If you’re ever wandering the cobbled laneways on the border between the first and second arrondissements, perhaps after a visit to the Louvre, you may come across a pedestrian oasis tucked away off the Rue Saint-Honoré. Across the expansive Place Colette and through the archways of the Conseil d’état lies the Palais-Royal. A long, rectangular … More Le Palais-Royal
On the outskirts of the Bois de Vincennes, at the eastern edges of the city, lies a garden of ghosts. You wouldn’t know it, however; few travel guides will send you here, and even once you alight at the suburban Nogent-sur-Marne RER station, it’s still easy to miss. This remnant of history is tucked away … More Le Jardin d’Agronomie tropicale
When I first started this blog in 2011, I imagined it as a guide to the hidden museum gems of Paris. I wanted to show my readers the dozens of niche, little-frequented museums that dot the cityscape but may not show up in travel guides. I was interested in the places that continue to open … More Le Musée du Louvre
For over 100 years, Paris has had a tradition of controversial, polarising public works projects. It kicked off in the 1880s with the Eiffel Tower, which many Parisians found brutal and ugly. There was a similar reaction to the Centre Pompidou in the 1970s: the blockish experiment of a building, with its primary-colour pipes and … More Le Palais Garnier (l’Opéra de Paris)
For a very long time, in the West at least, much of the history we have been taught has been military: the dates of wars, the names of kings and generals, the stories of battles fought over territory, people and values. In schools, books and museums, we learn that the most important events of the … More Le Musée de l’Armée
When you think of Roman ruins, it’s pretty likely that you think of, well, Rome. And it’s true that many of the most spectacular and well-preserved Roman sites are in the capital of the former empire. But Roman imperialism spread across most of Europe and the Mediterranean between the 1st century BCE and the 5th … More Les Arènes de Lutèce
Even if you find it hard to believe in their healing qualities of crystals, it’s hard not to be drawn to their glittering points, smooth surfaces and depth of colour and texture. There is nothing quite as beautiful as holding a crystal to the light and seeing it filter through, casting a glow against the … More Le Musée de la Minéralogie
For many people, the idea of Paris art museums evokes images of grand oil paintings and majestic sculptures. But photography is another important part of the city’s artistic history, from Robert Doisneau to Man Ray and beyond. When people ask me the best museums for photography in Paris, I’m quick to respond: for size and … More La Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson
The fifth arrondissement serves a wide range of people. It is home to the Sorbonne, the original buildings of the University of Paris, and to the city’s greatest concentration of universities and private grandes écoles, with a corresponding array of bookshops and stationery boutiques. It is a tourist magnet, the site of the Latin Quarter, … More La Grande Mosquée de Paris
You could spend a week just exploring the museums located on the edge of the 16th arrondissement, between the neighbouring metro stations of Trocadéro and Iéna. It’s hard to process how much art, history and culture is packed into just a few blocks. The Palais de Chaillot, the pale stone building most appreciated by tourists … More Le Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet
Les Musées de Paris 