The Secret and Offbeat Paris I want to share with you
When I got some spare time one of my favourite things to do was jump…
Browsing: Secret and Offbeat Paris
The only Breton Lighthouse in Paris is no more
By the train tracks of the Montparnasse station that serves Brittany once stood a Breton…
What is this suspended iron bar in rue Rataud about?
Another oddity in the 5th arrondissement in Paris, not far from rue Mouffetard: the suspended…
Impasse de la Santé, Paris’ last dirt track
In our Countryside in Paris series, the impasse de la Santé is an interesting one.…
Where to find the last vespasienne in Paris
Once Paris totalled over 1,200 vespasiennes. These public urinals were part of the Paris street…
Empêche-pipi or how to prevent wild peeing in Paris
Paris is full with little oddities and unusual things to see. One of them are…
The refrigerator’s ancestor in Paris
Not many people know of the presence of the refrigerator’s ancestor in Paris. Find your…
Where to find the last boot scrapers of Paris?
When visiting Paris you might take notice of tiny remnants of days gone by, wondering…
Discover the colourful street of rue Crémieux, Paris
The colourful street of rue Crémieux is situated in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, not…
Where to shoot the best views of the Eiffel Tower?
If you are planning a trip to France and have a good camera, here are…
Where to find the Berlin Wall in Paris
On 9 November, Germany and Europe commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall. The generation…
Fire warning device in the Marais, Paris
Not far from the St. Paul-St. Louis church stands the last fire warning device in…
The Abbesses métro station in Montmartre
The entrance to the Abbesses métro station is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. Designed…
The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons, rue de Grenelle
You have to walk on the narrow street of rue de Grenelle in the 7th…
The triumphal arch of Porte Saint-Martin in Paris
The triumphal arch of Porte Saint-Martin is situated in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Built…
The triumphal arch of Porte Saint-Denis in Paris
The triumphal arch of Porte Saint-Denis is situated in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Dating…
The Art Nouveau Castel Béranger by Hector Guimard
Castel Béranger is one of Paris’ most extravagant buildings, built in the Art Nouveau style…
Discover the secretive Place de Valois in Paris
So you’re heading to the Palais Royal and its beautiful enclosed garden. Instead of entering…
Discover the inner outdoor garden of the Petit-Palais
I wanted to go there for a while and waited for the perfect Summer day.…
Why the Canal Saint-Martin is worth discovering?
Do you remember Amelie skipping stones at the locks of a canal in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s…
The Art Nouveau cupola of the Galeries Lafayette
The Galeries Lafayette is the name for an upmarket Paris department store originally founded in…
The Jewish street of rue des Rosiers, Paris
The rue des Rosiers is situated in the Marais. The name of the street means…
The elegance of Place Saint-Georges, Paris
Although small in size, the circular Place Saint-Georges owes its elegant look to the beautiful townhouses…
Why does the statue of Montaigne bring luck?
Did you know that some statues in Paris are believed to hold magical properties? For…
What makes the public clocks of Paris popular?
Some of the public clocks of Paris date back to the Middle Ages. Many more…
Horse meat butcher shops in Paris
How selling horse meat was made possible whilst it was considered a taboo food until…
What are guard stones in Paris?
Isn’t it strange that so much art and detail are put into things we do…
Where to find the Statue of Liberty hidden in Paris?
There are a few replicas of the Statue of Liberty that are found across Paris:…
Church of Notre-Dame de la Compassion, Paris
Caught between the Périphérique and the Convention Centre at Porte Maillot, the church of Notre-Dame…
Passage Boudin, Paris
This little lane will surprise you if you are walking in the neighbourhood of Charonne.…
Rue des Cascades, Paris
Lined with low and tall houses, the quiet and green rue des Cascades, Paris is a surprising…
Rue Berton, Paris
There are a number of rural-looking streets to discover in Paris. One of them is…
The Paris Challenge: 100 places to discover in Paris
I’ve been working hard in feeding this website over the past six years. There has been…
In the footsteps of Dalida in Montmartre
Who was Dalida? This is the inevitable question people ask me when walking on a…
That day when the glass pyramid of the Louvre disappeared!
How the glass pyramid of the Louvre disappeared? The offender is French street artist JR who…
Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil, Paris
Unknown for most of the Parisians the elegant Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil is a botanical…
Parc de Boulogne Edmond de Rothschild
The vast Parc de Boulogne Edmond de Rothschild is situated between the Bois de Boulogne…
When the Jardin d’Acclimatation was a human zoo
At the entrance of the Jardin d’Acclimatation is a commemorative plaque which does not draw…
Berlin Wall Section in Paris
Last week during a walk across the 16th arrondissement I stumbled upon a historic piece…
Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, Paris
It is either visible from the top of the Eiffel Tower, from the Front-de-Seine or…
An elephant head near Les Halles, Paris
How many people passing by the busy street of rue de la Cossonnerie actually know…
Half-timbered house in the Rue de Braque, Paris
I thought there was only three major half-timbered houses in Paris until this morning when…
Rue de Verneuil and Serge Gainsbourg’s House, Paris
Have you heard of rue Verneuil in Paris? Probably not, but surely you’ve heard of…
Fountain of the Croix-du-Trahoir, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris
Today the intersection of rue Saint-Honoré and rue de l’Arbre-Sec is part of one of the nicest parts of Paris.…
Boules-aux-Rats, Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois church in Paris
There is a mystery that scholars and historians have not yet succeeded to resolve. Perched…
Christmas Nativity Scene at Saint-François-Xavier, Paris
One of the most beautiful Nativity Scenes in Paris is found inside the church of Saint-François-Xavier in the 7th…
Discover Place Denfert-Rochereau in Paris
The Lion of Belfort is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Bartholdi that stands below the…
Would you go to the Catacombs of Paris? I just did!
Below the pleasant district of Denfert-Rochereau (14th arrondissement) with peaceful residential streets and lively Haussmann-style avenues…
And Paris’ highest street is…
A few days ago, one of our students in French asked us a tricky question:…
Rue Saint-Jacques: Paris’ oldest street
Did you know that rue Saint-Jacques is the oldest street of Paris? Let’s find out…