I think everyone must love Paris and want to see it at least once in their life. And everyone should! Like Muslims, they go to Mecca. And if not all people in the world, then definitely all women. For them, it should be a must! I don’t know many cities that would cause so many smiles, sighs and dreamy looks. A complete balm for the soul. French is a really sexy language and the atmosphere in Paris is amazing. Paris is big and so I advise you to plan it properly. Decide in advance what you definitely want to see, find tips for good restaurants, cafes and bistros in different price categories, nice places, museums, galleries, walks, adorable shops or colorful markets. Maybe forget that you want to see as much as possible. Believe me, you won’t be able to do everything and you’d better leave the idea that you will return to Paris again. The result would be sore feet and frustration that you didn’t see everything. So choose only the places you really want to go. Here are some of my tips and places to definitely visit on your first visit.
EAT AND DRINK LIKE THE FRENCH
LAFAYETTE GOURMET
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, no visit to the capital is complete without sampling the local delicacies. And in France, this is doubly true! Since I love seafood, my path to it was clear. When visiting the Lafayette department store, my path led to the gourmet section. On the ground floor, you will find a section focused on various specialties. They sell vegetables and fruits, fresh fish and seafood, meat and cold cuts, an almost endless variety of different types of cheese, potted herbs, jams, pâtés, spices, sweet pastries, chocolate and macaroons from the best pastry chefs. So I couldn’t resist a good French wine and a mix of seafood, which included oysters, snails, mussels of various shapes and shrimp.
MARCHÉ DES ENFANTS ROUGES
Another gourmet delight I experienced at one of the most famous markets in Paris. Marché des Enfants Rouges is located on Rue de Bretagne. It used to be an orphanage in the 16th century. The market offers a wide variety of stalls, including Lebanese, Japanese, Moroccan and African cuisine. There are also stalls selling organic produce, fishmongers and florists. This market has a great atmosphere and you can enjoy fresh street food at one of the tables.
BOULANGERIE
And if your budget doesn’t allow you to eat in restaurants, at least enjoy a picnic in one of the Parisian parks! Go to a Boulangerie (bakery) and buy a fresh baguette, which goes great with traditional French cheeses and wine. Brie, Reblochon and Camembert are excellent, and I fell for the red Bordeaux wine. If you want to feel like a true Parisian, don’t forget to chat and bargain with the vendors!
JUST WALK ALONG THE SHORE OF THE SEINE
The bouquinistes are street antiquarians who have their book stalls on both banks of the Seine. You can also find similar book stalls in Tokyo and Beijing. In 1922, they were even listed as the only attraction in Paris as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Their books can be found in green wooden stalls where they sell not only old books, but old postcards, newspapers, French comics, magazines or stamps. It seems like a dream job. Bookies don’t pay rent, but they have to be open at least four days a week. That’s what everyone wants, right? So they just pick their favourite time of day, open their stand and wait for their customer before the sun goes down. And maybe it’s their only one. They say it’s slowly but surely dying out. So if you buy something from them, they’ll be happy. All you need is a postcard of Paris.
BOOKSTORE SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY
You’ve probably noticed that I have a penchant for small bookstores and second-hand shops. This bookstore has an extraordinary atmosphere, smell and charm. I guarantee it will put a smile on your face. It’s definitely a touristy place, but if you’re a book lover, it’s definitely worth a visit. It’s located on Rue de la Bûcherie. It’s just a short walk from Notre Dame and the Seine River. There are also many French cafes nearby. It also has a rich and interesting history.
It dates back to 1919, when Sylvia Beach, an American, opened a small bookshop in the 8th arrondissement on rue Dupuytren and later on rue Odéon. Her bookshop immediately became the centre of Anglo-American culture in Paris. She was frequented by almost the entire so-called “lost generation” living in Paris at the time – Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce. It was the one Sylvia Beach supported the most, and she also published his Ulysses at her own expense, which nearly brought her to ruin after the book was banned in both England and America. The bookshop was forcibly closed in 1941 after the German occupation of Paris, allegedly because Sylvia Beach refused to sell the book to a German officer. She never reopened the store.
In 1951, the American George Whitman opened another English-speaking bookstore, in the place we know it today. At the time, it was called Mistral, and it was only after Sylvia Beach’s death that it was renamed Shakespeare and Company. This bookstore soon became the center of the next generation of Americans in Paris. Some even slept on the famous divans on the first floor, placed between the bookshelves. This custom still exists in the store today, and if you climb the stairs to the first floor, you will see not only these famous divans, but also the former Whitman apartment, which the store expanded into. So if you are an intellectual, this place is made for you. Unfortunately, taking photos inside the bookstore is prohibited. The bookstore has also starred in several American films, most recently in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris or in the film Julie and Julia with actress Meryl Streep.
VISIT FAMOUS ADDRESSES
I have always enjoyed following in the footsteps of famous writers, poets, painters, musicians and bohemians.
