Planning a Paris Getaway? Make Sure to Mark These Hot Spots off Your Bucket List
Shopping, sightseeing, and sipping musts in the City of Light
From the LifeMinute.TV Team
March 10, 2023
There are no shortage of fab things to see, do and eat in Paris. Here is a short list of some of our fave to make sure you hit while you’re there.
Find rare vintage treasures at the Paris Flea Market in Saint-Ouen located to the north of the Paris city center. It’s considered the most famous flea market and the largest antique market in the world, covering an area of more than 750,000 square feet.
Parisians don’t shop department stores, but Americans do, and Paris has some great ones. Galeries Lafayette and Printemps Haussman in the 1st arrondissement and Le Bon Marché in the 7th arrondissement are retail meccas housing everything from fashion to housewear, and everything in between, where you’re sure to find something at any price point. They also have new pop-up shops of upcycled fashion items. And the fashion boutiques are not to be missed; the exteriors of the flagship Louis Vuitton and Dior stores on the Champs Elysées is a mini museum unto itself. Serious designer shoppers should hit Ave Montaigne on the 8th arrondissement.
Sample cheeses in the fromageries in Montmartre, in the (18th.) Chez Virginie, which produces raw-milk cheeses, is one of the oldest fromageries in the area.
Situated in the beautiful hilly terrain of the 20th arrondissement is the famous Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Stroll through the grounds and locate some of the most famous grave sites of people in the art world, from Jim Morrison and Edith Piaf to Oscar Wilde and Gertrude Stein.
Check out the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, on the Rue de Rivoli, in the 1st arrondissement. It’s the most visited museum in the world.
Then hit the second-largest museum in Paris the Musée d'Orsay, situated on the left bank of the Seine, opposite the Tuileries Gardens (7th arrondissement.) It houses masterpieces by Monet and Vincent Van Gogh.
Enjoy the view at the Sacre Coeur hilltop in Montmarte (in the 18th arrondissement) and see the temporary home of the “love locks,” before they’re removed once again.
Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine, was considered the most famous for being the “love lock” bridge in Paris. Visitors could attach personalized padlocks to its railing and throw the keys away in the River demonstrating unbreakable devotion. Unfortunately, the bridge was not designed for such huge masses of weight, and the city began removing them in 2015.
Attend the ballet or opera at Palais Garnier on the Right Bank in the 9th arrondissement.
See the Eiffel Tower at night. Its golden covering sparkles for five minutes every hour on the hour on the 7th arrondissement.
Grab a croissant and people-watch at one of the oldest and most famous cafes in the city; Café de Flore, in the 6th arrondissement.
Admire the Arc de Triomphe. It honors those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. It boldly sits in the 8th arrondissement.
Imbibe a casual cocktail at Harry’s Bar, one of the oldest in the city, known as the birthplace of the sidecar and the Bloody Mary and a famous hang of Hemmingway, Humphrey Bogart and Coco Chanel (in the 2nd arrondissement.) For a more chic experience check out one of the fab hotel bars at The Ritz Hotel, Hôtel de Crillon, or Le Meurice, in the 1st.
Take a boat ride on the Seine. Most Seine River Cruises start at the Pont de l'Alma, located near the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Have a meal at La Plume at Hôtel Madame Rêve (1st arrondissement) with amazing views of Paris.
If you’re a fan of the Nancy Meyer’s film Something’s Gotta Give it’s fun to check out the bistro where they shot the scene when Jack Nicholson surprises Diane Keaton in Paris. Le Grande Colbert has great food too! As you know—“it’s right behind The Palais Royal to the north of the Louvre.
Bon Voyage!