Paris, the French capital, is the most touristic city in the world, that is to say if there are things to see, something to walk around and learn a bit of history. Romantic, modern, historic, unusual, urban, festive... Paris is everything at once.
To visit the City of Light in an original and unusual way, you have to go through small paths, venture into the unknown but above all, want to discover other facets of the romantic city with its many legends. What to do in Paris? Here are some places and ideas for outings to answer this question and visit Paris in an unusual way!
Paris is obviously the city's effervescence with its famous monuments known throughout the world such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame or Montmartre, but it is also a multitude of small streets with crazy charm , which immerse you in a completely different atmosphere.
To start your unusual getaway, go to La Coulée verte , a verdant elevated promenade that runs from Bastille to the Porte Dorée. You walk on an old railway line, for those who have visited New York, you will necessarily think of the highline very similar.
You can also walk to the Petite Ceinture which extends over more than 30 km but on which you can only cover 1.3 km:departure from Porte de Clignancourt.
Also discover the surprising cave of Buttes-Chaumont or the vineyards of Montmartre ! La Butte-aux-Cailles and its villas are also a pleasant stopover in Paris.
For a change of scenery, the very colorful rue Crémieux in the 12th arrondissement, the streets overlooking the city in the 20th arrondissement where you'd think you were in the countryside are all original discoveries to be made in the French capital.
To discover Paris, you have multiple solutions for getting around. One of them is quite amazing and worth the detour… In the air! TheBallon de Paris, a hot-air balloon located in the André Citroën park (15th), transports you to an altitude of 150 m in the Parisian sky.
It is ideal for observing monuments, squares such as the Invalides or Trocadéro, bridges (Pont-Neuf, Alexandre-III, des Arts, etc.), gardens and parks, and visualizing the grandeur of the capital from the sky .
More down-to-earth, you can visit Paris in an original way on a 2 CV vintage, on an electric scooter , even on a quad or even on a Segway or a tuk-tuk, why not. You can even have lunch on board a restaurant bus, the Bustronome avenue Kléber.
In addition to the many well-known monuments of Paris such as the Notre-Dame cathedral, the churches and chapels, the Moulin-Rouge, the Arc-de-Triomphe, the Tuileries Palace... You can discover curiosities at the bend of the streets of the City of Light.
Many houses of well-known characters are hiding in Paris:Victor Hugo, Eugène Delacroix, Balzac or Nicolas Flamel known for his quest for the Philosopher's Stone – his house would also be the oldest in Paris. You can also see the house of Gainsbourg rue de Verneuil or Coco Chanel, contemporary artists.
There are still plenty of places in Paris where great Parisian characters have lived. Moreover, ancestral houses you can see in the Marais, gabled buildings dating from the 15th century.
In the Arts and Crafts district at 3 rue Volta, take a look at this 17th century house! Plenty of mansions of this type are dotted around Paris.
Older still, go and see the Arènes de Lutèce in the 5th arrondissement, among the oldest monuments in the city. This Gallo-Roman amphitheater regularly sees petanque or football players treading its ground.
You can also go see the remains of the guillotine rue Croix-Faubin, or the famous Courtyard of Miracles , which is definitely not like in the stories. The latter was in fact a set of streets and districts, which you can discover at 100 rue de Réaumur or 63 rue du Bac for example.
Also, at the corner of rue Charlemagne and rue des Jardins-Saint-Paul, you can admire the greatest preservation of the Philippe Auguste enclosure . Finally, on the Ile de la Cité there are a number of buildings inherited from the Middle Ages, go there!
Crossed by the Seine, Paris can also be visited on the water! To take a boat trip in Paris, you have the choice between several boats but the best known is the bateau-mouche .
A true Parisian institution, this tourist boat welcomes visitors and locals for an original tour of Paris along the river. The Parisian boats like Batobus also offer several formulas that are suitable for different audiences.
You can treat yourself to a day trip to discover the monuments, a romantic getaway on the Seine on a dinner cruise or for lunch. The most original can test a night in a barge , for an ideal romantic weekend!