THE HOUSE WHERE
COCO CHANEL LIVED AND CREATED
When I think of Paris, I immediately think of the fashion industry and the fashion designer Coco Chanel is inextricably linked to it. She lived at 31 Rue Cambon. Her women’s clothing was the first to expose women’s ankles. She was one of the first to understand what modern women wanted to be and removed everything that prevented them from being spontaneous. Here she founded her company, which earned her the title of “queen of French fashion”. Who wouldn’t know her perfume called “Chanel No. 5“. It brought her immense wealth and is still the best-selling perfume in the world.
HOTEL RITZ
The hotel has always attracted the international elite and all the greats of the political and artistic world. Many famous names have visited it. Interestingly, the famous Coco Chanel stayed here for thirty-five years in one of the hotel’s suites, even though her apartment was just a few steps away. In the 1920s, the hotel bar was also a favorite spot for Ernest Hemingway. He moved into room 31 in 1944. He decorated half of the room with guns, and his then-lover, later wife, Times reporter Mary Welsh, hung reproductions of her favorite French painters there.
Nearby, on Le Village Royal Street, there is a street with a roof full of colorful umbrellas.
BOULEVARD SAINT – GERMAIN
The famous brasserie Lipp is located at house number 151. The small bistro became famous for its good beer and sauerkraut. Famous artists such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Max Jacob, etc. used to gather here.
Another famous place in Saint-Germain was the Café de Flore, located opposite the Lip brasserie at 172. Artists used to frequent this café all the time. And another famous café is the Café Les Deux Magots.
GO TO A MUSEUM OR GALLERY
LOUVRE
You don’t have to see all the museums, even if they are all very nice. Make that clear at the beginning. Remember that the French wake up late. Most monuments and museums don’t open until around 9:00. Paris is always full of tourists. Most guidebooks advise getting up early in the morning and going to the museum at that time. Yes, that’s true, but unfortunately 1000 other people will get the same idea. My advice to you is that if you want to avoid long queues, it is better to buy a ticket online exactly on time. Everyone wants to see the Louvre, and especially the Mona Lisa. I find its location terribly strange. It is behind two panes of glass, away from the crowd of tourists who crowd there, so forget about seeing it properly.
The main stir is caused by her smile. According to the painter Giorgio Vasari, Mona Lisa’s smile was caused by the music played while she was being painted. The smile only appears when we look into Mona Lisa’s eyes or at any part of her face. But as soon as you look at her mouth, the smile fades. And there is much debate about who is actually in the painting. According to many theories, it is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci himself, painted from his reflection in a mirror. It is also often said that the painting is a portrait of the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo.
ORSAY
However, if you would rather see French painters, go to Orsay. I personally like it much more than the Louvre. If you are a lover of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists like me, you will be in your paradise. You can admire paintings by Monet, Manet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Matisse. The museum is located in a former railway station. If you already buy a ticket here, buy a combined ticket and you will have access to the Tuileries Orangery Museum at the same time.
THE ORANGERY OF THE TUILERIES
In this museum you will find beautiful paintings of Water Lilies by Claude Monet. It is a brilliant magic of water and light. These eight paintings are 5 meters long. Monet’s canvases are located in two round halls on the ground floor of the Orangerie with impressive ceiling lighting. Flowers are simply the art of nature. Claude Monet began painting water lilies in his house in Giverny on the Seine on the border of the Paris region of Ile-de-France and Normandy, where he had a “water garden” dug out and planted. He created around 250 paintings with this theme by the end of his life. I was so excited by his paintings that I decided to go to Giverny one day.
A VISIT TO THE EIFFEL TOWER IS OBLIGATORY
It is undoubtedly the most celebrated monument! I only knew it from pictures, but when I saw it for the first time with my own eyes, it felt like I was seeing an old friend. You can find couples in love and young ladies around it, trying to get the most interesting photos for Instagram with the Eiffel Tower. I regretted not taking an evening dress with me, because that’s what it’s all about. Everyone here poses in their best, jumps, climbs the bollard to get the best photo. Yes, the girls have plastic clothes to change into and it doesn’t matter that it’s very cold. It can sometimes seem funny. But why not, we are in magical Paris!
The Eiffel Tower, including the antenna, is about 324 meters high and has become a symbol of romance and various stories. The story of the German spy and famous oriental dancer named Mata Hari is very interesting. During the First World War, the French army used a radio transmitter located on the Eiffel Tower to intercept enemy messages from Berlin. In 1917, a coded message between Germany and Spain was intercepted here, which also contained the name Mata Hari. Thanks to this message, the French were able to arrest, accuse and convict her of espionage. Mata Hari was subsequently executed at the Château de Vincennes in Paris. And perhaps the most bizarre story is this.
Did you know that the Eiffel Tower is already married?
She was married to an American named Erika. She is said to have first fallen in love with a bow and claims to have regular sexual relations with a piece of fence. The ceremony with the famous tower took place in 2008, and Erika promised to love the tower until death do them part. As proof, she took the name of her chosen one and calls herself Erika La Tour Eiffel, or Erika the Eiffel Tower.
If you liked the article, I would be happy if you share it or leave a nice comment below the article.
I would also like to invite you to join me on Instagram and Facebook.
