Moulin Rouge

Indoor Activities in Paris

By Stuart Bak

Even the sexiest of cities can occasionally have their allure dampened by a downpour, and Paris is no exception. Fortunately, France’s capital is awash with amazing things to see and do indoors – and beneath the streets – when the weather messes with your plans.

From cabaret to the catacombs, church tours to cheese and wine tastings, there are more interesting indoor activities in Paris than you might expect. You’ll find a selection of our favorites below.

Galleries and Museums

Image of Landmark, The Centre Pompidou,

Centre Pompidou

This cultural mecca’s ‘inside-out’ architecture – all exposed air ducts and pipework in bold primary colors – make it something of a work of art in itself. Visitors can admire the view from a glass-covered external escalator that ascends all six stories. Inside is no less awe-inspiring: the Centre Pompidou houses a cavernous public library, a center for music and acoustic research and, most notably, the National Museum of Modern Art, a collection rivaled in scope, variety and quality only by MoMA in New York. Step inside to admire world-famous works from – deep breath – Picasso, Pollock, Matisse, Magritte, Bacon, de Kooning, Warhol, Sherman and many, many more.

Musée du Quai Branly

Paris does an impressive line in quirky building exteriors, and the Musée du Quai Branly, set on the Seine’s banks in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, is no exception. Its green wall of vegetation, designed by celebrated botanist Patrick Blanc, covers much of the building’s facade as well as some of the interior. There’s enough foliage to fill a dozen Instagram feeds and that’s before you even get to the astonishing collection of indigenous art and cultural artifacts from around the world, including a monumental medieval Moai head from Easter Island and a brightly decorated Volkswagen from Mexico.

Rodin Museum

Gallic legend Auguste Rodin is that rarest of creatures: a sculptor who became a household name. Visit the former hotel where he lived out his last years and which now homes many of his finest pieces as well as showcasing some of his own personal collection of artworks by Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet and more. A number of busts as well as career highlights including The Kiss are exhibited inside the Rodin Museum while out in the delightful jardin is where you’ll find his Monument to Balzac and The Thinker brooding among the perfectly sculpted trees and hedges.

Going Underground

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The Paris Catacombs

Did you know there’s a secret city deep beneath the streets of Paris that runs to over 130 kilometers of tunnels, passageways, sewers and secret chambers? Not for the faint of heart, the labyrinthine ossuary that comprises the Paris Catacombs lies 20 meters underground and contains the mortal remains of over six million Parisians, relocated here from overflowing Paris cemeteries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Brave the 1.5km circuit through this maze of tunnels for a truly bone-chilling experience.

Musée du Vin

Grape aficionados will find much to enjoy in the vaulted cellars of the Musée du Vin, not least the part at the end where you’ll get a chance to sample a glass of the good stuff from the museum’s own vineyard. Before that, you’ll learn the history of wine- and Champagne-making in the atmospheric surroundings of these underground limestone caverns, originally used by Order of Minim friars in the 15th Century.

Retail Therapy

Image of Lighting, Indoors,

Covered Passages

There are 20 or so covered passages to explore in and around Paris’s Grands Boulevards.

Designed to attract the city’s more discerning shoppers, these elegant Parisian arcades are masterclasses in 19th-century architecture and engineering. Their many decorative features include glass-and-iron canopies and soaring domes, intricate tiled floors and old-fashioned wooden storefronts. Inside, you’ll discover chic boutiques aplenty, alongside antique emporia, cute cafés and bustling brasseries.

Passage du Jouffroy is one of the city’s most popular arcades, with its gleaming geometric tiling, ornate stucco clock and delightful 19th-century Librairie du Passage bookstore, where new and antiquarian books pile up precipitously in corners and defy gravity on the overstacked shelves. There’s even a tiny wax museum, which has been operating here for nearly 150 years. At 190 meters, Passage Choiseul is the longest of Paris’s covered passages. Grab a pain au chocolat and stroll past watchmakers’ windows, jewelry stores and much more along its narrow length.

Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann elevates your shopping trip from mere retail to a near-religious experience. Marvel at the ornate galleries and cathedral-like five-story atrium that’s topped with a remarkable steel-and-class cupola. Designed by glass artist Jacques Grüber in the early 20th Century, this soaring 43-meter-high masterpiece is the building’s pièce de résistance, flowering out magnificently from the rooftop. There’s a terrace up here, too, from where widescreen views of the city skyline – including the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral and Sacré Cœur – reward those with a head for heights. Tours are available.