In addition to the Seine, you can also embark on the Canal Saint-Martin side. , departure from Port de l’Arsenal with an arrival at Bassin de la Villette for example. At the gates of Paris, you will also have the opportunity to go for a water ride in a boat, in the Bois de Boulogne.
Lovers of legends and great thrills must go see Le Manoir de Paris , a haunted house between museum and amusement park. The house features dozens of Parisian legends inspired by real events or folklore, including that of the Phantom of the Opera and the vampire cellar.
In the same spirit but an authentic residence, a mansion on avenue Frochot, is actually a haunted and cursed house … Deaths, noises and creaks forge the reputation of the house; it even seems that Sylvie Vartan would have lived there but would have quickly left!
There is plenty to do in Paris! In the depths of Paris , visit the catacombs , an underground labyrinth where millions of people have rested since the 18th century:thrills guaranteed!
In the spirit of mystery and discovery, you also have the trend of treasure hunts which offer entertainment and culture with a bit of history. Enigmas of the "Crime of the Covered Passages", "Mystery in Montmartre", "Mystery in Notre-Dame"... The escape game type escape games, treasure hunts and adventure trails await you in Paris!
You can also take a guided tour of the secrets of Paris, where you will learn at nightfall some anecdotes that have marked the history of Paris: bloody barber, witch's rock in the 18th century or the Lapin Agile in Montmartre, a cabaret of assassins in the 19th century (not to be confused with the current Moulin Rouge).
Among the unusual visits to do in Paris, there is that of the Parisian metro . Behind the scenes of the mazes of the hundred-year-old lines of the RATP, you will discover trades, materials such as a tunnel boring machine and places where construction sites take place in particular.
Original info:there are ghost stations which are closed or have no entrance or exit:incredible! They cannot be visited but you can find them, their name and their history, on the Internet.
Among the many passages of the French capital, you have some covered and others outside. Let's start with the Passage du Grand Cerf :made of metal, wrought iron and with a glass roof, it houses creators' or designers' boutiques.
Let's continue to the Brady Passage dated 1854 near the Grands Boulevards – Little India atmosphere , or the covered passage Verdeau with its art galleries in the same district. You can also see the Passage des Panoramas near the Grévin museum or the Galerie Vivienne listed as a Historic Monument. And the list is not exhaustive…
In open spaces, tread the Passage de l’Ancre green, which can be accessed at 223 rue Saint-Martin or 30 rue Turbigo. The Durmar City , a country street located in rue Oberkampf, is worth a visit.
You really have to stroll around Paris to find others like this, like the rue des Thermopyles quite flowery!
Paris is unquestionably a cosmopolitan city . Asian neighborhoods, Indian and African communities, there are many places in the capital to get away from it all and discover other cultures, for an interesting multicultural landscape.
From Barbès to the Goutte d'Or, you can visit the Dejean market with its exotic atmosphere or the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district which is reminiscent of Africa and its festive culture .
The famous Great Mosque of Paris in the 5th reveals a restaurant but also a relaxation area according to tradition, with the benefits of the hammam and oriental well-being massages.
Near Brady Passage, as mentioned above, you are immersed in India and its surrounding countries. The Little India of Paris is colorful, you will discover a Buddhist culture but not only.
Let's go to the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan ! Paris has buildings inherited from Japanese culture:
Paris is obviously famous monuments, unmissable places that you absolutely have to see during a stay in the capital, but it is also a more complex and diverse city with unsuspected amazing places , even by the Parisian population.
There are unusual places that few tourists visit and that many Parisians have never seen. From the small art deco detail to the original facade, you will be able to discover entire districts on foot and approach new cultures.
Sainte-Chapelle, culinary institutions like Bouillon Chartier, floating swimming pool on the Josephine Baker swimming pool at the port of the station, stargazing at the Sorbonne from the observatory, dome of Printemps, shop without money … Here are a few more Parisian curiosities to see! And the list is so vast that it will take a few more weekends in Paris to explore everything.
As for gastronomy, we can also recommend original places:eat in the dark, the Urgence bar in Saint-Germain or the Ice Kube bar for example. If you look closely, all around you, every place has its little story . What would you say about Paris the City of Light?
