I’m going to Paris with a friend for two weeks and although we plan on visiting the tourist spots we also want to get a feel for the real Paris. Does anyone know of anything to do involving art or music preferably! Like an art exhibition or a gig? Or anything that would be different from the usual tourist spots!
Some suggestions:
1. Go on a skate through the streets of Paris.
Pari-Rollers organizes a skate at night complete with cops on roller blades to escort the group and a medical team following in case someone takes a spill. This began years ago as a sort of "underground" activity that the cops tried to stop. But when the numbers swelled to hundreds (and on some occasions thousands) they gave up and now cooperate. The route changes every week. Read about it here: http://www.pari-roller.com/
2. Have dinner with an icon of the 1960′s free love, hippy, movement.
Jim Haynes is still crazy after all these years. An American he helped organize the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, co-founded "Suck" (a magazine about sexual issues) in Amsterdam, and taught Media Studies and Sexual Politics at the University of Paris 8. He holds a dinner party every Sunday night at his atelier. Read about it here: http://www.jim-haynes.com/
3. Check out the Roman Arena
Although it gets mentioned in all the guide books I don’t see many people there. The Arènes de Lutèce was built in the 1st century when Paris was a Roman city. Over the centuries it was filled in, built over, and forgotten. It was rediscovered in the late 19th century and excavated. Today, it is a public park in the 5th arrondissement, accessible by three entrances . One is a passageway through the building at 47, rue Monge; the second is a long open corridor from rue de Navarre through a gate; the third is through the Square Capitan from its entrance at 10, rue des Arènes.
4. Visit the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette
I don’t know your nationality but if you are an American or just interested in history then go to the cemetery of Picpus at 35, rue de Picpus and pay your respects to this great man, a pivotal figure in both the American and French Revolutions.
An American flag flies over his grave and did so even during the Nazi occupation of Paris. The German Commandant of Paris, who was a scholar of American Revolutionary history, ordered a detachment of his Wehrmacht soldiers to march to the cemetery each morning and evening to raise and lower the American flag above the General’s grave with full military honors.
The only way into the cemetery is through an unmarked door in a larger, perpetually-closed gateway that guards the church within, which is itself attached to a cloistered nunnery. You have to know exactly where to find the doorbell and, once pressed, know to turn to the right after you pass through the door and find the entry ‘official’ who sits in silence and takes your entry fee.
For any American with an understanding of history it is a visit of obligation. Lay a white rose (the symbol of reverence and humility) on his grave and say “Lafayette, we are here.”
5. See the windmills of Montmartre
Most tourists go take a look at the Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) nightclub. But the windmill there is a fake, just a decoration. However, there are still two real windmills in Montmartre. The last one, Le Moulin à Poivre, functioned until 1878. The Moulin de la Gallette and the Moulin du Radet are found by the rue Lepic.
6. If you’re into philosophy
Check out the meet up group that discusses philosophy in English. it only meets once a month but if you happen to be in Paris at the time its a great way to meet some intelligent people.
7. Check out my favorite bar.
Aux Trois Mialletz at 56 rue Galande is admittedly in a touristy area just a couple of blocks from Notre Dame but the crowd is mainly locals with a very big contingent of regulars. The people are very friendly and the piano bar on the ground floor staffed with very talented musicians and singers. Its the sort of place that stays open all night and where local musicians go to hang out after they’ve finished working someplace else. I’ve been going there for over 30 years ( I sing jazz) and its always a good time and a place I’ve made many, many friends.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Get lost in the suburbs and admire gang tags on the buildings, French rap and unpublicized social trends, or run for your lives from the francophone homies.
References :
January 4th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are an underground ossuary in Paris, France. Located south of the former city gate (the "Barrière d’Enfer" at today’s Place Denfert-Rochereau), the ossuary holds the remains of about 6 million people and fills a renovated section of caverns and tunnels that are the remains of Paris’ stone mines. Opened in the late 18th century, the underground cemetery became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century, and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1867. Following an incident of vandalism, they were closed to the public in September 2009 and reopened 19 December of the same year.
The official name for the catacombs is l’Ossuaire Municipal. Although this cemetery covers only a small section of underground tunnels comprising "les carrières de Paris" ("the quarries of Paris"), Parisians today often refer to the entire tunnel network as "the catacombs".
http://www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/english.htm
The Catacombs of Paris (the “municipal Ossuary”) have been created at the end of the 18th century. The cemetery of Innocent (close to Saint-Eustace, in the district of the "Halles") had been used during nearly ten centuries and had become the origin of infection for all the inhabitants of the district. After multiple complaints, the Council of State, by decision of November 9, 1785, pronounced the removal and the evacuation of the cemetery of the Innocent ones.
Old Quarries were selected to deposit Parisian bones; Paris indeed had just created the General Inspection of the Quarries charged of the consolidation of the public highways undermined by the Quarries. The Quarries “of Tombe-Issoire” were the object of work including masonry and consolidations of galleries, and by the digging of a flanked staircase.
The removal of the bones began after the blessing of the place on April 7, 1786 and was continued until 1788, always at night and according to a ceremonial made up of a procession of priests who sang the burial service along the way borrowed by the tipcarts charged with bones and covered with a black veil. Thereafter, this place was used, until 1814, to collect the bones of all the cemeteries of Paris.
