Fifteen things to do in Paris

Bonjour Paris! Paris is a charming city to visit. There are many beautiful sights to see and interesting things to do. While I was studying at University I took a French language course and I became very interested in French language and culture. It was a great opportunity for me to visit Paris and have the chance to practise speaking some of the French phrases I learned at University. In this blog post I would like to share some ideas about things to do and see in Paris, France.

1. Visit the Eiffel Tower!
 If you think of a symbol of Paris, it would probably be the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was completed on 31 March 1889 and it was built by Gustave Eiffel, hence it's name. At night the tower lights up which is very beautiful. La Tour Eiffel est magnifique! I think this is probably the number one thing to do on your first trip to Paris.

 Since visiting Paris I have lived in Japan and been to Tokyo a few times, and I was surprised to see that the Tokyo tower looks like a red and white version of the Eiffel Tower. When I was looking at the view of Tokyo at night from the Mori Tower observation deck in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, I almost felt like I was back in Paris.

2. Go on a cruise on the Seine river
A great way to see the city is to go on a cruise on the Seine river. It is especially lovely to go on this cruise in the eary evening because the Eiffel Tower is lit up and the lights make pretty reflections on the water of the Seine river. During the day many people sit together and socialise on the banks of the Seine river.

       

3. Visit the Louvre Museum and the Louvre Glass Pyramid
The Louvre Museum is a very famous art museum in Paris. It is the world's largest art museum and it houses many famous artworks. The Louvre Pyramid is a large glass and metal pyramid that is the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. The Pyramid has also become a famous landmark in Paris.

4. Visit the Arc de Triomphe

The Arx de Triomphe was built to honour those who fought for France during the Napoleonic Wars and the names of the generals are engraved on the inside and at the top of the arch. 

5. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
This is a medieval Catholic cathedral and it is also a good example of French Gothic architecture.

6. Visit Moulin Rouge! 
The Moulin Rouge is a famous cabaret theatre and it is where the can-can dance first began. You can watch various musical and dance shows here. It is a famous place and there have been movies made about it such as the movie Moulin Rouge starring Nicole Kidman.

7. Go shopping (or window shopping!) at Champs Des Elysses
This is an expensive shopping street with luxury stores like Louis Vuitton so it's not the place where you will want to buy your souvenirs, but it is a fun place to go window shopping.

8. Visit Sacré-Coeur

Sacré-Coeur is an iconic white church that was completed in 1912. It is a beautiful church to visit in Paris. It has  interior mosaics, stained-glass windows and a crypt. It is on top of Montmartre Hill and from the top of the Basilica you can see fantastic views of the city. However to reach the Basilica you have to climb 270 steps!

9. Visit the Musée d'Orsay

Some major 19th and 20th century European art collections by famous artists like Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh,  Gaugin, Cezanne and Renoir are housed in the Musée d'Orsay. 

10. Visit the catacombs of Paris. 

The catacombs is a labyrinth of skulls and skeletons in a former limestone mine. Under the city of Paris there are quarries and tunnels lined with thousands of skulls and skeletons. In the 18th century Parisian graves were becoming overpopulated and people were resorting to improper burials and shallow graves and citizens began to complain about the smell and spread of disease. Louis XV also issued an edict that banned burials from the capital. One day heavy rains caused the walls of Les Innocents, one of the largest cemeteries in Paris, to collapse and the corpses to spill into neighbouring properties. After this incident the limestone quarries were consecrated and turned into the Paris catacombs and the bones from Les Innocents were moved to the catacombs. After the French Revolution the newly dead were buried in the catacombs.

11. Go antique shopping at the Marché aux Puces

This is a 150-year-old market is the world's largest and most famous flea market where you can find every kind of imaginable treasure from vintage couture to antique luggage, books and paintings and it offers something for everyone.  

12. Eat French food 

Paris has lots of fantastic food to try from delicious pastries to escargot(snails), foie gras (duck), coq au vin (chicken and sometimes bacon is added), beef bourguignon and ratatouille (vegetables). Trying foreign food when you visit a new country is part of the whole cultural experience! Food and language are an important part of a country's culture.  

13. Relax in the Luxembourg Garden

This is the perfect place to relax with a book, a bottle of French wine and a picnic lunch. It's a beautiful place to walk around and admire the beautiful flowers. 

Another lovely garden to relax in is the Garden des Tuileries which is near the Louvre.

14. Go up Montparnesse tower

From on top of this tower you can enjoy excellent views of the city. There is an observation deck on the 56th floor. It is a good idea to go there around sunset so you can stay and see the view of Paris during the day and see how Paris lights up at night. My favourite view is by night when the Eiffel tower is lit up and the city looks magical.

15. Visit the "Love Wall"

This wall has the words "I love you" written in over 200 languages! It's a nice idea for the city of love.

There are lots of fun things to do in Paris. It's a great city to visit. Merci beacoup! Thank you very much for reading!