Inside this chic Paris mega-mall, there are 65,000 square meters of big-name boutiques to explore, with luxury brands from Armani to Zadig & Voltaire, plus a Decléor spa, hair salons, Chanel treatment booths and 20+ cafés and restaurants. If that’s not enough to keep you entertained all day long, Galeries Lafayette also offers a range of none-more-Parisian bolt-on experiences including a catwalk fashion show and a macaron-making class, where you’ll learn to make the delicate French fancies, before tucking into your creations. Booking is essential.

That’s Entertainment

Image of Shoe, High Heel, Dancing, Person, Adult, Female, Woman,

Life is a cabaret, old chum, and nowhere more so than in Paris. No visit here would be complete without experiencing at least one of the dazzling array of cabaret and risqué burlesque shows on offer. Naturellement, the Moulin Rouge with its iconic red windmill is the best-known (and arguably the best), but there are dozens more to choose from, running the gamut from old-fashioned crooners, can-cans and audience sing-alongs to high-octane acrobatics and modern dance. Whichever show you opt for, expect lavish costumes, bags of energy and a healthy dollop of high camp.

Cinephiles are also spoilt for choice in Paris, where the majority of cinemas screen movies in their original language with French subtitles, meaning language needn’t be a barrier to catching a classic or enjoying the latest blockbuster. Settle in at atmospheric old picture houses including the Louxor, a stunning century-old mash-up of Egyptian and Art Deco design, and the Grand Rex, home to one of the biggest screens in Europe. Pro-tip: the French word for ‘popcorn’ is ‘popcorn’ so you can even leave the phrasebook at home!

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Sun sets behind Notre Dame Cathedral
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Is Paris in May a good idea?

