Markets

Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

It just wouldn’t be right to visit Paris and not once visit one of the many marchés aux puces, or flea markets. This particular one is in the north-east of the city at Clignancourt, boasting over 3,000 unique traders. This place is a cross between a covered market, and outdoor bazaar and a shanty town, as more and more stalls have been added over the years. It can be difficult to push past the tourist shops and souvenir sellers who frequent the fringes of the market, but once inside, it is a haven for the bargain-hunter. Spend a lazy afternoon perusing antique furniture or enjoy reading through the endless collections of hand-written postcards dating back to the mid-19th century.

Marché Dejean

This bustling food market showcases the best of Franco-West African culture, surrounding you with delightful smells and colors from the moment you arrive. If you’re after halal meat, this is the place to get it fresh and easily. Unlike some of the other traditional markets, Marché Dejean is also home to numerous boutiques and cafés, meaning you can really take your time to peruse, relax, and watch the world go by.

Marché International de Rungis

Not exactly a market for the absent-minded tourist, Marché International de Rungis is more of an experience. The favorite of French chefs, this market is located slightly further out of the centre than its smaller competitors, but for those with a real affinity for fresh produce, it’s certainly worth the extra travel. There are even guided tours for visitors, but be warned – they start at 4.30am!

Marché aux Fleurs et Oiseaux

Handily located in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, this market is a must-see if you’re in Paris on a Sunday. Offering flowers and birds (a bizarre yet oddly pleasing combination), this market never fails to entertain and surprise. Occasionally, visitors can expect to see rabbits and other small animals, and the market changes between freshly cut flowers and potted plants, but whatever is on offer, you can be sure to enjoy a wander through. It is also much more easily accessible than some of the more hidden markets on Paris’s periphery, so it can easily be worked into a day of sight-seeing.

Le Marché Rétro d’Oberkampf

Paris is also home to a number of pop-up markets, only appearing several times a year and often in varying locations. This clothing and furniture market is rather out-of-the-ordinary, as it takes vintage to a whole new level, focusing on the 1960s. Expect lots of statement pieces, though the furniture may be slightly difficult to take home on a plane!

Parks

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Waterfalls, cliffs and temples are just a few of the beautiful things you can stumble upon while walking through this park. Situated in the 19th arrondissement, tourists usually stay away from the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, but the locals know it to be one of the best in Paris. It is one of the largest parks in the city, and it is worth a visit. Bring a picnic blanket, a book and relax, or take a stroll through the many paths this park has to offer.

Jardin des Tuileries

The Jardin des Tuileries is Paris’ oldest and largest public garden. It is a formal garden with graveled paths and perfectly manicured lawns, and it has unparalleled views of the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. It was designed by the same architect who designed the gardens at Versailles, so if you have visited the palace you can imagine how splendid the Jardin des Tuileries is. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Jardin du Luxembourg

The Jardin du Luxembourg is located in the 6th arrondissement, and is where the locals go for a run. Why not join them and discover all the statues and artwork the park has to offer while burning those extra calories from all the crepes and cheese? The park was created in 1612 and has since evolved to become the beautiful space it is today: home to six tennis courts and a playground as well as impressive sculptures. Things to be done here include pony rides, sailing your sailboat in the central fountain and enjoying a famous Guignol puppet show.

Jardin des Plantes

The most important botanical garden in France, the Jardin des Plantes is undoubtedly one of the best parks in Paris. It is home to four museums and conserves a wholly functioning botanical school. It was originally intended to serve as a medicinal herb garden for French royalty, but it quickly became the vast botanical garden it is today. You can explore the thousands and thousands of different plant species in this garden or you can wander around and lose yourself in its maze.

Jardin Anne-Frank

A relatively unknown park in Paris, the Anne-Frank Garden was inaugurated in 2007 and is a wonderful hidden gem in the Marais. It is small yet delightful, and is rarely crowded. There is a beautiful pond in the center and romantic trellis-surrounded seats are its most remarkable feature. Although it doesn’t feature extravagant flower arrangements or exotic plants, anyone who has been to Paris will appreciate the calm respite that this garden has to offer. At times you can find art exhibitions on the walls of the garden, adding an extra touch of beauty to the space.

Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau could be considered Paris’ most diverse garden: it has an Egyptian pyramid, Corinthian pillars, a Venetian bridge and a Chinese pagoda among other features. It was created by the Duke of Chartres, a very wealthy aristocrat, and it can be found in the 8th arrondissement. The park is styled in the English manner and is a favorite of the locals, whose children come here to play among the 200-year-old trees while taking in the tranquil beauty of the park.

Parc Floral de Paris

Located on the royal estate of Vincennes, this public park was inaugurated as part of a garden festival in 1969 and is thus one of the newer parks in Paris. It occupies a considerable part of the Bois de Vincennes and is considered the fourth largest park in Paris. There are many things to be done here. The park not only has beautiful annual flower shows, but is also host to an outdoor concert stage, a restaurant, a cafe, an art gallery and a miniature railway.

Parc de Belleville

The Parc de Belleville in the 20th arrondissement has one of the most privileged views of the Parisian skylines – you can see the Eiffel Tower from here. Here you can find the longest waterfall in Paris, ping-pong tables, huge lawns where you can sit and relax or have a picnic and even an open-air theatre. There is also a museum dedicated to air pollution at the top of the park. The park’s most notable feature is its flower displays.