From the first day of their creation, the Catacombs caused curiosity. In 1787, Lord of d’ Artois, who will become Charles 10, went down there, in company of ladies from the Court. The following year, one mentions the visit of Madam de Polignac and Madam de Guiche. In 1814, François 1st, emperor of Austria, residing as a winner in Paris visited them. In 1860, Napoleon III went down there with his son.
The Catacombs of Paris reopened on June 14, 2005 after several months of closing for work. Lighting was revised, the arches were consolidated and the walls of re-installed bones.
References :
January 4th, 2013 at 3:26 pm
There are literally thousands of things you can do in greater Paris. Get your search engine working and you will finds things and places of every type. I usually start with enparisinfo.com but there are so many other good sites. I avoid all the comments like, "I heard from my brother-in-law " or "She said that etc"
References :
January 4th, 2013 at 3:46 pm
I lived in Paris for about 6 months and was able to do enough touristy and non-touristy things. I did the Catacombs (as someone else suggested) and it wasn’t busy. I had a good time, it was fun and relaxing. If you’re looking to go out at night and want to avoid some touristy areas like the Champs Elysees and Montmartre, you can check out the Latin Quarter and Montparnasse. Montparnasse is on the south end of Paris. It’s not going to blow you away but it does have potential for good times. The Latin Quarter is a young area. I would suggest checking out rue Mouffetard. At times it can be touristy but it is a great area right by the Pantheon. Another area that I went to a few times but regret not going enough is St. Germain. One last place to go at night, with a few beers, is under Pont Neuf (‘New Bridge’). It is by Ile de la Cite and if you are there with the right people, it is a lot of fun.
All of my recommendations are for the south end (Rive Gauche) of Paris. The entire city is amazing but I just love being south of the River.
Hope this was helpful. Have a great trip.
References :
January 4th, 2013 at 4:33 pm
Some suggestions:
1. Go on a skate through the streets of Paris.
Pari-Rollers organizes a skate at night complete with cops on roller blades to escort the group and a medical team following in case someone takes a spill. This began years ago as a sort of "underground" activity that the cops tried to stop. But when the numbers swelled to hundreds (and on some occasions thousands) they gave up and now cooperate. The route changes every week. Read about it here: http://www.pari-roller.com/
2. Have dinner with an icon of the 1960′s free love, hippy, movement.
Jim Haynes is still crazy after all these years. An American he helped organize the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, co-founded "Suck" (a magazine about sexual issues) in Amsterdam, and taught Media Studies and Sexual Politics at the University of Paris 8. He holds a dinner party every Sunday night at his atelier. Read about it here: http://www.jim-haynes.com/
3. Check out the Roman Arena
Although it gets mentioned in all the guide books I don’t see many people there. The Arènes de Lutèce was built in the 1st century when Paris was a Roman city. Over the centuries it was filled in, built over, and forgotten. It was rediscovered in the late 19th century and excavated. Today, it is a public park in the 5th arrondissement, accessible by three entrances . One is a passageway through the building at 47, rue Monge; the second is a long open corridor from rue de Navarre through a gate; the third is through the Square Capitan from its entrance at 10, rue des Arènes.
4. Visit the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette
I don’t know your nationality but if you are an American or just interested in history then go to the cemetery of Picpus at 35, rue de Picpus and pay your respects to this great man, a pivotal figure in both the American and French Revolutions.
An American flag flies over his grave and did so even during the Nazi occupation of Paris. The German Commandant of Paris, who was a scholar of American Revolutionary history, ordered a detachment of his Wehrmacht soldiers to march to the cemetery each morning and evening to raise and lower the American flag above the General’s grave with full military honors.
The only way into the cemetery is through an unmarked door in a larger, perpetually-closed gateway that guards the church within, which is itself attached to a cloistered nunnery. You have to know exactly where to find the doorbell and, once pressed, know to turn to the right after you pass through the door and find the entry ‘official’ who sits in silence and takes your entry fee.
For any American with an understanding of history it is a visit of obligation. Lay a white rose (the symbol of reverence and humility) on his grave and say “Lafayette, we are here.”
5. See the windmills of Montmartre
Most tourists go take a look at the Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) nightclub. But the windmill there is a fake, just a decoration. However, there are still two real windmills in Montmartre. The last one, Le Moulin à Poivre, functioned until 1878. The Moulin de la Gallette and the Moulin du Radet are found by the rue Lepic.
6. If you’re into philosophy
Check out the meet up group that discusses philosophy in English. it only meets once a month but if you happen to be in Paris at the time its a great way to meet some intelligent people.
7. Check out my favorite bar.
Aux Trois Mialletz at 56 rue Galande is admittedly in a touristy area just a couple of blocks from Notre Dame but the crowd is mainly locals with a very big contingent of regulars. The people are very friendly and the piano bar on the ground floor staffed with very talented musicians and singers. Its the sort of place that stays open all night and where local musicians go to hang out after they’ve finished working someplace else. I’ve been going there for over 30 years ( I sing jazz) and its always a good time and a place I’ve made many, many friends.
References :