victory at Austerlitz, guards the Champs-Élysées. Some of the best vistas in Paris radiate from the top.

PIGPROX/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hôtel des Invalides
Louis XIV built the Hôtel des Invalides in the 1670s to house 4000 invalides (disabled war veterans). In the Cour d’Honneur, the Musée de l’Armée showcases French military history. Napoléon is laid to rest in the golden-dome-topped Église du Dôme.

SERGEY KELIN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Paris’ Top Experiences
2 ARTISTIC TREASURES
With an illustrious artistic pedigree – Renoir, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dalí and Van Gogh are but a few of the masters who have lived and worked here over the years – Paris is one of the world’s great art repositories. In addition to world-famous national museums, scores of smaller establishments feature every imaginable genre, diverse venues mount major exhibitions through to offbeat installations, and the city is filled with vibrant street art.

Musée du Louvre
The Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo are among the priceless treasures housed inside the fortress turned royal palace turned France’s first national museum, the labyrinthine Musée du Louvre. One of the best ways to discover its incomparable artworks and artefacts is by following thematic trails, from the ‘Art of Eating’ to ‘Love in the Louvre’.

TAKASHI IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Musée Rodin
At the lovely Musée Rodin, Auguste Rodin’s former workshop and showroom is filled with sculptural masterpieces such as The Kiss, while its rambling sculpture garden is a romantic setting to contemplate works like The Thinker .

NEYDTSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Musée d’Orsay
Within grand former railway station Gare d’Orsay, richly coloured walls at the Musée d’Orsay make this national museum’s impressionist and postimpressionist canvases appear as if they’re hung in an intimate home.

CELLI07/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Paris’ Top Experiences
3 CULINARY EXPLOITS
France pioneered what is still the most influential style of cooking in the Western world and Paris is its showcase par excellence . Here, the food and the dining experience are considered inseparable and whether you’re in a charming neighbourhood bistro, an elegant brasserie or a once-in-a-lifetime haute cuisine restaurant, you’ll find that places pride themselves on the preparation and presentation of quality produce. Do as Parisians do and savour every moment.

Bistros
Tucked in Paris’ backstreets, you’ll find exciting neobistros where creative young chefs forge their reputations coexisting alongside timeless bistros honouring classic cookery techniques such as La Tour de Montlhéry – Chez Denise.

PETR KOVALENKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Brasseries
Grand brasseries are a hallmark of Paris’ dining scene. Seafood is typically a speciality. Montparnasse has a splendid line-up along bd du Montparnasse, such as art deco showpiece Le Dôme, renowned for its shellfish platters.

SIMONA SIRIO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Gastronomic Extravaganzas
Paris has a galaxy of Michelin-starred restaurants helmed by legendary chefs. Restaurant Guy Savoy, ensconced in the neoclassical former mint, the Monnaie de Paris, is one of the finest.

Jellied tomatoes served at Restaurant Guy Savoy | MAURICE ROUGEMON/GETTY IMAGES ©

Paris’ Top Experiences
4 SPECIALISED SHOPPING
What really sets shopping in Paris apart is the city’s incredible array of specialist shops. Candles from the world’s oldest candle maker, paints developed with celebrated artists at venerable art-supply shops, beautiful fragrances from small perfumeries, statement-making homewares from up-and-coming local artisans and, this being Paris, a cornucopia of fine food and wine shops are just some of the treats in store.

HAJAKELY/GETTY IMAGES ©

Fashion
Options to make over your wardrobe are limitless at Haut Marais emerging designer boutiques, Triangle d’Or haute couture flagships and wonderful vintage boutiques. For inspiration, reserve ahead for fashion shows at grand magasin (department store) Galeries Lafayette, topped by a century-old stained-glass dome.

BOTOND HORVATH/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Gourmet Goods
Patisseries with jewel-like tarts and cakes, fromageries filled with aromatic cheeses, chocolatiers displaying stunning seasonal creations, caves stocked high with wine bottles: Paris is an epicurean’s delight. Whet your appetite at the magnificent food emporium La Grande Épicerie de Paris.

Shop window in Le Marais | CDRIN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Antiques
Shop for a piece of Parisian history at the city’s antique dealers. An incredible array of sellers display furniture, objets d’art, furnishings, prints, paintings and countless other items at the vast flea market in northern Paris, the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen.

IRENA IRIS SZEWCZYK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Paris’ Top Experiences
5 GREEN ESCAPES
While Paris is Europe’s most densely populated capital, there are numerous opportunities to escape the urban enviro