Parc André Citroën

Established near the River Seine and built on the site of the former Citroën car manufacturing plant, the Parc André Citroën could be described as a modern park: think glass houses, dancing fountains, waterfalls, and gardens with computerized sounds. There is also an astounding elevated reflecting pool and several smaller gardens, each of which is designed around a specific color – blue, green, orange, red, silver and gold. What also makes the park so different is that you can ride its tethered hot air balloon to see some incredible panoramic views of the Champs de Mars, the Sacré Coeur, the Seine and Notre Dame.

Albert Kahn Musée et Jardins

This garden counts 10 acres where you can experience pure relaxation away from all the hustle and bustle of the French capital. Its different sections are designed to represent typical gardens from different countries all around the world (Japan, England, France, etc), which makes it one of the most unusual parks in Paris. Take part in a great experience in this garden on Tuesdays or Sundays (April, May, June or September): a Japanese tea ceremony is held in the garden’s pavillon du thé.

Museums

Louvre

In addition to holding countless masterpieces of pre-20th century painting, sculpture, drawings, and art objects, the Louvre is arguably a masterpiece in and of itself. One word of advice, though: tourists flock here in the millions each year, meaning that if you’re crowd-averse, you’ll want to avoid peak hours and months if you can.

People often beeline straight for the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo and neglect to see much else, but I strongly recommend that you explore quieter, less crowded wings at the former palace and city fortress.  Some of my favorite works include chefs d’oeuvres from Dutch geniuses Rembrandt and Vermeer, Caravaggio, and Rubens, as well as the fascinating wings dedicated to Islamic and Egyptian art.

National Museum of Modern Art at the Centre Pompidou

The National Museum of Modern Art (MNAM) at the quirky, cheerful Centre Georges Pompidou houses one of the world’s  most important and prestigious permanent collections of modern art.

Boasting over 100,000 works from key twentieth-century painters, sculptors, and architects including Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Miro, Magritte, Warhol, Saint-Phalle, Pollock, and countless others, the MNAM’s main collection is constantly refreshed and recirculated. Thematic pathways through the collections are frequently changed up. This means that if you visit several times you’re not likely to feel like it’s a mere repeat each time. The temporary exhibits are almost always worth the ticket price, too. If you visit more than once per year, the annual pass is well worth it.

Musée d’Orsay, an Impressionist and Expressionist Treasury

Housed in an ornate old train station on the banks of the Seine, the Musée d’Orsay is situated just across from the Louvre, and effectively bridges the gap between pre-modern and modern artistic movements and traditions. Countless impressionist and expressionist masterpieces are held here, from Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Paul Gaugin and many other lesser-known but equally important modern artists.

Petit Palais, an Overlooked Gem

The Petit Palais, in close reach of the prestigious Avenue des Champs-Elysées, has a permanent collection boasting some 1,300 works from the antiquity through the early 20th century, with unforgettable paintings from the likes of Delacroix, Cezanne, Monet, Courbet, and many others. One of the best parts? It’s entirely free. Temporary exhibits, meanwhile, are free for visitors under the age of 13.

Modern Art Museum of the City of Paris

Contemporary art buffs are behooved to pay a visit to the city of Paris’ museum of modern art, created in 1961 and housed in the distinctive Palais de Tokyo, itself opened during the 1937 Universal Exposition. Featuring over 8,000 works spanning all major trends in 20th and 21st century arts, the Museum of Modern Art of Paris hosts a constant stream of exciting temporary exhibits, more recently exploring the works of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and American artist Elaine Sturtevant. The terrace outside the palace affords a striking and head-on view of the Eiffel Tower.

National Medieval Museum/Musée de Cluny

This museum dedicated to the medieval period– exploring both art and daily life in the “Moyen Age”– is one of the city’s best, but is often overlooked. Housed in the striking Hotel de Cluny, a late 15th century Abbey, the museum is built above Gallo-Roman thermal baths built between the 1st and 3rd centuries– parts of which can be visited. The permanent collection’s “crown jewel” is a 15th century tapestry, The Lady and the Unicorn, much revered for its sumptuous colors and enigmatic allegorical symbolism. The grounds also include a garden meant to mimic medieval aromatic and medicinal gardens, providing a pleasant place to read or slowly stroll.

Musée Rodin (For Breathtaking Sculptures)

This museum consecrated to French sculptor Auguste Rodin is one of Paris’ finest, and offers a multifaceted look at Rodin’s complex body of work, in addition to works from his brilliant student Camille Claudel, among others. In addition to iconic works such “The Thinker”, the museum hosts an extensive sculpture garden that’s a true pleasure to stoll, or think (as it were) in.

Musée Carnavalet: Explore the History of Paris

Anyone wishing to understand Paris’ multi-tiered, complex history would do well to pay a visit to the Carnavalet Museum. Housed within the walls of two Renaissance-era mansions, the Hotel de Carnavalet and the Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau (built in the 16th and 17th centuries, respectively), the Carnavalet Museum’s permanent collection traces the history of Paris across over 100 rooms. This exhibit is free of charge to all visitors, and arguably tops the list of Paris’ free museums. The museum also hosts a series of temporary exhibits highlighting various periods or aspects of the Parisian heritage.

Musée du Luxembourg

Situated on the stately grounds of the Luxembourg Gardens, this museum is one of Europe’s oldest, and was opened in 1750 as France’s first state-run collection of paintings. It hosts a small number of temporary exhibits per year, but these are almost always highly anticipated and popular with the general public. Exhibits in recent years have focused on artists including Modigliani, Chagall, Vlaminck, and Fragonard