Paris is always a good idea. But Paris in May could well be the good idea to end all good ideas. Offering perfect sightseeing weather – sunny skies, almost no rain and very little humidity – Paris in May is a joy to behold. Temperatures which seem to rise by the day trigger a wealth of spring blooms alongside a sense of good cheer that even the surliest of Parisians can’t fail to get caught up in. Weather aside, Paris in May is able to boast a busy calendar of events and lengthening daylight hours in which to enjoy them to their max. Whilst the start of the city’s high season, there’s nowhere near the number of visitors as in July and August. The result? A happy balance between T-shirt wearing weather and entrance line lengths – which can of course be avoided by exploring with Go City! When in Paris... Paris has no fewer than four public holidays scheduled for May: Labor Day (May 1), World War II Victory Day (May 8), Ascension Day (40 days after Easter) and Whit Monday (or Pentecost, 50 days after Easter). Expect some shops and restaurants to be firmly closed for each. It’s best to check in advance though, with the Louvre’s mighty galleries closed on May 1 but open the rest of the month. Other museums may have reduced hours. What does this mean for anyone visiting Paris in May? It means the chance to see the city from the eyes of its residents. Many love nothing more than using their free days to head to the banks of the River Seine or one of the city’s multitude of green spaces. Spots on the Place du Vert Galant at the tip of Notre Dame Cathedral’s Île de la Cité are fiercely fought over because of its views across to the Louvre and the 18th-Century Hôtel de la Monnaie. But there’s no shortage of other potential picnic locations in a city with over 400 parks. Take a stroll Alternative activities on the Île de la Cité include a stroll among the stalls of the Queen Elizabeth II Flower Market. A stone’s throw from the stained-glass windows of the Church of Sainte-Chapelle and the ancient stonework of La Conciergerie, it has a particular significance on May 1. By tradition, the date is marked by giving a sprig of lily of the valley to loved ones. Every Sunday, it turns into a bird market alive with chirruping. The pleasant weather makes May in Paris a great time of year to pull on the walking shoes whatever your interests. The river’s banks are a good place to start, with a guided walking tour along the Seine full of fascinating stories from the city’s extensive history. Anyone who knows Paris a little already can instead explore the hidden gems of Le Marais, a residential area filled with historic sites such as Place des Vosges, once home to Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables. Sun and sea – of a kind Hitting the sidewalks of the French capital isn’t the only way to discover the city. Visitors have been getting a bird’s eye view from the top of the Eiffel Tower since 1889. But those seeking elevated views of the tower itself can opt for the Ballon de Paris Generali instead. It’s the world’s largest helium-filled balloon. The adventures can continue beneath the waves at the Aquarium de Paris in the Trocadero Gardens opposite the Eiffel Tower. Concentrating on lifeforms found in French waters – which include islands in the Indian Ocean and Caribbean Sea – 60 tanks provide habitats for 7500 individual animals, including 50 sharks and 2500 jellyfish. Night owls will love the fact that the nearby Palais de Tokyo stays open late at least once a week. It’s home to the Paris Museum of Modern Art, one of two major contemporary collections in the city. The Pompidou Center is the other. Sample cordon bleu menus With café and restaurant tables again a firm fixture on the Paris streets after the chill of the winter months, May is also a great time to get to grips with the city’s famed food scene. For a lunch on the go that would make any Parisian proud, look no further than jambon-beurre. A ham sandwich with an added touch of class, both bakeries and cafés prepare this half-baguette containing butter and jambon de Paris ham in vast quantities each day. If you’re after a more leisurely midday meal the croque monsieur may be the answer, sharing many of the main elements of a jambon-beurre but with extra sumptuousness supplied by a béchamel sauce and a light grilling. Your tastebuds also won’t want to miss the Fête de Pain (Bread Festival) the week either side of May 16. An annual celebration of Saint-Honoré, the patron saint of bakers, it has the city’s artisans sharing their skills with the general public. Just add cheese for a perfect bite to eat! Major May events Around the same time, sports fans begin descending on the Bois de Boulogne for the opening rounds of the French Open Glam Slam tennis championships at Roland Garros. However, there are still plenty of other events for those who don’t know their Halep from their Barty or their Federer from their Nadal. The Printemps Des Rues street festival on the Canal Saint-Martin’s Quai de Jemmapes creates a magical atmosphere suitable for all the family. Dance, music and theater all come together for just one weekend to mark the coming of spring to the city’s streets. It’s the upmarket Saint Germain-des-Prés neighborhood that’s the main location for one of the city’s foremost music events – Festival Jazz. Its stages bring together new talent and household names wherever they might be found. There’s always a strong contingent of American musicians, alongside those hailing from as far afield as Cameroon and India. The Villette Sonique Festival at Parc de la Villette sees crowds welcoming not only jazz greats but also rock and post-punk experimental acts. Better still, it’s free to attend many of its outdoor daytime concerts! What to do in Paris in May May in Paris can more than hold its own against the other months of the year. Continuously improving weather, a relaxed holiday atmosphere and brilliant events mean a vacation at this time of year will be remembered for all the right reasons. And whilst Paris in May is the start of peak vacation season, with higher accommodation costs, don’t forget that by traveling with your trusty Go City app to hand you’re going to make substantial savings on admission to many of Paris’s top attractions!
Ian Packham
Main atrium of the Galeries Lafayette department store at Christmas
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What’s Christmas in Paris like?

Brightening the otherwise dark days of December, Christmas in Paris is an experience you won’t want to miss. It’s a time when the French capital very much lives up to its nickname of the City of Light, with central boulevards glowing with festive street illuminations and shop window displays. Christmas markets provide an alternative place for last minute gift-buying and a little indulgence of the culinary variety. Ice rinks pop up across the city for some additional winter fun, whilst many churches host hauntingly beautiful seasonal concerts. If you want to discover everything there is to know about Christmas in Paris, you’ve come to the right place! Let there be lights! Forget the art nouveau stylings of the city’s metro system, with Christmas around the corner you’ll actually be eager to do battle with Paris’s legendary traffic jams from the window seat of one of its buses instead, in order to take in the wondrous festive lights after dark. Jump aboard bus route 80 to the École Militaire from Montmartre and your journey will take in the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Champs-Élysées and views of Faubourg St Honoré before crossing the River Seine at Pont de l’Alma to the Champ de Mars opposite the Eiffel Tower. To be even more certain of seeing its landmark attractions so elegantly lit, a Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus tour is another great option. They have the added bonus of most classic routes passing through the Place de la Concorde, where you’ll find one of the largest Christmas trees in Europe. The Jardin des Plantes botanic garden also gets in on the seasonal action with its annual Festivals of Lights. The 70 acre site is taken over by monumental yet intricately detailed lantern displays based around a different theme in nature each year. Delight in a range of shopping experiences The crowds may not descend onto the streets in a fervor of Christmas shopping like they once did, but Paris at Christmas remains one of the most exciting places to shop anywhere in the world. The broad avenues of the Champs-Élysées and Boulevard Haussmann take some beating. Their big department stores like Le Bon Marché, Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette – whose central glass-domed multi-level atrium is also renowned for its Christmas tree – go all out on their streetside window displays. But the cobbled side streets of Montmartre are well worth exploring too, perhaps as part of a Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur walking tour. Wherever you end up, you can be sure you’re never too far away from a Christmas market. Somewhere between 15 and 20 appear across the city each year, with stalls offering a blend of gift ideas, tree decorations and foods unavailable at any other time. If you’ve ever fancied sampling freshly-roasted chestnuts, warming mulled wine or France’s version of Yule Log – Bûche de Noël – you can do far worse than the market which takes over the Tuileries Garden beside the Louvre. Other enigmatic locations include the square outside Notre Dame Cathedral and Place des Abbesses in Montmartre. Ice rinks and funfairs Christmas market visits aren’t the only activity to take place during December. Many of the city’s famed locations also become home to temporary ice rinks. Accessible whatever the weather is the indoor rink at the Grand Palais on the Champ de Mars, which is also one of the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, previous years have seen the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette and the viewing platform of the Grande Arche de la Défense match a turn on the ice with exquisite views over the city. Filling the gap between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the Musée des Arts Forains (Fairground Museum) in the Bercy neighborhood hosts the Festival du Merveilleux (Festival of Marvels). During this short window of opportunity visitors are able to ride their collection of vintage fairground attractions, some of which date back to the 1850s. The event is made all the more special by the appearance of magicians, dancers, puppeteers and musicians. When it comes to adrenaline, there’s only one place to head, and that’s the Christmassy makeover given to Parc Asterix on the outskirts of the city. As well as buckling up for a wild ride on the theme park’s roller coasters, there’s a whole host of special add-ons, from themed shows to indoor toboggan runs. Chocolate and carol concerts Those who enjoy a slower pace won’t be disappointed with Christmas in Paris either. Although most outdoor café tables sit dejectedly in forgotten corners, Paris’s coffee houses are still a prime place to absorb the ambience of the city. So why not linger over a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a pastry at the Lindt café by the Paris Opera or at Carette’s on Place du Trocadero – two of our favorite places to spend an hour or two away from the hustle and bustle of the streets outside. Another place to escape the crowds are in Paris’s religious spaces. Its churches are decorated with nativity scenes from the start of Advent (four Sundays before Christmas Day) alongside a schedule of Christmas concerts. Tickets for those at the Church of Sainte-Chapelle are well sought after given the combination of stirring sounds and the 16 massive stained-glass windows that dominate the chapel’s appearance. But churches including those in the Saint-Germain des Prés area and the American Church in Paris are popular alternatives with Parisians looking to get in the Christmas spirit whatever their religious leanings. Celebrating Christmas in Paris As a visitor, you’re not going to be disappointed by all the things to do in Paris at Christmas. A plethora of lights provide the necessary festive backdrop whether you’re keen to tick off the last of the gifts you need, take in the Christmas markets, grab a pair of ice skates or delight in a seasonal concert. At the same time, don’t forget about the landmark attractions that have made Paris a bucket list destination since before bucket lists even existed. Explore with Go City and you can visit many of them whilst making great savings on admission compared to purchasing on the day, alongside other advantages including pre-payment – helping make your vacation budgeting all the easier!
Ian Packham
A couple share a kiss beneath the falling leaves of the Jardin de Luxembourg
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Visiting Paris in September

Paris in September is synonymous with la rentrée – the return of Parisians who have spent the summer on the shores of the French Riviera. For visitors, their return brings an added sense of authenticity to streets still warm enough to want to be out in. Also heralding the beginning of fall, the city’s parks and gardens become a blaze of oranges and reds with the turning of the leaves. But if that wasn’t enough, Paris in September hosts a myriad of events casting a new light over the City of Light. Ready to discover Paris as summer turns to fall? Don’t miss your chance to visit in September! September in Paris Daytime temperatures of over 20°C make getting out and about in Paris a joy in September, with light, quickly moving showers the only fly in the ointment. In short, September is perfect weather for being on the water. Few are able to resist the allure of a River Seine cruise at any time of day, although sunset remains a firm favorite with us. Evening temperatures linger around 13°C, meaning you’ll probably want a sweater to keep the chill at bay. You can also take advantage of the great weather to delve into the side streets of the Montparnasse neighborhood on foot. Lying just a short distance from many of Paris’s world-famous landmarks, the area has long been the bastion of the city’s café culture and intellectual conversation. Notable fans of the area have included Hemingway, Dali and Jean-Paul Sartre, who’s buried in the cemetery which dominates as much as the Tour Montparnasse – the only skyscraper in the Paris city limits. Outdoor adventures Equally impressive are the large-scale sculptures that appear in the La Défense district and the gardens of La Seine Musicale performing arts center at this time of year, creating an outdoor exhibition space with few challengers. When it comes to outdoor public spaces, the Bois de Boulogne is rarely absent from the conversation for long. It’s 2000-plus acres incorporate several individual parks and gardens, as well as September’s Fête à Neuneu. Instigated by no less a figure than Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France in 1815, it’s a funfair filled to bursting with traditional rides and candy floss stalls. The festivals in fact come thick and fast, with the Fête des Jardins (Garden Festival) weekend hot on its heels. Though lasting just two days, it sees parks across the city holding special events. They include live bands, food stalls and guided tours. All are put together to help visitors get the most out of the city’s 150 public green spaces. Indoor marvels With such an array of history on display, you wouldn’t think Paris would be in need of its European Heritage Days. However, this September weekend grants visitors free access to many of Paris’s museums, alongside attractions usually off-limits to the general public. The Élysée Palace, official residence of the French President, behind the scenes areas of the Paris Metro and Hôtel Drouot – an auction house equivalent to Sotheby’s – have all opened their usually closed doors for previous editions. Attractions reopening their doors – this time after the summer hiatus – are the shows that provide entertainment late into the night, including those of the cabaret clubs of Montmartre and Paris’s two main opera houses, the Palais Garnier and Opera Bastille. Get your lips tingling and toes tapping You certainly don’t have to be an opera buff to enjoy a night out in the French capital. To start with, there is no shortage of rooftop bars, still very much usable spaces thanks to the sunny weather of Paris in September. Combine a little panoramic sightseeing with a classic cocktail at the likes of Bar le Perchoir for views of the Sacré-Coeur and Le Georges atop the Pompidou Center for vistas taking in much of the city from seven stories up. Always a focal point for those of a musical bent, with structures including the Paris Philharmonic Hall and the Zenith and Trabendo live music venues, Parc la Villette takes on extra significance in September when it hosts Jazz à la Villette and the Jazz for Kids mini-festival. EDM lovers are also catered for, with the one-day Techno Parade taking over streets in the heart of Paris. Attracting audiences numbering north of a quarter of a million people, the good-time atmosphere sees DJs play a long list of crowd favorites from decks situated on slowly moving floats. Admire the latest trends One of the most stylish cities around, design can be seen everywhere from the Pompidou Center to the fashion shows of the Galeries Lafayette department store. If a single event brings together that je ne sais quoi of apparently-effortless Paris style it’s the city’s Design Week in the first half of September. Schools, workshops and studios all show off their latest collections in an event that could well see you rubbing shoulders with a buyer from any of Europe’s high-end stores. The end of the month also sees the year’s second installment of Fashion Week, with venues across the city turned over to brands big and small. Landmarks are always keen to get involved with the Paris Autumn Festival too. It begins in September and runs through the rest of the year with dance, variety performances and film screenings all part of the program. Save on September Paris attraction admission Is September a good time to visit Paris? We have little difficulty in saying it is. There’s a huge range of events to look forward to and weather conditions which most parts of the world would die for at the beginning of fall. Whether you plan to spend your days scouring the backstreets of Montmartre or delving headlong into the collections of the Paris museums, exploring with Go City will help you keep costs under control. Our pre-paid passes give those visiting Paris in September substantial savings on admission to a long list of major attractions.
Ian Packham

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